The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1903-01-15
THE PHILIPPINES
What the Independent Has Said About
tho Horrible Condition There Con-
formed by Gov. Taft

a studied silence concerning the ter
rible conditions in the Philippines,
The Independent has kept it's readers
fully posted ON that, and many other
subjects, about which the readers of
the daiIies are in total ignorance. To
gather this news HIS been great Ia
Dor. Some of it bas come from prl.
yate letters, some from a few un-
guarded sentences in the censored dis
patches and now and then line or
two in an Official report. By the use
of a little int dition, some common
sense and a elise watch on every aV-
enue of inform alton, The Independent
readers have been kept Informed of
the facts. lIow everything that The
Independent has said has been con-
firmed, and more than confirmed, by
the ofiaial report Of Governor Taft.
1t would be hardly possible to suppress
this report, and, in fact, it is not at
all necessary, for the next national
election is nearly two years distant,
Governor Taft says:
"Were there prosperous conditions
in the Philippines it would not be
troublesome matter to deal with the
ladrones, but when want and famine
are staring people in the face the lifc
of the freebooter forms to the desper-
ate and the weak very great attrac-
ton. Natural discomfort with the
government when suffering is at hand
promoted as it is by cholera, restric-
tions and the high prices of rice and
other commodities, which have beer
greatly enhanced by the depreciation
of silver, might well have caused
new outbreak of the insurrection.
All these things have been prlntec
in The Independent from time to
time, while the other papers have kept
silent. Governor Taft tells of the con-
ditiels that have made the island pur-
chase about SIS 100000 of food, and Of
the effects war has had upon agricul :
ture, almost the only source OF wealth
in the islands. The greatest blow to
agriculture, he says, is the destruc-
ton of about 80 per cent Of water but
falo, on which the cultivation OF rice
is almost wholly dependent.
The Independent was led to believe
from what information it could get
that the "destruction" of the water
buffalo was the effect of an epidemic
of the :]nGerpest, but it now appears
that that was not the case at all.
They were deliberately destroyed BY
our army The plan of Governor Taft
for the relief of the Filipinos is thor
oughly plutCcratic and imperiaiistic,
Th3 Independent submits it without
comment:
First--The establishment of gold
standard in the islands and of bank
ing corporations empowered to issue
circu .ating bapk notes under proper
safeguards.
Second-The reduction of at least 75
per cent of the Dingley rates of duty
upon goods imported into the United
States from the Philippines.
Third-An amendment of the Phil
ippi,.e act so that the additional linz
it upon lands which may be sold to or
be held by individuals or corporations
from the public domain shall be in =
creased $4,000 acres, or in the alterna'
tive so that the government shall be
given the power to lease for sixty
Tears upon competitive biddings from
the public lands aggregating in any III
dividual or corporate lessee not more
than 10000. 1t says this legislation Is
necessary to the development of the
islands, and as the government is Of
fering 65,000,00O out of 70,000,000 acres
in the archipelago there is no danger
of concentration of ownership in in
dividuals or corporations.
Fourth-ThaG the Philippine act
may be amended by repeating the linn
itation which forbids an individual or
corporation from holding an inter
est in more than one mining claim.
Fifth-That all bonds issued by the
insular government under the author
ity of the Philippine act shall be free
from state, county and municipal tax
alton in the United States.
Sixth-That an amendment be made
to the Chinese exclusion act giving
the power to the government by law
to admit a fixed and limited number
of Cinnamon into the Philippine ISL
ands, who are certified to be skilled
laborers, on the bond Of the employer