BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1901-11-02
Our Civil Government
in lhe PHILIPPINES.


The Filipinos are having several illastra. I
tious Of Yankee hustle, and to most Of them,
accustomed to the slow methods Of Eastern
countries, the pace may be somewhat be.
wildering. During the year in which the
Civil Commission has been in Office, both
that body and the military have done great
amount of work. Wherever and whenever
the sci lers had aohipped the Filipinos to
standstill the Commission stepped in and
organized civil government. The civil brach I
followed closely the military arm, and now
force Of constabulary is being organized
to replace the military in preserving order,
while the ships which carry to the Statss the
soldiers whose presence here is thought to
be no longer needed return laden with tea
ckers. Perhaps the pace has been too fast.
Reports of the organization of civil govern
ment here and there clash with announce
ments Of bloody fights in other sections, and
conditions have been found in some suppo-
isediy pac fed towns to which teachers were
to be sert which would IN Ike such venture
hazardous. There is plenty # work yet for
the military arm. There is fire under the
ashes
Members of the Civil Commission, howe.
yer, appear to he satisfied with the situation
They bring with them from their tour to the
north of Luzon, where they have been in
augurating civil governments, sonly rosy re
Iports. "One of the most marked feature!
J Of the trip, says Judge Ide, "was tht
enthusiasm with which the Commission wa
9 everywhere received by the natives, whit
, Expressed the greatest loyalty to the Amer
iclns and their urgent desire for.speedy civi
!, government. Throughout the province
9 visited, they to man gave the impression
t of the greatest good will and desire TO
Ipsace, and continued peace. The district
, are entirely pacifed, and while in som
u there are few bands of marauders and ca
,. rabao thieves, there is not an insurrecto t
It be found, and the natives themselves wag
!, war upon the marauders whenever the
appear to carry ON their depredatons Ia
! Presidentes of some of the towns came lon,
It distances, in some cases over a hundre
d miles over the mountains, to be present a
:, reception to the Governor and the Commis
Z sion, all expressing the greatest joy at the
% prospect of peace under civil government.
Judge Taft is also very hopeful. In h
address on the Inauguration of the thre
FilipinOs who have been added to the Civ
Commission he said that s'if we are as muc
more encouraged one year hence as we ar
now when comp ired with the time we bega
q our work, we snail be assured of the success
= of our Efforts" To this end, he believe
that the hearty co operation of tbe native
was essential, and he took occasion to rebuk
those Fllipinos whose desire appeared to
to multiply the difficulties of government b
creating new parties to emoody politics
:, theories, when they might more proitabl
II advance the cOuutry's welfare by devotin
their time and talents to amending and i'm
q proving the laws of the now legally consti
II uted and established authority. "Whe
you have body polite compact and sci
,, viceable, so that the government is runnin
q smoothly, then is the time to produce you
rt theories, but now is the time for us all [
" put our shoulders to the wheel and help t
advance the present system.n
70 Adding Filipinos to the Civil Oommissio
q "does not fully complete the governmer
IL which the President intends to form in tt
" Philippines Judge Taft explained, 'sbr
they do round it out sufficiently to show t.
policy he has in mind" The municipal gol
Is ernments have generally been formed an
1t are substantially autonomous IN characte
- and have for their officers all natives of ii
= islands. The provincial governments hav
IL been formed soith personnel partly Filipin
Is and partly American. And now the chi,
IF government body, under instructions of tt
President and Secretary of War, is partI
Filipino and partly American, it being th
purpose of the President to form govern
ment in which the Filipino element shall /
enabled TO speak of the desires of the Flip
no people, their local aspirations, and the
necessities, and give the Filipinos an exam
pc of free American institutions and th
. customs and laws prevailing in the Unite
States."
OF interest also at this ceremony was th
;, speech of DIR. Pardo Tavera, one Of the f
= lipino Commissioners. "The day is not ia
distant" he said, 'when Filipinos shall er