Evening star., 1902-02-01

the Philippines capable of being taken in
would be under civil government.
In reply to other questions from Mr. Du-
bois Governor Taft said that the Filipinos
have greater attachment for their coun-
try than, for instance. the Chinese have
for theirs.
The Filipino is" he said. attached
first, to his town, and. second, to his pro-
vince, and he is, | think. now forming an
attachment for the name of Filipino. On
desire Tor education, he added, Il base
my hope in the success of what we are
doing in the islands,
Progress of Education.
In reply to other questions Governor
Taft said that he estimated that from to
per cent of the people read and write the
Spanish language, but that he could not
say what proportion of the people could
write their. own language. One great diff
hculty encountered is the fact that the
people of the different provinces do not
understand the language one of another.
The witness said that many of the SS5
American teachers are engaged in instruct
ing the Filipino teachers. They are scat
tered over the islands in 455 towns, and
they are making good progress, notwith-
standing their own lack of knowledge of
the natives. Many of the American SOL
diers had acted teachers of the island
ers and had proved very successful. The
Filipino teachers were generally, he said,
anXiously avaiing themselves of the ad-
vantageS thus afforded. AS a rule the peo-
pie appeared anxious to get the education
thus given, but in some cases the priests
were manifesting disposition to establish
parish schools for their people.
Spanish the Language Used.
Governor Taft said that Spanish is the
only language that is common throughout
the archipelago, and that this was the only
instrument of communication with outside
thought A native who did not speak Span
ish was compared by him TO a man at the
bottom of a well, who must necessarily be
ignorant of almost everything going on in
his vicinity. This condition of affairs,
Governor Taft said, had led him recently to
vote for the continuance of Spanish as the
official language of the islands, for If En-
glish should now be constituted the official
language it would be impossible to conduct
business without the aid of interpreters.
At this point Senator Patterson asked
Governor Taft whether the Filipino of av-
erage intelligence is capable of distinguish
ing between an independent government for
his country and benevolent and fraternal
form of government such as the United
States would give.
Replying, Gov. Taft said that Filipino
of such intelligence was capable of making
such a distinction, but he emphasized the
necessity of making sure that the Filipino
who must pass upon this problem is a man
of such intelligence. You can't he said.
appreciate the ignorance and the credulity
of the natives who do not have the ad-
vantage of knowledge of the Spanish
language. The present difficulty in the
islands is found in the ease with which the
educated Filipincs control or oppress their
own people. In the province of Cagayan
they have a system of caciquism or boss
ism, and these bosses have almost the
power Of life and death. 1t is exceedingly
difficult to get into the minds of people
situated as are the common people the fact
that theirs is not the only way of living
Consequently when one speaks Of independ-
ence he is not understood -
do you depend on that ignorance" Mr.
Patterson asked, ito make them amenable
to our rule?'
The resopnse was an emphatic no. Our
hope, said Gov. Taft, is in the educated
classes" ,-...-..... .... .....
z-y The Federal Party.
Replying to questions by Senator Raw
Inns, Gov. Taft said that three of the menu
bers Of the federal party were associated
IN the government of the islands, but not
withstanding this fact the government was
in no way responsible for the promises of
statehood made by that party in it's plat
form. Enlarging upon the subject Of the
federal party, Gov. Taft said that 1t COM
prised probably a majority of the educated
people of the archipelago but that when
the commission had been asked to either
approve or disapprove Of the platform 1t
had refused to do either. Possibly, he con-
tinued, the promise had misled some. but
as for himself he had held the opinion that
the question of statehood like the question
of independence, is so far in the future
that he did not regard 1t as Of present i'm
portance.
At this point the committee adjourned
until 10 o'clock Monday.