The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-11-06
THE QUESTION OF THE HOUR

Are the Filipinos Capable of CIV
erning Themse1ves?-Facts an'
Opinions From an Unprejudice'
Source.
CONGRESSMAN John Il. Shafroth, o
Colorado, has just returned from
visit to the Philippine Islands, ant
herewith is given u statement OF hi
observations:
If the intelligence of the Americans
ia TO be taken as the standard by which
the capacity for self-government is tt
be Determined, then it is very doubtful
whether any other people are capable
of establishing and maintaining re
publican form of government. Every
country has peoples of high and low
order of intelligence, and if we are to
assume that the men OF lowest order OF
civilization are to rule, we might ex-
clude from self.government every ma
ton on earth. 1t is the experience OF
mankind, however, that the intelligent
classes in all the countries rule. That
being true, there are very few peoples
who are not capable OF self govern
ment. 1t was Henry Clay who said
that it was impossible for him t" con-
ceve of people who were incapable
of self-government.
OF the republics of Central and South
America, it is safe to say that, although
they may not be as perfect In the All
minis,ratlon of affairs as the United
States, yet they have gwen to the peo-
pie governments far better and freer
from acts of tyranny and oppression
than the governments which proceeded
them.
The general impression exists among
many Americans thai the Philippine
people are savages. A visit 10 the is-
lands will certainly dispel any such de-
llsion. The members Of the unclv-
ilized Tribes of the archipelago are few
in number, compared to the total pop
ulation; they are fewer in propoi ton
than were the tribes of Indians in AM
erica at the time of the establishment
of our republic. They rove in bands
and are as hostile to the Fiipinos as
were the red men to our forefathers.
When l find behind the prescription
desks of the numerous drug stores of
the islands, even when kept by Ameri-
cans and Engllshmen, Fillpinos COM
pounding medicines taken from bottles
labeled in Latin; when L see behi1u
the counter of banks having large
capital, natives acting as book keepers
and as receiving and paying tellers;
when | find them as merchants and
II. Ill IF hive
as telegraph operators and ticket agents,
conductors and engineers upon rail-
roads and as musicians rendering upon
almost all instruments high class music;
when am told that they alone make
the observations and intricate calcula.
tions at the Manila observatory and
that prior to The insurrection there
were 2 400 schools in the islands apd
5000 students in attendance at the
Manila university; when find the bet
ter class living in good, substantial and
sometimes elegant houses, and many
of them pursuing professional occupa
tion, cannot but conclude that it is a
vile slander to compare these people
to the Apaches or the American In
dians. Even the ciVilizing test of
Christianity is in their favor, as al
greater proportion are members OF the
church than among our own people.
OF tho 5000 600 of inhabitants, Mr..
Sawyer, in his work o. the Philippine
Islands, asserts that 5,S69,000 are
Christian natives.
But even as to the Indians, as un-
civilized as they may be, our govern
mentrecognizes tlatit produces a better
condition of things to let them govern
themselves, and thereby we even re-
cognize IN them capacity for self
government. We do not rule them
we make treaties with them as we do
with nations. We do not appoint a
goyerper, or commission to govern
then, nor judges( iUltssA :A.sier laws
among them, no-SsE police force 10
maintain order. We let them select
their own chiefs, punish their own
criminals, and in every way govern
themselves 80 long as they stay on
their own reservations.
The instinct of self government i'm
planted in man makes him ordinarily
a better agent IN managing his own
family and affairs than would be one
of greater ability or higher education
without that interest. And as with
man, so with nations, that same prin-
ciple of self-betterment oriin arily
makes each nation most capable OF
managing its affairs 20 the advancement
of its own peo, lie.
No better illustration of this can be
found thar in the action of the mem
bers of the civil commission of the
Philippine islands in fixing official sal
aries to be paid out Of funds collected
from the people of a poor ana alien
race. They voted to the governor, who
Is a member of the commission, a
salary of $15, 900 per annum end $15 a
day for subsistence, making In the ag-
gregate salary Of $50 1916 year. The
governor is also furni, he'd fine house
in which to reside. To each of the
commission they voted a compensation,
including subsistence of $4,000 pei
:annum. They voted a yearly salary Of
$7 500 to the secretary of the commits.
sion, of $1,000 to each of the six Gar
exceedingly large number) associat,
justices of The supreme court, of 81 ,50t
TO the chief justice, of $4,000 TO tn,
treasurer, of $4,000 to the director
general of posts, and of $4,000 to th'
collector of customs. All of these sal