The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-19
PHILIPPINEPR0CRESS
ESTING INFORMATION IN IT'S
ANNUAL REPORT
POLITICAL PLANS OUTLINED
Municipal Suffrage, at Present Re-
stricted, Is TO he Broadened
GradunIly-Educati Sys-
tenn Is Popular.

permanent civil government ard Tor
much important legislation regarding The
industrial development of the Philippines
is embodied in the annual report of the
Philippine commission. 1t is declared that
the Federal party spread like Wildiire
throughout the archipelago and ,hat
there are few towns in any of the prov
inces which have not their federal COM
mittees. The members of the party We're
most active and effective in inducing in
surgent leaders to surrender.
1t is declared by the commission tact
outside of the five provinces, Batangas,
Cebu, Bohol, Samar and Mindoro. there
is peace in the remainder of the archi-
pelago. All insurrectos have surrendered.
and in most of the provinces, except
among Lake Moros. it is entirely safe
during the day for travellers ma ttendel
to go from one town to another III Gther
provinces recent war conditions and suf
fering and hardship from cattle pest and
locustS have developed ladronism. The
people are friendly to the civil govern
ment and manifest no desire whatever
for continuance of the war. but only
a desire for peace and protection.
Political Plans
Taking up the question of the political
future of the Filipinos, it is declared that
the theory upon which the commission is
proceeding is that the only possible meth
cd of instructing the Filipino people in
methods of free institutions and scIf-gCN-
eminent is to make q government partly
of Americans and partly of F'ilipinos,
with ultimate control in American haa1s
for some time to come. Less than 10 per
cent Of the people speak Spanish. ana
the educated people, under the influence
OF Spanish teaching, have but a faint
conception of real civil liberty and me
mutual self-restraints required for is
maintenance.
The commission have already. howevcr
established municipal suffrage in the paci-
fled parts Of the islands, and have iini-
tied the suffrage to those who can reaG
and write English or Spanish, or VINO
own property of the value of $3.50 INV
an annual tax of S15 or have been munici-
pal officers. Thus far only 80, 523 electors
have qualified under these provisions cu1
OF population of 2,695, sol, in 1870 munic-
lpalftles, showing only 1887 electors per
l,Oo0 inhabitants. This is only about 10
per cent of the number which would
Qualify with similar population under
American law. The commission declares
that in fixing these qualifications it
followed the recommendations of all th.
flilpinos who Were consulted, except chat
there were many who advocated a higher
qualification
tor the purpose of carrying out these
views the commission outlines a project
WHICH, III brief, contemplateS the con-
tinuance Tor two years of the existing.
powers OF the commission. Then n repre-
sentative government is to be formed.
composed of civil governor, legislative
council and a popular assembly. the now
ers of the latter being closely limited.
The president of the United States would
ph nIIrFo
The Fiiipinos should also have the right
to be represented before congress. and
the executive government at Washington
by two delegates.
Land Question and Education.
The commission proposes to settle the
veXed question of land titles by legisla-
ton providing for the sale of public lands
on the homestead principle, and the pay
ment through a bond issue of the price
of the lands new held by the religious or
ders. so per cent reduction in the tariff
On Philippine imports into the United
States would, it is said, increase our
trade by leaps and bounds.
Other recommendations include one that
laws be passed providing for coinage, on
the gold standard with local silver cur
rency and for system of national banks
and land mortgage banks
The English language is now the basis
of all public instruction, and nearly 1,00O
trained teachers from the United States
already have been put to work in the
towns and cities OF the pacified provinces.
Applications for teachers have besn re-
ceiyed from many towns where it h54 not
been possible to send them. The greatest
eagcrnoss is shown among the natives TO
obtain a knowledge of English and a
general primary education. In Manila
secondary schools have been established,
a normal school is engaged III The in
struction of Filipino teachers, and night
schools ere holding regular sessions with
/ 800 pupils. Manual training scloois and
agricultural colleges are part of the
project which is being carried out for ed
ucating the people to better methods of
labor and production. On the opening
day of the normal school the Number en-
rolled was $50. the number eventually
enrolled being over 600.