Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-31
WISH TO Be AMERICAN
Ardent Desires of the Fill
pinos.
GOV. TAFT THEIR IDOL
BUENCAMINo BEFORE THE IN
sULAR AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.
Says His Country Has Aspirations for
Liberty and Justice Under
American Sovereignty.
GOV. TAFT THEIR Idol

| dos cabinet and is now a member of the
| civil service commission of the Philippine
| Islands. was heard this morning by the
| House committee on insular affairs ques-
| tons elating to the welfare of the islands.
Senior Buencamno is a type of the best
| class of Filipino, about fifty years old, of
| dignified bearing, his dark hair just begin
| ming to turn gray. He was accompanied
| by two other native Filpinos and by an
| interpreter, Frank L. Joanniui of the insu-
| lar branch of the War Department.
Chairman Cooper introduced the distin-
| guished Filipino to the members of the com
mittee, stating that he was member Of
Aguinaldo's cabinet and had come direct
| from the Philippine Islands. Mr.. Cooper
asked Senior Buencamno why he had come
| to the United States. In response the wit
ness arose and in measured terms made a
statement, speaking in his native tongue.
Buencamino's Statement.
| Permit me to express in beginning"
said he ''the profound emotions emotions
coming from the depths of my heart-after
a. voyage of forty-seven days in coming be-
fore this body, which in part represents
| the sovereignty over my country. My
! country is like a sick man convalescing
! from dangerous illness. Ny country is
| still bleeding from the wounds of war.
| The aspirations of my country are those of
WaShington-liberty with justice and JUS
| tice with liberty. Such are our aspirations
| today, with liberty under the American
| sovereignty, which We love. With you,
gentlemen, we are children of Washington,
all lovers of liberty and justice. and
| look forward with the hope that the Amer
| lean Congress will give country a just
| and liberal government. 1 am here repre-
senting the federal party, also the influen-
! tial elements of the insurgents and the
members of the Katapukn Society. and l
| have in my possession the credentials to
| establish these facts"
| This statement, made with impressive
! effect, was followed with the closest inter-
est by the members of the committee.
Resistance to the United States.
| Chairman Cooper asked questions to
| bring out the purpose of the Filpinos in
organizing their insurrection against the
| United States.
| Buancamino described the gathering
around Agunaido, in whom at that time
| the whole people had great faith. Agunal-
! do assured them that he had the promise
| of Admiral Dewey that the United States
| government would recognize the indepen-
! dence of the Philippine government They
| had learned afterward, and now under
| stood. that Aguinaldo had deceived them in
| this respect
| In reply to question by Mr. Cooper If it
| was not understood that Admiral Dewey
had denied this. he said "yes"-that the
great confluence they had in Aguinaldo had
since been dissipated.
The witness detailed the beginning of hos
! tilites of the night of February /, which he
! SAID was premature but preparation for
these hostilities had been made. and was
| going on. because of the lack of confidence
| thetFilipinos felt regarding the America rs.
He did not know whether the first shot had
been fired by the American troops by the
FnfpinoS, who were that night in command
| of a young and inexperienced officer.
| Tnno'c M;1;%,,.1, noer,%;o-e
At great length he detailed the military
| operations of General Luna, the first gem
eral under Aguinaldo. Luna was very cruel
and inhuman. His cruelties became notori-
Gus and as Aguinaldo objected to many
| of Lunas orders a breach occurred which
divided the Filipino army under two heads,
| Luna and Aguinaldo. Just as these two
1 forces were about to come into conflict on
! June 13, 1899 Luna having decided to cap
| ture Agunaldo. General Macarthur at
| tackled the latter.
coincidence, which Buencamno said he
| could not understand, was that later, when
| this feud broke out again, General Luna
| arrived at the house of Aguinaldo, at the
same time Aguinaldo arrived at the house
| of Luna, seventy-fve miles apart.
| Luna killed that morning in the
lower part of Aguinaldo's house by the lat
| ters personal guard.
! While there general expression Of
! public sentiment regarding this tragedy,
| the witness declared that there was gen
eral feeling of relief, as the people were
afraid of Luna. who had ordered many
| executions. On the morning of his death
| he had ordered two executions.
| The death of Luna, he said, was, how
| ever, the death Of the spirit of the insur
| rection. 1t had taken the heart out of it.
| The people were tired of enforced military
service and weary of the heavy taxes i'm
posed to carry the fight. So rigidly We're
these taxes collected, he said, if poor man
had hen or horse the hen or the horse
| would be taken away without an equivalent
| Present Conditions.
He could state that the present condition
Of affairs in local municipalities was happi-
ness as compared with former conditions
| When the American troops take hen, they
pay 81 for it. whereas the former price was
but % cents, If anything at all was paid.
There were now 800 pacified municipali-
ties in successful operation. and the cleo
| lions demonstrated the capability and de-
sire of the Filipinos for self-government.
| In answer to Mr.. Coopers question If I'M
der the administration of the civil form
Of government by the TAFT commission the
| people We're not enjoying as much liberty
as under an Aguinaldo government, he said
that they were enjoying greater privileges.
Gov. Taft's Popularity.
Governor Taft. he said. was the idol OF
| the Ffiipinos. He had had the tact to visit
| all the provinces and extend his hand to
all the people. When he made a state
| ment it was truly interpreted to all the
people. There was no American in the
island SO popular as Governor Taft. This
the witness said he wanted to say, although
he wanted it understood that he himself
| was not fully in the confidence of Governor
Taft because he had been such a rabid
| insurgent.
Mr. Cooper asked II the recommendations
of Gov Taft for a native legislature of
two houses would meet the approval Of the
Filipinos.
In answering Mr.. Buencamino stated
In explanation that the question of nation
atty was of prime importance to the Fill
pinos He said they wanted to know what
nationality they were, whether Americans
DR. otherwise. The Filipinos desired to be
Americans, and he suggested that the name
| Filipino" be dropped in the bill providing
for a Philippine legislature and the word
American" substituted.
Deems Permanent Occupation Neces-
sary.
t'Then you consider permanent American
occupation necessary for the future welfare