The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1901-11-01
THE FILIPlNOS.
Are they capable Of Governing
Themselves.
WHAT AooNnREaSWAN GAY 8
After Going Over TO tho Philip
pIno Islands and @eaErg
b tho Brown Mar at
Homa.

Z . Il { I ! :
tho Brown Mar al
Homo.
Congressman John &. Shafroth, OF
Colorado, has just returned from visit
to tho Philippine Islands. Below will
be found a statement giving his obser-
) vations Coming from ono Of Buoh
4 high personal oharactor and 90 oapable
Of forming @ just opipion, his words
ought to have great weight. Ho says:
If the Intelligence Of tho Ablorioans
is to bo taken as tho standard by whioE
the capacity for solf-govornmont is to
bo determined, thon it is very doubtful
whother any other people ore capable
of establishing and maintaining re-
publiosn form Of government. Ey. ry
country has peoples Of high and low
order Of intelligence, and if wo are
to assume that tho mon Of lowest order
of civilization arc to rule, wo might
exclude from aalf-governmont every
nation on oarth. 1t is tho oxperionco
OF mankind, however that tho intelli
Rent clarRoe in all Tho countries rulo.
That being truo, thoro arc very few
peoples who arc not capable Of SELF
government. 1t waa Henry Clay who
said that it was impossible for him to
/ conceive of people who wore inoap
ablo Of aolf, government.
OF thoropublios Of Central and South
America, 1t is sale 10 cay that, al
though they may not be as porfcct in
the administration of affairs as tho
United States, yet thoy havo given 10
,he people governments far bottcr aud
freer from aots Of tyranny and opprcs
aion than the governments which pre-
ooeded them.
The general impression exists among
many Americans that tho Philippine
fecp!e ere .syagos. A viHit to tho is-
iands will certainly dispol any suoh do
fusion. The mombers of the unoivii-
lzed tribos Of the alohipolag0 aro foW
in number, compared to tho total pop
ulatiou; they are tower in proportion
than W 70 tho tribos Of Indians Ia Am.
erica at tho time Of tho establishment
of our republic. They royo in bands
and arc az hostile to lho Filipinos as
were tho red mon to our fo1efathors.
Whom find behind the prescription
desks of tho numerous drug s.orcs
nf the ialanha, ever: whom kopt by
Americans and NnglishMen, Flllpinos
comp0undlng medicines taken from
bottles labeled i'll Latin; When l noo
, behind tho counter Of banks having
largo capital, natives acting as book
xollers; when l find thom rs merchants
and clerks in almost all lines OF busi-
ness, as toiegrsph operators and tiokot
agents, conductors and oISineers upon
railroads and OIL Muelo,anb renaorlng
upon almost all Instruments high GLASS
music; whom L am toiu That they alone
mako tho observations and Intricate
oalculatlo1s at the Manila observatory
and That prior TO tho insurrco oJlon
there were z, 100 schools In the lsinnas
aud 5000 s,udonts in attendance at tic
Mania university; when tlHd tho bet
ter GLASS living III good, substantial anl.
eomelmoB elegant houses, abd may
OF them lureuing riot.selonal Cc0upA-
irons, l oanIot but cCLcluuC tngt IL ID
o vllo slanQor to COMPARE tDoao people
to tho Aps,ohos or tic AM.rlcan III.
daans. Even tho eivji,zlug lost oil
UhIlstialaty 10 In tAuir favor, aD q
greater proportion arc memDofD CT tho
ohuroh than amoI 6 our own people.
'Ot tho 5000, 600 VI lnAu bilanls, nir.
sawyer, In Ms work on tho Philippine
Islands, abborts that $3.50, ,UU0 arc
christian natives.
But even 40 to tho Indians, al un
Civilized as thoy may bo, our govoln-
ment recognizes that II produces q
better condlrlOn OF things to lot thon
govern themselves, and theloby VIC
even rooognlzo In them q capacity for
seit. governmont. We do not rule them
- Wo make treaties With them as We do
with hatiouB. We DO not appoint 4
governor or commission to govern
lhem, nor judges to sdministsr laws
among them, nor police ioIco 10 main
iain order. We lot them select their
own ohlets, punish their owa criminals,
and IN tvorY way govern themSeiyos SO
long as they stay on ,heir own roserVa
tlonB.
Tho instinct Of self-govorhmont I'M.
Il planted in man makes him ordinarily q
Detter agent in mapagirg his own tami-
ly and affairs than would be Quo Of
greater ability or highor education
without that interest. Ard as With
man, 90 with nations. that eame prinoi-
pic OF self. bettormont ordinarily makes
each nstion most capable Of managing
itg affairs TO the advancement OF liz
own people.
No better illustration Of this can bo
found than in tho action Of the mem.
bors Of tho OWL commission OF tho
Philippine Islands in fixing oAi,ial sal,
arios to bo paid out Of fundo collected
from tho poople Of q poor and alion
race. They voted to tho governor,
who is a nomber Of tho commission, q
salary OF $l5, 600 per annuru and $16 a
day for subeielenoo, making in tho ag.
grogate salary Of $40, ,375 year. Tho
governor is also furliehod fine house
In which to reside. 10 caoh OF tho
commission thoy voted compensation,
including subsintenco Of $lb, 600 Der
annum. They voted q yearly salsry Of
81 800 to the scoretery OF tho commits.
sion, OF 81, GOO to eaoh OF tho ak Ian
exceedingly largo numbol) associate
iustices Of tho supremo ooutt, OF 81, 500
* RI tho ohinf i,1afico of az nm IN IL,