Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1902-02-05
"EvERYTHING LOVELY" SAYS TAFT.
He Thinks the Philippines Will Soon be
Peaceful and the Inhabitants Con!ented

Chicago, January 26.-Governor w. II.
Taft arrived here to-day on his way to
Cincinnati, where he will spend several
days before proceeding to Washington
In answer to inquiries, he said:
'"The only answer I have to mako to
the ideas of individual observers which
declare the true condition in the Philip
pines has been concealed, or that we are
hugging delusions of peace that can
never be brought about, is that the
government rs coHcealing nothing, and
that its conclusions are not based on
wild theories, but substantial facts.'
This was the reply Governor Taft
made to a statement published by
Stephen Bonsal, declaring that desperate
opposition was still being encountered
in the field, and that the natives are
irreconciliable and better organized than
before tho capture of Aguinaldo.
Governor Taft said that although there
was time when, for military reasons, it
had not been advisable to make public
everything occurring in the Philippines,
the necessity fol such secrecy is over,
and that no effort is now being made to
conceal any part of the truth from the
people of this country.
GAS matter of fact" he added, "the
embers of distrust are being kept alive
by sensationalists, who seize on every
petty point and seek to twist it into some
horrible barbarity of our government in
the islands. Take, for instance, the talk
about concentration camps. Although I
am not sufficiently well acquainted with
the full military plans to speak with
absolute authority, can say that the
whole subject is much misunderstood by
our people.
GAS matter of fact there has never
been any thought of establishing con
centration camps in the ordinary acccp-
tation of tho term. All that has been
proposed is an insurgent Gordon, the
establishment of dead line, into which
will gradually be drawn all the remnants
Of insurrection that exist.
"The non-comb batants on the islands
have never, even at the hardest period
OF the war, received anything but the
utmost kindness and consideration at
our hands, and it is hardly probable that
this policy will be reversed now that the
opposition is fast drawing to close"
The Governor believes that the only
existing opposition to the authority of
the United States is being fomented by
the mon who form the Hong Kong Junta,
most of whom were formerly residents
of the rich coffe-growing province of
Batangas
1T is in this province" he went on,
that we are now meeting with the only
dlfhcuity. The natives are rapidly deyel-
oping an affection for our institutions
and large number of former insurgents
have become valuable members of the
community, fully worthy of any trust
thai may be reposed in them. The com
ing elections will develop the real pro
gress in this direction, and am certain
that the result will be gratifying.
"The restrictions placed on the privi-
lego OF ballot are principally of an edu-
cational character, fact that will. of
course, cut out numbers of Filipinos.
But this is condition that will be bet
tered rapidly. The progress of educa-
tion is satisfactory and our policy in this
direction ia liberal.
mo obstacle of any character is put in
the way of the parish schools; indeed, it
is now generally understood throughout
the islands that the government will
eagerly welcome the establishment of
additional institutions of this character,
aS long as they conform to the educa-
tional standard demanded in our pnhlic
schools and Instruct pupils in the Eng
lish language. 1t is utterly immaterial
70 us what the character of the school is,
all factors that will aid in the work of
education are welcomed.n
Governor Taft refuses to discuss the
future OF Aguinaldo. He says that the
deposed leaders, fate is in the hands of
the military branch of the service en-
tirely, and that the civil arm has the
responsibility of neither his custody nor
his behavior.
THE COURIER and the Atlanta Consti-
tuition and the Home and Farm one year
e.. a. q