The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-02-06
PHILIPPINE CONDITIONS

PHILIPPINE CONDITIONS
The senate committee on the Philip
pines seems to be getting very interesting
testimony from witnesses as to the condi-
tion of affairs on the islands. The testis
mony of Governor Taft is especially inter-
esting and valuable. The high character
and high standing of that gentleman pre-
clude the idea of false testimony. He dis
closes the flimsy character of the charges
made by De Almond of Missouri in the
house and reiterated by certain democrat
ic journals, who make business of as
sailing their own government and flag and
asserting that the Filipinos have only
exchanged one frightful despotism for
another which is far worse, even the
despotism Of the United States govern
ment. .Esr,..t
AS remedy for this alleged inhuman
condition, these philanthropists propose
that the United States government shall
scuttle out of the archipelago and leave
the Philippines to a bloody chaos and to
the seizure of the archipelago by Euro
pean power. Governor Taft shows that
the thirty-four Filipino provinces, natives
having been chosen to positions wherever
jealousies did not prevent, and the tenn
porary governments will be made perma-
nent this month, the positions to be filled
by the officers elected this week The hos
tile area in Luzon has been reduced to
the minimum. The islands of Negroes and
Gov, q 81
ernor Taft said that he knew that the
great majority of the peaple of the islands
desired peace and that the insurgents
were preventing the people from settling
down and making living in peace. The
insurgents still at large, and who are
lauded and gloriied by men in congress
and out OF 1t, are keeping up a reign of
terror in the districts they pervade and
making war upon their own people as we'll
as upon the United States.
Governor Taft properly characterized
this obstructive work as "a crime against
civilization and against the Filipino peo-
ple' and said. that the insurgents have
worn out the right to any treatment but
that which is severe and within the laws
of war. The conditions in the Philippines
give the lie to the stat ements made by
the American assailants of our govern
ment. .--
No region of the earth is crushed under
the heels of a cruel and relentless despot-
ism where net customs receipts from Phil
ippine goods are turned into the insular
treasury for the betterment OF lnsular
conditions; where 100000 year is
spent in public works, and million dol
larssa year is spent for public education.
There is no despotism in control,
where 10000 pupils are enrolled
in free primary schools, where they
are taught the principles of free govern
ment and where thousands of adults are
earnestly seeking to acquire knowledge
of our language, institutions, laws and
government.
Several hundred towns have organized
municipal governments under the new law
! devised by the commission which has
| worked to the highest satisfaction OF the
people, and millions are expendlng upon
| the construction Of good roads to take the
Mace of the paths and trails which reticu-
late the islands, and in building bridges
over the many rivers When congress
passes a law permitting the granting OF
franchises, under proper regulations,
| there will be large investment OF capital
in mining and numbering operations and
railway construction which will bring out
all the indust rial activity Of the natives
and stimulate trade and social better
I ment.
! There are problems to be solved in the
! Philippines. of course, but there will
never be the slightest difficulty in solving
/ them on the basis of the principles laid
/ down by the late President Mckinley in
!. his instructions to the Taft commission in
| 1900 and by President Roosevelt IL
his message of December last, to con-
gress. He put the national policy in q
nutshell when he said I'VE hope tc
make our administration Of the islands
honorable to our nation by making it the
highest benefit to the Filipinos them
selves, and as an earnest of what we In
tend to do, we point to what we have
done" and encouragement, direct or in.
4 direct. ito the insurgents stands on thu
same footing as encouragement to hostile
I Indians in the days when we still had In
dian wars"