Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-14

hOtheadS ana break with the Americans
These natives were anxious to learn the
intentions of the American government and
when they became possessed of them and
their confidence had been won they enlisted
in the cause of bringing their erring and
misguided brothers to their senses.
But a few weeks Sufficed to convince the
commission that the encoura cement they
had been met with at the outset was not
built upon sand. Day after day were they
visited by seekers after the intentions of
the government; by doubters who had been
so long fed upon unfulhlled promises that
there was no longer any faith in them. But
when the time for converting words into
deeds arrived, when on the list of Septem-
Der. 1900, the commission entered upon its
legislative functions and it was discovered
that its first enactment was an appropria-
ton of $1,000000 gold for roads, and it's
fifth a law establishing a civil service in
the islands, based upon a merit qualifica-
ton, followed in quick succession by mu-
n1cipal code providing for local self-govern-
ment, a provincial code, and many other
acts drawn on broad, liberal American
lines-all of which were put into execution
as soon as the pacifed conditions in the
provinces would permit, and which served
as object lessons to the doubters-their con-
version came like that of Saul of Tarsus,
and like him they preached among their
own people the gospel of peace.
Emissaries from unpacified provinces and
even from insurgent leaders in the field
and some of the latter expressed the will
mgness of their commanders to surrender
to Inc civil authorities which, of course,
was out of the question, as they could not
be negotiated with while offering armed
resistance to American sovereignty.
When through the military arm of the
government several of the provinces had
become pacified and the commission visited
them for the purpose of establishing civil
government, the evidences of rejoicing on
the part of the people were far less per-
functory when they found that they were
called together and consulted as to the best
methods to pursue to meet local require
ments before the law putting them under
civil regime was enacted. This was some
thing new and strange to them. The gen.
tlemen in Congress who have asserted that
the natives were muzzled at these meetings
and not given free reign in the discussions
entertain an impression which has never
been borne in upon the writer, who was
present at all of them and acted as inter-
prefer.
Progress Under Civil Rule.
On the list of September, 1902, there were
40 provinces under civil rule in the archi-
pelago. Of these 30 (or IS per cent? had
Filipino governors and 10 Cor % per cent?
had American governors. The provincial
officials in these provinces were 229 in num-
Der, 16o Cor 81 per cent? of which were
Filipinos, and 50 Tor 80 per cent? Amer
leans.
AS an evidence of the deep interest shown
by the natives in the workings of a new
electoral system, it will not be amiss to
refer to the case of the guberna toriaI cleo
ton In the province of Cebu. The provin-
cial government act provides for the hold
ing of an electoral convention on the first
Monday of February last (the 2d), and 435
electors (being the vice presidents and coun-
cilors of the 81 organized municipalities in
the provlnce) out of a possible so answered
no irct ran o,,11 >f = ~
last ballot for governor 434 votes were cast,
of which the present incumbent Juan Gil
maco, received 249 and his predecessor 122
votes. the rest being scattered. The count
ing OF the last ballot was completed at
am. February D, after the convention had
been in continuous session from the morn
Ing of February 2, short recesses only being
taken; and the outcome of this their first les
son in American methods of conducting cleo
tons may be summed up in the concluding
words of the official report of the treas
urer and supervisor of the province of Cebu.
the former officer of the United States
army and the latter an experienced engi-
neer:
THE election was absolutely fair and
impartial and the result Is the evident
choice of the people as expressed by their
electors and seems to give satisfaction to
the native population.
The files of the executive bureau contain
many other reports regarding these cleo
lions, all of which demonstrate the fact
that ocular proofs of the Intentions of the
American government and people to make
good citizens out of the natives of the is
lands are not barren of results.
1t will be seen from what precedes and
follows that the civil authorities have
"hewn straight to the line" in following
the instructions of the President OF the
United States, when he says:
That in all cases the municipal officers
who administer the local affairs of the peo-
pie, are to be selected by the people. and
tnat wherever officers of more extended
Jurisdiction are to be selected. in any way
natives of the islands are to be preferred
and if they can be found competent and
willing to perform the duties they are to
receive the offices in preference to any 9TH
ers.
To the average reader figures are a bore.
but they are far more potent than words
and / shall introduce a few to show what
the civil authorities have done in the Phil
ippines along some lines in the last twenty
four months. to be set against the sad lists
of military casualties, which burdened the
American heart as they were flashed to the
homeland for so long time.
Work of a Year.
During the period from September 1. 1900
to September 1, 1902, the United States
Philippine commission has held 22i public
sessions and All executive sessions. the
record of the former filling 1.4G0 typewrit-
ten pages, and of the latter 1174 a total in
two years of 6s5 sessions and 1884 pages
This shows that there were only eightv-fiye
days in the $50 elapsing between the dates
named upon which no session was held: but
as matter of fact, so far as the executive
sessions are concerned, when two were
held on the same day they have been con-
sldered as one in this computation. Dur
ing the same period $50 laws were enacted
by the commission, or at the rate of over
four week. A record this which speaks
for itself
The civil service of the islands was COM
posed on June l, 1902, of 2.491 English
speaking employees and 99S6 natives in
Guiding $3.50 enlisted men In the Philip
pines constabulary. and excluding native
school teachers receiving compensation
from municipalities. The total yearly nav
roll of the 1927 employees is 1892 $50
The number of pupils enrolled in the day
public schools of the archipelago this wear
was 100000; in the night schools % coo The
number of secondary schools already es-
tablished is eight, with strong probable
1ty that as many more viii be established
during the year. There is now one agricul-
tural school in the islands. The present
number Of teachers employed is 4.192. of