New-York tribune., 1902-02-16
PHILIPPINES FUTURE.
GOV TAFT GIVES HIS VIEWS
TO SENATE COMMITTEE.
OPPOSES EXTENDING THE CONSTITU
TIoN TO THE ISLANDS -INDEPEN-
DENCE WOULD CAUSE ANARCHY.
Icy TELEeRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.

DFNCE WOULD CAUSE ANARCHY
TBY TELEGRAPH TRIBUNE.1
Washington, Feb. 15.-Governor Tafts testi-
-,onv to-day before the Senate Philippine Com
,,ttee dealt chiefly with the fitness Of the Fill
,snos 10 discharge such political duties and n
,oy such political privileges the people of this
country are accustomed to under purely demo-
-sttc form Of government. In Governor Taft's
o,inion the native mind is not yet capable of
accepting and applying American ideas of JUS
.ice and administration, and he strongly COM
hated the theory that any time could be set at
,resent within which the Filipino people could
he admitted 70 citizenship in the Union to the
nil enjoyment of all the guarantees of the con-
stitution.
The hearing began with series OF questions
nv Senator Patterson in regard to the fitness
NJ Filipinos for jury duty. Mr.. Patterson asked
whether the native population en- which the vot
,ng franchise is bestowed could not be trusted
10 do Jury duty. The Governor replied in the
negative. saying they so used to corruption
An the administration Of justice that they could
not be trusted. They need to be trained" he
said. TO have examples; they are not yet ready
for jury duty
Referring TO the code Of procedure in the ISL
snds Governor Taft said in reply TO a question
nv Senator Culberson that II is an American
,stber than a Spanish code. Under the Spanish
regime the courts were not only sluggish. but
notoriousy corrupt, and the first courts estab-
ushed by General Otis were no better. Under
ssnanish rule there was a substantial denial of
justice
THE FEDERAL PARTY'S PLATFORM
Referring TO the petition Of the Federal party,
Governor Taft said all the cases Of imprison-
,,ent referred to there for military and not
civil offences. Practically there are no civil
prosecutions for political offences at this time.
Coyernor Taft said that the original draft of the
7,ederal party's platform had been submitted to
.,e commission, and that the declaration for
statehood was then more explicit than was
ultimately adopted. MY recollection" he said.
,qs that we said to the representatives of the
rsrtv that this must be far in the future. and
.bs, we could make no promises one way or the
other
"rs not the commission responsible for the for
nation of the Federal party?" asked Senator
Dubois
"slo. Il was not" Governor Taft replied He
rsye the names Of several prominent F1hpinos
WIZ had assisted in the organization They hao'
ne said consulted the members Of the comrnls-
sion and the latter had encouraged the 1orIna-
,ion as far as possible, because the party was
for peace. The promise Of statehood had peen
y, prouninent part of The missionary work OF the
leaders
Senator's Patterson, Carrnack and Culberson
asksd MANY questions based on the memorial
ot the Federal party calculated TO brlng OUT
Governor Tafts ideas to what II any, PROM
Is. should be made to the Filipinos in the way
of government for the future.
penlving to an inquiry from Mr.. Patterson
as 70 the denunciation in the memorial OF
colonial form OF government, Governor M ialt
sad the memorialists mean just what they
cay that they favor ultimate statehooo.
EXTENSION OF CONSTITUTION UNSAFE
Replving 70 Mt. Carmack to the wisdom OF
.naking the Philippines integral part OF the
limited States the Governor said that the coh-
ditions In the Philippines to-day are SUCH that
the restrictions of the constitution OF the Onlteo
States cannot be safely extended to the lslahos.
Governor Taft advocated the establishment OF
q stable government for the present Win lhe
understanding that at some time IN the iuIuie
the Americans and the Filipinos could reach an
agreement as to what should be done in the
,-.,, -, Government or in maintaining relations.
"But" he said, whether the lslands eiloui9
have their independence, whether they shouIa
be given a quasi independence or %nether '9ey f
should be made State Of the Union Is SO tai
.n the future that have reached no concluston'
The great evil Of the present time with IeleI
ence TO the Philippines is the current ulscTa-
SION AZ their future so long before that can De
fixed" o,,
RerIying to question from Senator Carmack,
n
Of possible statehood fifty years hence he would
not favor q promise even of form or govern
rnent such as is given TO the territories OF the
United States. lie also said he was opposed TO
: extending the constitution TO the ISLANDS.
INDEPENDENCE WOULD BE DISASTROUS.
In reply TO a numper Of questions by Senator
McComas, based OF the Democratic substitute
for the Philippine tariff BILL Governor Taft said
that 10 turn the government Of the archipelago
over TO the F!lipinos, as therein proposed Wouid'
in his opinion, result in anarchy and in the dis
turba2ce of vested rights TO such an extent as
10 render IL necessary for the United States TO
resume its control, with all the work to do over
again that had been done in the last two years
He had doubt, however, that the Ftlpinos
could form a government as they had done
under Aguinaldo.
Would the conditions be SUCH" asked Senator
Lodge. 10 lead to the acquisition of the
Islands by foreign powers?"
That is matter Of opinion" replied the Gov
ernor THE Philippines called by the for
eigners the gem Of the Orient The records will
show the interest that Japan has taken in the
Islands, and the investments made by citizens
OF other countries indicate what is thought Of
them- Both the Germans and the English have
considerable capital invested there"