The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-02-16
THE CAUSE OF WOMAN.
coy. TAFT on WOMAN 81 FFRAGE
IN THE PHILIPPINES.

AltiSN ept"'
During the past week the Hon. W. II.
Taft has been relating to the Senate Philp-
pine Committee the condition OF ahatrs In
the new country which has recently come
under Jurisdiction Of the United States.
This Is considered the most authoritative
which could be presented on
this subject, and therefore the opinion or
Gov Taft on Filipino women Is entitled
20 confidence. II was stated TO the COM
mittee as follows:
This fact u, that not only among the Tag
alogs. but also among the Christian Fttpinos.
the woman Is the active manager OF the fam
Ny, so that II you expect to confer political
power on the filipinos. 1t ought to be given
TO the women.
He added that this was also the opinion
OF the Archbishops a. expressed TO him.
II In well known that at least in one province
not a native man could be found who "a
at to be Governor and the native woman
who was already In control was appointed
TO the Office. In one or two towns. for the
same reason. it was necessary TO give the
ONCE Of Mayor to women But from the
moment this Government takes control,
in the Philippines or elsewhere the fixed
policy Is to develop and advance men and
to restrain women and put them in an In
ferior position politically. We had a most
outrageous example of this when Hawaii
was made a Territory. Gov. Dole, Chief
Justice Treer and others OF the Hawaiian
Commission wanted to take some measures
toward giving the franchise to women,
but the Commissioners Of the United States,
which poses as the chief apostle OF equal
rights, vetoed them absolutely. II went
further, for while in every Territory ever
organized in this country its Legislature
had full power TO prescribe its own electors.
this right was wholly denied 70 the Legislat-
ure of Hawaii II was vigorously provided
by the Congress Of the United States that If
the educated, American and English
white women of that Territory should
ask for oven so much as the school franchise
they could get ii only by vote Of the
Kanakas. Japanese and Portuguese men.
Nor Is this all, for in the laws framed by
Congress for this Territory il was carefully
stipulated that every ofhceholder should
be a male. something that never had been
required in a State or Territory of the Union.
II was lone in Hawaii because under the
government which existed before snnexa-
ton, women had possessed a certain amount
of suffrage and considerable political in
and II was feared that the men
would continue to allow this unless the
power u do so was taken away from them.
II is not likely that the tilipinos, Con-
as a people, are ready FOR self
government, but accepCng he st'inDi y
o Gov Taft. the Archbishops, who have
among them for years. and all OF the
without exception, who have made
\ personal study Of them, the women are
much more capable of il than the men.
Frederics W. Eddy, a Manila correspondent.
says in a recent letter.
1he average male Filipino never quito
knows his mind. and either talks around a
means that he wants to consult s,hora. and
by her dictum he abides
IL Is the way in almost everything. Woman
rules from the cradle mp What the rising
generation. will be depends mainly upon
the will OF the wives and mothers. Those
the women on their side. Ly"n government
y. not exempt from the unwrttten laws OF the
Island sral y P Per ia 40 ui sS m thG Women sS end nrs 8, nae Tao
war than any other factor. They are, above
all things. practical. Women are taking the
lead in exhibitions OF good will toward
II one looks for the woman wherever
native business .prospers. the, search will
sgement OF most OF the big plantations. and
has ALWAYS done so, When Impulse prompts
her TO 1T the man handle the money, there
- h~Lil hh9 ~ 'N'lN FN'i VI Ok
MORTGAGES IL traceable to that indulgence,
Much. of the valuable property In the island
stands in the names OF women, and that Is
particularly true In this CITY.
But. Notwithstanding all these conditions,
the initial step Of the new sovereignty will
be TO establish a male government All
who go there from the United States to
I'll the Offices or to serve on the commissions
will be men-never a woman. This will
be the first lesson 10 these Filipinos that
women are not At to govern Instead
Of putting the native women, who are
c1pable into the other Offices they will be
filed with incompetent native men who
will be gradually trf med to theiI duties
Thus will end the second lesson. When
ever any public question il TO be decided
these men who are not equal 10 carrying on
their own businee will Oe invited 10 vote
On Il but the women. who are the financial
managers, will not be allowed any voice
Whatever. This already has been done.
II may be possible that when the laws
are framed these women will he permitted
10 retain the ownership Of the roperty
they have earned n taken care Of, hut
this IL by 10 means sure. Even If this
concession Is made, however, all author
ity will be denied them in the levying or
the spending of the taxes, which they will
have to pay. This will be settled 10y those
men whose only use for property is to put
"A mortgage OF it,. The Filipino woman
doubtless will receive some advantag es
III TIC hiltI ltdl O'tuIdl ION OF ntT nome
hut h will pay n heavy price for them,
for she will be placed in absolute legal and
political ~subjeCtion to the men Of her race
who are wholly without the respect for
womanhood and the sense of family re-
sponsibility which have helped to make
such subsection partly tolerable 10 women
OF the A~nglo-SaXon nations.
Admitting without reserve that the Gov
m of the United States is the best in
existence, and that il offers greater bene-
fits to its new citizens than they would
receive from any other yet in dealing Justly
by women in the way of representation il
Is surpassed 10y a humble of countries Its
persistent refusal to grant this right TO one
hall OF it, people is a blot on its record, and
this stain grows darker and deeper as this
d~isfranchised half grows more worthy OF
recognition and rs the privileges of the
republic begin TO be extended to alien,
Ignorant and unciVilized men half way
around the world.
The following bill has been introduced
In the New York Senate by the Hon. Lester
h Humphreys and in the Assembly by the
Hon. Otto Kelsey.
Every resident Of n city OF the third elias,
OF the age Of 81 years whose name shall b,
In the assessment roll of such city next pre-,
vedinR u special election therein 10 raise
tax. or II which there u to be- submitted
proposition involving the raising Of a tax
ahd upon whose property, or upon whom n,
tIt owner or DO~EgNEOT OF pTnpprtN a IN,