New-York tribune., 1902-02-06

lar education are further essentials.
Upon these points we may quote the following:
1t is surely credtable showing that out of a
total population Of 100000 FiipinOs, Chris
tian and non-Christian, about 5000 900 have al
ready received civil government and are now.
subject to American inspection and control,
themselves administering the affairs of their
own towns ana provinces. ana not oniy thiS'
Provision has also been made for the admins
tratOn Of justice by civil tribunals In Whlch
Filipinos are well represented. There is JUS
tees court in each OF the 163 municipalities,
and all these justices Of the peace are FIN
pinos There is a court Of first instance in each
of the fourteen judicial districts into which the
archipelago has been divided. with one Judge
to each district. besides two for the court OF
first instance in the city Of Manila; ana OF tneS5
sixteen judges at least six are Fi1plnos. anu anu
there is a Supreme Court. consisting or a cnlel
justice and six associate justices. sitting III
Manila, Ioilo and Cebu. OF whom lour ar
Americans and three Filipinos-one OF them the
wise, high minded and capable FlorentlnQ
Torres. and another, the chief justice lhde
model Filipino Cayetano S. Arelano, man OF
spotless interity, a lawyer Of great eInlheHte I
and renown and gentleman or learhlns, cGiS 1ifo
ure and the most charming rehnement OF ne
and manners.
rejoice. too that the merit system Of Civil
Service, recommended by the hrst commission
has been introduced into the PhlIlppiHes. IN
high ideal we set forth has not beeh put 10
shame by practice either in washington Oh
Manila There is no more encouraging feature
about the government of our new dependehcieS
than the Willingness of politicians to recognize
that there at least public office is puoIc IISl.
fitness should BE- put In operation. 1t mas come
to be we'll understood that none but the best
men available have any chance OF securing I e ap
pointment in the Philippines. And the SecI9
tary of War make the highly credltaole
statement that no officer, high or low mas
been appointed upon any ones request, or upon
any personal social or political consideration.
AS the first commission pointed out, the num-
her of offices for which Americans are needed
in the Philippines is really not large. Apart
from the directing heads of the adminlstrauVe
and judicial systems and the Supervisors OF ma
.;- f- TolaH r.
in the civil administration of the ISLANDS.
Nearly all the Offices, wrote will, of course
be filed by Filipinos themselves This decla-
ration has been fully confirmed by subsequent
practice. And a Civil Service board, which our
commission recommended. provides falr ana
practical tests for the selection OF Flhplnos lor
office.
1t will be remembered that the prompt estah-
lishment of a system of free public Schools win
the fullest opportunity for instruction IN Eng
lsh, was urgently recommended by the nrsI
Philippine Commission Happily, TINS pollcy
was incorporated In the Instructions glven Dy
President Mckinley 20 the Taft Commission.
And the results short as the interval has been,
amply confirm the wisdom and benehcence or
the policy. About 500 American teachers are
now at work in the Philippines, and about 200
more will soon be appointed. Between 3,oOo
and { 600 Fipinos are employed as elementary
teachers and OF these about 1000 daily receive
at least hour of instruction in EnghSh.
Not less than 100000 children are enrolled IN the
free primary schools. The number or natlNe
adults receiving English instruction in evening
schools conducted by American teachers was
10000 in October. but at the rate OF increase
then exhibited, there probably 2oOOO, or
even 10000. at the present time There is Il
wide and enthusiastic demand for instruction
in English in all parts of the archipelago, ana
next to that is the demand for instruction in
manual training and the mechanic arts, the lack
of which has hitherto so greatly retarded the
progress of agriculture and other industries IN
the Philippines.
That is a hopeful and gratifying view OF the
situation, and it is believed to be conserYa-
md
thor's declaration that he is not at all dis
satisfied with the progress already made in the
islands, and that there is no occasion even Tor
impatence" There is no occasion. either. Tor
trying TO cross bridges before we reach them,
or for speculation upon what bridges there may
be. If the Philippines to remain permanent
ly under our sovereignty, talk about cutting
them loose and making them independent is
worse than idle. It is mischevous. If they
at some time as yet necessarily undesignated, to
become independent, that goal will best be
reached not by sitting down and talking about
it, but by working in the most earnest fashion
to do the duties Of the present time and of the
present situation For it is certain that If the
FIlipinos do not show themselves fit for self
government and for international responsibility
while under American guidance and protection.
they never will do SO without it.
The most practical of DR.. Schurman's sug-
gestons for present dealing with the Philippines
has to do with the dates at which it is proposed
to put certain laws into force. He says:
The Taft Commission has asked that authority
be conferred upon it by Congress TO issue bonds,
to grant municipal franchises, to pass general
public land law TO make laws and regulations
in regard 10 mines and forests, TO pass general
incorporation law, and to issue charters to
commercial railroads, with power to make do
nations OF lands, guarantee the interest on
the investments or both" These objects are
oil daCir. b1e and of hon n G9h
to the prosperity OF the Filipinos. Whether any
OF them should be handled by Congress direct
ly / shall not venture TO discuss. But II they
turned over by Congress to the discretion
of the Philippine Government ] submit that the
delegation Of power should be accompanied by
restriction, which. TO my way Of thinking Is
all essential The Taft Commission, as l have
already said. cOncurs with the first Philippine
Commission in recommending the establishment
of a central government for the Philippine ISL
ands in which there SHALL be Legislature con-
sisting of upper house, in which the men,
cans) shall be partly wholly appointed by the
President Of the United States, and a lower
house, whose members shall be elected by the
Filipinos themselves. But in recommending
Congress to enact a law for the establishment of
this central government, they request that it go
into operation on January l, 1904. Now as the
several grants Of power for which the commits
sion petitions Congress, taken collectively. have
to do with the weightiest and more far reaching
subjects which for many years to come can en-
gage the attention of any government at Manila,
] submit that these powers, if now delegated by
Congress. should not be exercised till the Fill
pinOs themselves enjoy, through their popular
assembly equal share in the legislative de-
hberatons and equal voice in the Legislative
decisions. I should, indeed, greatly regret the
postponement of these bene1icent economic
measures till 1904; but. however grievous the
delay II would be infinitely better than ig-
more, and by ignoring TO belittle. the popular
ef1all of iliToir HKbo in 70 ha