New-York tribune., 1901-10-16
THE NEW ORDER OF THINGS,
AN ATTEMPT AT COMPARING so,rr
SPANISH WITH AMERICAN
METHODS.
Manila, Philippine Islands. Anrnst p
IFrOm star Correspondent of The Tribunal

The government which Spain maintained t
these Islands was, on paper, the lowest priced
the ingenuity OF man ever devised. 1t was IN
many respects also. the most expensive In
the light of official returns the taxes paid and
the cost of collecting them were neither inordi-
nately high nor particularly burdensome Asa
matter of fact, however. everybody knows that
the partnership between church and state In
these Islands all but ground the native into a
state of abject poverty and dependence. What
one Of the partners did not get the other Sc
cured. What neither wanted was probably nor
worth the taking In any event the thought OF
raising the taxpaying power of the victim seems
never to have entered the mind of either.
The government, say, was the lowest priced
ever devised by the ingenuity of man. This
was because the structure rested In its founda
tions upon unpaid officials. The friars though
receiving no pay from the government were
none the less it's officials. as much So in fact as
the Governor-General in Manila or the governors
of the different provinces who drew yearly bir
salaries and lived on the fat of the land And
they were infinitely more influential; not be-
cause they were the only Spanlards ever coming
into contact with the common people, but be-
cause IT was in their power to have a Governor
removed the instant he became Objectionable to
them In the country districts. indeed, the par
ish priest was everything. He was a veritable
Pooh Bah He was Inspector Of Primary
Schools. He presided over the deliberations Of
the Health Board and the Board of Charities
He acted as Supervisor Of the Board Of Urban
Taxation He was honorary president Of the
Board of Public Works. He certified to the
correctness of the ceduIas there being no civil
registration and the government depending en-
tirely upon the wise of the parish priest He
performed the duties Of president OF the Board
of Statistics because he the only man Of
intelligence education in the parish. He
controlled the taking OF the census for the same
reason He certified to the civil status Of his
parishioners; and thus 1t was in his power to re-
move from his parish and send. IL convenient
into perpetual banishment any person disturb
ing the peace OF his mind. He censored the
municipal budget before 1t was sent to the Pro-
vinciaI Governor. He president of the
Prison Board. and inspected the food furnished
10 the prisoners. He was a member Of the
Board for Partitioning Crown Lands. and like
wise of the Provincial Board. He was called
upon, even. in some provinces. to act as auditor
and the law required him 20 be present at all
elections for municipal offices. He acted as
counsellor TO the Municipal Council and per-
formed the duties of censor Of plays. comedies
and tragedies. lest they should endanger the
publice peace or be against public morals In
short. II there single field of government
activity in which the parish priest was not the
The power OF the parish priest was not only
supplemented by an exceedingly efficient central
administration in Manila with far reaching
ramifcatons controlling the situation IN
Madrid but It was still further strengthened
by the fact that the tenure OF Office OF the frar
curate was practically permanent. Once set
tied In a parish. priest usually continued there
until superannuatlon. He was therefore a con-
stant political factor for a generation. The
bishops The civil and military officers OF Spain
in the islands might change; the priests
mained The former there for not longer
than four years. and more often for shorter
period: the clergy were permanent. The friars.
priests and bishops. indeed, to quote the COM
mission. constituted solid, powerful. perma-
nent, we'll organized political force in the ISL
ands. which dominated politics. The stay Of
those officers who attempted to pursue course
az variance with that deemed wise by the orders
was invariably shortened by monastc infu-
ence."
Whatever the wisdom or the effect OF an ad-
ministratiOn resting upon this foundation may
have been. there be dispute to the
economic value Of such a scheme OF govern
mention paper. In principle it deserved
more enthusiastic defence than has yet been
accorded il; IN practice. all know, IL
proved a stencil in the nOstrils OF humanity.
It's abuses, which nerveless home government
was either pOwerless to prevent forced TO
condone resulted in wiping of the map the
last vestige of the greatest colonial empire the
world had ever seen. The BENEFITS it conferred
are too often lost sight Of or forgotten. think,
In the strife and turmoil Of the last three years,
and in the noisy elamor and strenuous tnsistence
which now accompany the process of con-
ferring upon the natives higher and better
civilization.
This government. with all it's concealed virtues
and obvious vices. was. after a short and costly
debauch in the Hlusory realm OF revolution and
independence, succeeded by our military ad-
ministration. which, in turn. is about to make
way, and. in many cases has already given
way. TO the civil power. If the Spanish scheme
of government was cheap-on paper, l repeat
what is to be said of government which, IKE
our military government. did not cost the ma
tives a cent, or, certainly. next to nothing? the
ravageS of war. doubt, entitled the Filipino
taxpayer to consideration, though 1t might pc
said also that that war was of his own making
At any rate. without corresponding outlay the
Filipino found himself suddenly enjoying the
blessings of a rule so mild just, and so er-
fective apparently. that not in the widest
flights of his imagination could he have pictured
10 himself condition of mutual satisfaction
between governor and governed such as dis-
tinguished his relations with the military eh-
cas sent to look after his welfare, Like ths
padre in Spanish times the American officer De-
came. in the outlying districts. at least the
municipal autocrat and the intermediary oe
tween the native community and the outs'27
world. If they had a dispute among themselves
they brought it for settlement before the OuleeI'
If they were in trouble they confded In hlni
He judge. counsellor and friend to tAeih
They learned to respect him. and. though they