Evening star., 1902-02-03
Gov. Taft Continues His Description
of Philippine Conditions,
HEARING OF The SENATE COMMITTEE
He Declares That a Purely Native
Government Would Fail.
r RELIES ON EDUCATION

Governor Taft today continued his state
ment before the Senate committee on the
Philippines regarding the conditions exist
ing in those islands.
Answering a question by Mr. Lodge, he
described the condition of the Island OF
Samar, where the people are still in insur-
rection, and said he was not prepared TO
state that this island was never wholly SUBJ
jected to Spanish rule.
He then described the qualifications re-
Quisite for an elector in the different towns
where the commission had established gov
ernments. These were that such person
shall speak and write English or speak and
write Spanish, or have filled a municipal
Office under Spanish rule or that he shall
pay SIS gold taxes a year.
Work of the Commission.
Governor Taft then entered upon a gen.
eral narrative of the work of the commits
sion. When the commission arrived at Ma
Mia they found the people divided into
three classes. those in favor of the exclu-
sion of American sovereignty altogether,
the Spanish party in favor of this govern
ment, and large body of ignorant people
who were entirely Indifferent.
Governor Taft said that the instructions
to the commission, which gradually placed
more power In the civil government, had
had a marvellous effect upon the people.
The insurrection, he said, had been most
active in September preceding the elections
In this country, with the view OF influencing
them and for this reason it had been diff
cult to bring the Filipinos to a discussion
of legislation which the commission were
enacting. There was doubt as TO what the
policy of the United States would be. THE
subordinate military officers" he continued,
were a little bit contemptuous of what we
were doing, because il seemed to play so
unimportant part in the situation, but when
the power over the purse strings began to
tighten In the matter of appropriations
those gentlemen who were spending the ISL
and's funds began to appreciate that there
was some power behind the commission"
Gov. Taft said ii will be found, on in
vestigation. that the surrenders by the in
surgents of arms and men were far I'm ex-
cess of the actual captures by the milf
tary. The municipal code was not put in
to operation, he said, until after the presi-
Dental election in the United States be-
cause Of the unsettled condition of affairs,
but as soon as it became known to the
people that the commission had thought II
wise to provide for the election of COVER
nors. which occur next month, the Fill
pinos fiocked to them with expressions of
qualification.
Theory of the Commission.
He said that the theory of the commits
sion in their formation Of civil government
is that the indispensable aid to the u.u-
mate success of popular government is the
extension Of education, but that the effect
of this could not be felt for a generation,
until the children had grown to manhood
There WERE he said, 10000 adults engaged
In the study of English. I'm the mean
time." said he, 1.-The reliance of the COM
mission is on the small educated portion
of the community, who form a nucleus
about which. with the aid of American con-
troll. we think stable government can be
erected"
A Native Government wOuId Fail.
He could assert without hesitation, he
said. that lacking American initiative and
American knowledge of how to carry on a
government any government there must be
a complete failure.
In explanation of the obstacles to the
complete tranquility of the islands with
the exception of Samar, Batangas and La
guna, he said that the lack of quarters for
the troops, which was the cause of their
being brought into close contact with the
people. was the principal one. and he urged
that such quarters be provided.
Gov. Taft declared that the chief aim of
the commission was the good of the Fill
pino people, and that they had constantly
endeavored to gain their confidence. In
this they had been successful, the people
believing they will be given the best gov
ernment possible and be secure in the en-
joyment Of their rights. He sought TO
prove the susceptibility Of the Filipinos to
kindness by the results achieved by the
commission. 1t was not hard, he said, to
explain the attitude of the Fflipinos toward
the army, because they could not be ex-
pected to love the instrument by which
punishment is inflicted upon them.
Gov. Taft discussed at some length the
different parties which had been formed in
the Philippines, but the federal party, he
said. was the one which represented peace
and influence.
The committee adjourned until tomorrow
at 1890 at which time Gov. Taft will con-
tinue his statement.