Evening star., 1902-02-14
PAC|F|ED PROVINCES
Tranquility in the Philippine
Islands.
GOV. TAFT'S STATEMENT
TESTIMONY RESUMED BEFORE
SENATE COMMITTEE.
Review Of the Legal System in the Is
lands Under Spanish Rule
and at Present.
GOV. V.TAFT'SSTATEMENT


Governor Taft of the Philippines today
continued his statement before the Senate
committee on the Philippines concerning
the conditions in that archipelago, with the
intention OF discussing the degree of tran
quility in the pacied provinces, which, he
said, included all the provinces except Ia
bayas, Samar and Batangas
Senator Lodge asked as to the means used
for maintaining tranquility.
The reply involved a review of the legal
system of the islands at present, as under
the military government and also under
the Spanish rule. Governor Taft said that
in June of last year the commission had
passed an act organizing a system Of ju-
dietary for the entire archipelago, creating
supreme court of seven justices and Gre
ating fourteen districts On the supreme
court bench there are. he said, three ma
tives and four Americans, and he believed
that any state would be satisfied with such
a bench. OF the courts of first instance in
the districts six are presided over by ma
tive Filipinos and the others by Americans.
Judge Ide's Code of Laws.
Governor Taft said that Judge Ide Of the
commission had prepared the code of laws
of the islands, and that the labor had been
so severe it materially damaged his health.
This code includes the treason act There
is no provision for jury, nor would jury
system be feasible. because, said the wit
ness, 30 per cent of the people are too ig-
norant to sit on jury. And l am bound
to add, he went on, that the difficulty Of
selecting judges who are above reproach
makes it certain that the selection of juries
would lead to nothing but corruption and
Injustice.
jury system, but the Filipino mind is such
as to render the average Filipino incapable
of looking impartially upon a question in
volving the rights of two persons. There
was no jury system under Spanish rule
In reply to Mr.. Patterson he said that the
commission had selected judges who We're
In sympathy with its purposes.
Mr.. Patterson quoted from the petition
of the federal party of the Philippines the
passage concerning the arrest and impris-
onment of Fflipinos who had been in in
surrection, but who had later surrendered
Governor Taft replied that he believed
the statement that there are thousands OF
such cases an exaggeration. In some cases
there mad been an unqueSttoned trenching
upon the functions of the civil authorities
by the military forces. He instanced a
case in which Capt. Ryan had displaced
the presidentes of municipality and ap-
pointed others in their stead, thus, he said,
clearly transcending his power
The Constaulary.
The witness spoke Of the constabulary
as an important element in the govern
ment Of the islands. He gave the details
of the organization, saying that the prac-
tice had been to appoint two American
and one Filipino inspector in each province
The constabuary is not, he said, mill
tary, but police organization.
Referring to the municipal police, the
governor said they are in great need Of
discipline and training. The inefficfency
of this force is, he said, largely due to the
inability Of the towns to pay well for
services.
Native Troops.
Senator Culberson asked whether there
is any part of the archipelago the control
of which could be trusted to native troops,
and the witness replied that he did not
think 1t would be advisable. IT should
not like to have the responsibility Of rec
ommending such a course" he said. ''The
experiment never has been tried, but in
country SO recently in insurrection 1
should say that to put thousand rifles
In the hands Of thousand natives would
not be wise.''
Senator Burrows-"Do you mean to say
that the attachment of the natives for
America is so slender that it would not
be safe to entrust the control of any sec
tion to native troops with native officers"
Governor Taft-"The presence Of a native
regiment under the control Of native Of
f1cers would, in my opinion, give rise to
opportunities to the commander TO lead
the tribes into ladronism or insurrection,
and would. therefore, as I have said, be
unWise.'
How would it be with native troops un-
der American Officers?'
II have not the slightest doubt that
with American officers the native troops
would be entirely loyal
Necessary Military Force.
Senator Culberson questioned the wit
ness as to the necessity Of keeping as many
as 10000 American troops in the islands,
and the latter replied that Captain Allen
estimates that with all the provinces paci-
fled $4,000 American troops would be suf-
ficient. For himself he thought it would
be desirable to continue small detachments
Of troops at convenient points all over the
Islands for the purpose Of preventing dis
order and violence and serving as moral
restraint.
In this connection Senator Lodge stated
that the Secretary of War had Informed
him that when the present general orders
are carried into effect there will be left
in the islands f,125 officers and 26 234 en-
listed men.
Speaking Of the general condition Of the
pacifed provinces, Governor Taft said that
in all these provinces the people are going
about their usual vocations. In one prov
ince not hostile shot had been fired for
two years.
Senator Culberson-"Is it true that under
existing law they are not at liberty to adj
vocate an Independent or separate form
of government
mo; they are not
Method Of Pacifcation.
Senator Patterson asked how the people
had been made peaceable In the first place,
whether this result had not been accom-
plished by first battering them with the
military and then demonstrating to them
by the acts Of the commission the benfits
of American methods.
The reply was that not only the civil
government, but the military forces had
sought to impress the advantage of Ameri-
can rule. Peace had been secured by
crushing out the guerilla warfare which
had the effect of establishing a system of
terrorism with which the people in gen.
eral did not sympathize. That, however,
the people generally, at least in some
provinces, did not sympathize with the in
surrection he would not attempt to say.
Governor Taft said in selecting officers
from among the native chiefs who had been
In insurrection the advice of the American
military officers was generally accepted ant
that generally the confidence was found to
have been justified. This was the case for
instance. with General Trias, who was the