BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-05-17

can be found than in the action of the
members of the Civil Commission of
the Philippine Islands, in fixing official
salaries, to be paid out of funds collect
ed from the people of poor and alien
race. They voed to the Governor,
who is member of the Commission, a
salary of $4,000 per annum and SIS a
day for subsis enced, making in the ag-
gregate salary Of $2o375 year. The
Governor is also furnished fine house
in which to reside. To each of the
Commission they voted compensan-
ton, including subsistence, of SIS 900
per annum. They voted yearly salary
of $500 to the Secretary of the Com
mission, of $1,000 to each of the six ian
exceedingly large number) associate
Judges of the Supreme Court, of $500 |
to the Chief Justice, of So oco to the
Treasurer, of 5000 to the Auditor, of
$1,000 to the Tr easurer, of 5000 to the
Director General of Posts, and of $1,000
20 the Collector of Customs Ali O;
these salaries are paid in gold. I do
not wish to i1npugn the honesty of the
Commissioners, but to call attention to
the fact that such action naturally
grows out of the attempt of one people
to govern another If that Commission
were responsible to a constituency, does
any one imagine that such salaries
you'd have been voted?
The aggregate area of the Philippine
Islands is 500 square miles, little
less than that Of the Territory of New
Mexico, yet the Governor of New Me-
xico receives only $1,000 per annun1,
and is not allowed anything for Subs
istence, nor furnished with an executive
mansion.
Think of commission appointed
from Washington Ia place 10000 miles
from the Philippine Islands,, composed
of men who never saw the land they
govern prior to the Spanish war, who
do not speak or read the language of
the Philippine people, and who are not
even of the same race as their ubiectS,
voting to each member a salary which
is nearly double that of Cabinet officer
OF the greatest nation of the world, and
three times that Of a Senator of the
United States, and voting to territorial
Governor salary more than double
that of the Governor of the wealthiest
State in the Union. How must such
action appear to the Filipino laborer
who, furnishing his own food and lodg-
ing, earns but Is cents in gold day?
1t must be remembered that wealth is
nothing more than stored labor, and
that in the last analysis labor in one
form or another pays all taxes. Such
action cannot but make the little bro vn
man doubt the ability of one nation to
give good government to another.
The best evidence of the ability of
the Philippine people to govern them
selves is that they possess large inte-
lligent class, thoroughly identified in
interest with the islands and capable of
administering good government The
Civil Commission has recognized this
ability by recently adding three native
members to that governing body; by
appointing three Filipinos Judges of
the Supreme Court, by selecting about
half Of the judges OF the first instance
and nearly all of the Governors of the
provinces from that race and by apo
inting a Solicitor-General and many
o.her officers from the natives Are
these officials not in the governing bus
mess, and do they not perform their
work as well as the Americans Is it
possible that they are capable of gov
erning because they were appointed by
the representatives of distant nation?
Would they lose that ability if elected |
9r chosen by properly constituted auth
ority of their own? In the latter event
they would make far better officers,
because they would consult only the
interests of their own people instead of
that of nation 1000 miles away,
The law of our being is that 0the
just powers of government are derived
from the consent of the governed.
Then why continue a policy which
means the continuing loss of millions to
the Government. the weakening of the
military power of the nation, and the
destruction of the policy under which
We have grown so great7 Why not be
true to cur nature and fulfil the PRAYER
of Lincoln that government of the
people, for the people, and by the
people shall not perish from the earth"7 |