The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-10-28

I to be said of 6 government which, lik'
 our military government, did not cos
 the natives a cent, or certainly, mex
 to nothing? The ravages of war, nc
 doubt, entitled the Filipino taxpayer tt
 consideration, though it might be sait
 also that that war was of his owr
 making. At any rate, without core
 spending outlay, the Filipino found
 himself suddenly enjoying the blessing:
 of rule so mild so just, and so ef-
 fective, apparently, that not in the
 widest flights of his imagination could
 he have pictured to himself a condi-
 ton of mutual satisfaction between
 governor and governed such as distin-
 .guished his relations with the military
 officials sent to look after his welfare
 Like the padre in Spanish times, the 1 American officer, became, in the outly-
 ing districts, at least the municipal
 autocrat and the intermediary between | the native community and the outside
 world. If they had dispute among themselves, they brought it for settle
 ment before the officer. If they were in trouble they confided in him. He was judge, counsellor and friend to them. They learnt to respect him, and,
 though they might question the wisdom of some of his decisions, they
 never doubted his honesty. The officer,
 on the other band governed his district
 to the best of his ability, without much
 reference to law, precedent or tradition,
 having in view only the peace and vel
 fare of the community. It was a start
 ling and, on the whole, satisfactory ex-
 hibition of the application of common
 sense to problems, in the solution of
 which we are too often taught to be-
 lieve that nothing short of the accumu-
 lated wisdom of ages can prevail. It
 must have given a shock to those wise
 acres sitting in this city who were pre- pairing lawyerlike, to label docket and index the native previous to legislating him into his proper pigeonhole, or, after the fashion of the scientist and college professor, were measuring his skull and noting the idiosyncrasies of his big toe before devising plan of government that would fit the species.
 Relations so pleasant, and, I repeat, on the whole so satisfactory, are about to be or have already been supplanted by new ones. The civil authority is taking the place of the military. That such change had to be made sooner or later admits of no argument. It is only as to time when the transfer was to occur that there can be any dispute. Recent events have demonstrated the fact that in Samar. Cebu, Leyte and Bohol the step was taken too soon, and those islands have, therefore been d iy, to bo rp,trol of "a army. Whether In other ports of the the installation of civil has been equally premature remains yet to be seen. At present, I am bound to say, the experiment. works well on the whole. No thoughtful per- son, certainly, can do aught but express the wish that the labors of the com in this direction may be crown ed by success. To desire otherwise might temporarily please certain ele- ment in the army whose pessimism is born of a desire to perpetuate in- the dream of power it has in- duged unchallenged for so long, but 1t would also be contrary to the policy de- liberately outlined by the administra- tion, contrary to sound principles of and contrary to the drift of public opinion at home.
 What is the effect, one is disposed to ask, upon then ative of this transfer of authority? Does he set any store by this signal prooof of confidence on the part of the commission, which suddenly admits him to so large share in the 1 of public affairs? Is he, | indeed, capable of recognizing the lines which divide the military from the civil power? To the last question l reply at | once. No! If he-and I am speaking | not of the educated Filipino of Manila l put of his brother in the provinces--if 1 1e differentiates at all between the two, t will be in the direction of realizing hat now he may have an opportunity f luck favor him of feeding at the pub ic crib and of lording 1t over his leighbor; while, if that should fail him. le will still have the joy of indulsing o his hearts content in his passion for litigation. No one, indeed, who has lot lived among these people can form
 m adequate idea of the fierceness of
 elight which aninates the average Filipino when an opportunity presents tself for carrying a squabble into the ourts. Lala describes this weakness f his countrymen when he says that they enjoy litigation more than is good or them or for the best interests of he colony" and both Foreman and ] awyer frequently alude to it in their ooks Under militsry rule an indul- ence in this pastime> was rudely hecked by the sentences of provost ourts. which admitted of no appeal. 1 'nder a civil administration of justice l 1e defated party to a suit may never espair, under the provisions of the l 1mplicated Spanish code of procedure, I f having another whack" at his an- ( ,gonist These two considerations, ( link, will in the main determine the I ental attitude of the average native ward the new order of things. ( Now, as to the other effects of le change, they are obvious; plain I
 fact, as Q. pikestaff This new gov c 'nment must be paid for and 1t isn't a S leap one, it cannot be. in the nature things. It is impracticable, even t ere it desirable. to unite, as was done r 7 the Spaniards in the case of the t jar or by the military power in the h lse of the officer, ali the functions of l, ,vernment in one person. The duties i'll have to be distributed and the new h
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