The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-02-04

Government In Cebu-The Macca-
bebes Away. at War With other
Fflipinos-Cross Examined by the
Senators as to Many Statements.
Washington. February l.-Governor
TAFT today continued his statement
concerning conditions in the Philip
pine archipelago before the senate COM
mittee on the Philippines He resumed
his account of his last wears tour e
the provinces. He said that next to
Manila. Cebu came nearer TO being q
city in point OF population and manner
of Improvement than any other piacs
in the archipelago.
The island OF Cebu. he said. is the
most densely settled OF the group.
Speaking generally. Governor Taft
said there were no roads In the Philip
pine islands under the Spanish, but
that since the establishment of Amer
ican control $1,000. 900 had been appro-
pilated for road improy ement. both for
stragetic and CONNER cial purposes. In
most, II not all. the islands. Governor
Taft said. there Is a mountain back
bone which is very impossible. Gen.
elal Hall had succeeded In crossing the
Luzon mountains, but mis- men were al
most dead when they emerged.
In his tour. Governor Taft had found
the industries in progress though much
Interrupted largely OIL account OF the
destruction Of the water Buffalo or car
ibao, the work cattle Of the islands.
TINS animal. he described as 1.-The beast
uf burden. the family friend. the wealth
'f the individual and the object OF all
The robber bands OF the mountain dis
tricts."
Governor Taft said that the island OF
Cebu was not long organized into
civilized government until IL was found
necessary to return To military control
He had however. been informed just
refore his departure for the United
States that the three hundred or four
hundred insurgents on the island had
surrendered and thai the island had
Seen entirely tranquiIized.
This statement led Senator Hale to
ask question: II have observed by
the newspapers that there were Al
small fights within the space OF thirty
days-where do they occurr'
The reply was that most OF these en-
counters had taken place in Batangas.
Laguna. Mindoro Bohol. Samar. Cebu
and a few other places. Most OF the
troops are I'm those provinces.
Referring to the Maccabebes. Coy
einor Taft said they had always been
AT war with their neiRhbors. that they
had formerly been friends Of the Span
Iards and that when the transfer of the
country was made they had also trans
ferred their allegiance to the United
States. He thought there were 5000
CT 10000 Of them
You speak" said Senator CuIbersou.
as the witness progressed "of disagree
;nents between the civil and the mill
tary authorities as TO whether there
should be a civil or military control Of
certain district: I'm such cases who
determines what shall be donez'' -
That" replied Governor Taft. zig q
question OF instructions or rather Of
construction Of instructions: but we
have gotten along so iar without radi.
cal disagreement. One difficulty of this
kind was submitted TO Washington
and We were told that we must recon-
Gle our differences II we could. We did
70 and have had no other material dif-
Eculties OF the kind"
Governor Taft SPOKE frequently OF
sne unreliabilitv OF all estimates of the
population. but said there are proba biv
100000 Filipinos nr Christians. one
and half millions OF non-Chrfstfa m
and probably million of Moros. How
ever census was baaiy needed
The members Of the committee smiled
when Governor Taft said that thu
Christians had made all the trouble.
Tie explained that II is necessary 70
Diovide more paternal form Of gov
ernment for the Igorrofes than for the
Fihpinos. It was also imoracticahIe "a
niace Filipino governors over fhess
! people. /
In reply to Senator Patterson. Cow
e-nor Taft said that there probably
Were two thousand rifles In the hands
of the fnsurrecfos in the islands and
there are some Of the latter who do
not carry gums He could not. he said.
tell where the rines and the ammunl-
ton came from
AZ to the 1untas. mcst Of them aro
concentrated now at Hong Kong. coenp
posed mostly Of natives Of Bafaneaa
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