Evening star., 1902-02-15
UNFIT FOR JURYMEN
Gov. Taft Says Filipinos Need
to Be Trained.
MUST HAVE EXAMPLES
NATIVES HAVE BEEN USED TO
CORRUPTION.
Philippine Commission Made No Prom
ise of Statehood to the
Federal Party.

Today's hearing OF Governor Taft on the
Philippine question by the Senate commit
tee on the Philippines began with series
of questions by Senator Patterson in regard
to the fitness Of Filipinos for jury duty.
Mr.. Patterson asked whether the native
population on which the voting franchise
is bestowed could not be trusted to do jury
duty.
The governor replied in the negative, say
ing they are used to corruption in the
administration Of justice that they could
not be trusted. They need to be trained
he said. Ito have examples; they are not
yet ready for jury duty"
Referring to the code of procedure in the
islands, Governor Taft said, in reply to a
question by Senator Culberson. that 1T is an
American code rather than a Spanish code.
Under the Spanish regime, said Governor
Taft the courts were not only sluggish.
but notorfously corrupt and the first courts
established by General Otis were no better.
Under Spanish rule there was substantial
denial of justice.
The Federal Party.
Referring to the petition of the federal
party, Governor Taft said all the cases of
Imprisonment referred to there were for
military and not civil offenses. Practically
there are no civil prosecutions for political
effenses at this time. Governor Taft said
that the original draft Of the federal party
platform had been submitted to the COM
mission, and the declaration for statehood
was then more explicit than was ultimately
adopted. My recollection he said, lis
that we said to the representatives of the
party that this must be far in the future
and that We could make no promises one
way or the other"
rs not the commission responsible for the
formation Of the federal party?" asked
Senator Dubois.
NO. it was not" Governor Taft respend-
ed He gave the names Of several promi
nent FilipinOs who had assisted in the or
gaEization. They had, he said, consulted
the members of the commission and the
latter had encouraged the formation as far
as possible, because the party was for
peace. The promise Of statehood had been
no prominent part Of the missionary work
of the leaders.
Senators Patterson. Carmack and Culber-
son asked numerous questions based upon
the memorial of the federal party calcu-
lated to bring out Governor Tafts idea as
what, If any, promise should be made to
the F1lipinos in the way Of government for
the future Replying to an inquiry from
Mr.. Patterson as to the denunciation in the
memorial of q colonial form of government.
Governor Taft said the memorialists mean
just what they say; that they favor ulti-
mate statehood.
Not Fitted for Adoption.
Replying to Mr.. Carmack as to the wis
dom Of making the Philippines an integral
part Of the United States, the witness said
the condition In the Philippines today is
such that the restrictions Of the Constitu-
tion of the United States cannot be safely
extended to those islands.
A Future Agreement.
Governor Taft advocated the establish
ment OF a stable government for the pres
ent, with the understanding that at some
time In the future the Americans and the
Filipinos could reach an agreement as to
what should be done In the way OF govern
ment or in maintaining relations; but"
he said, whether the islands should have
their Independence, whether they should
be given a neutrality-suspicious. or whether
they should be made a state of the Union
is so far in the future that l have reached
no conclusion.
THE great evil Of the present time with
reference to the Philippines is the current
discussion of their future SO long before
that can be fixed"
Replying to question by Senator Car
mack, he said that he had not considered
the problem Of possible statehood fifty
years hence. He would not favor a prom
ise even Of a form OF government such as
is given the territories OF the United
States.
He also said he was opposed to extending
the Constitution to those islands.
Proposed Surrender Of Islands.
In reply to a number Of questions by
Senator McComas based upon the demo-
cratic substitute for the Philippine tariff
bill Governor Taft said that to turn the
government Of the archipelago over to the
Filipinos as therein proposed would in his
opinion result in anarchy and in the dis
turbance OF vested rights to such an extent
as to render 1t necessary for the United
States to resume it's control with all the
work to do over again that had been done
In the last two years. He had no doubt,
however, that the Filipinos could form a
government as they had done under Agui-
naldo.
Would the condition be SUCH" asked
Senator Lodge, "as to lead to the acquisi-
tion Of the islands by foreign powers"
That is a matter of opinion" responded
the governor. 1.-The Philippines are called
by the foreigners the gem of the orient
The records will show the interest that
Japan has taken in the islands. and the in
vestments made by citizens of other coun-
tries indicate what is thought of them.
Both the Germans and the English have
considerable capital invested there
The ponmiffoo thpu adiournod for tj.a