The Teton peak. [volume] (St. Anthony, Idaho) 1899-1904, 1904-11-03

80 Wa ~ pay iolis. ana II is the Opln-
ION OF the newspapers of Manila, both
democratic and Republican, and of every
foreigner. European and American, that
our little brown brother already has
ABOUT as much independence and self
government as he can stand. 1t is a
httle provoking for Judge Taft and his
successors to be condemned in this coun-
Try Tor giving the natives too small a
snare IN the government and in the
1'hlllppnes for giving them too much.
NO. Z. Plays produced in the theaters
are censored
There IS no censorship whatever in
the Philippine Islands, and there has
been none since civil government was
established. Somebody has evidently
been telling Judge Parker about the sup
pfesslon OF a play based upon incidents
IN me instruction, in which the Uni
TED States fiag was pulled down by the
actors IN a very dramatic manner, torn
INTO pieces and traInpled upon. The play
was presented but once. If the police
mad not prohibited a second production,
the theater and the actors would have
peen torn i'll pieces by a mob of indig-
hant soldiers and citizens who had or
canned for that purpose. To satisfy
p1Dilc cla1nor, Senior Tolentino, the
author, was arrested. He was released
under bonds, but jumped his bail and ran
away. lie afterward fell in with Ricarte,
the supreme chief of the National Demo
cratic Republic of the Philippine Is
lands and prepared his proclamations
ana conducted his correspondence, for
itlcarte cannot read or write. Both of
these gentlemen are now in the peni-
Tertiary.
Trials Are Fair.
NO. .. Detectives appear in the guise
or servants, and the oath of a single
one is enough to destroy a mans repu-
%tatlon, property, liberty or even life it
self
When | left Manila last summer
there had been four trials for sedition
since the establishment Of the civil gov
eInment, the latest. in which DIR. Gomez.
editor or Il native newspaper, was de-
~eildant, having lasted four months, and
ne was acquitted upon technicalities: 166
people had been convicted of what may
be termed political offenses. including
the deluded victims of the Hong Kong
1unta and other reasonable organiza-
lions, and thirty-three persons had suf-
Tered the capital penalty. each case hay-
ing been carefully reviewed by the SUI
preme Court. Their crimes were muir
der, arson, rape and highway robbery.
There are two detective organizations
one CONNECTED with the city police,
which works within the municipal limits.
The other, connected with the constabu-
larry, works in the rural districts. Amer
lean. Spanish and native detectives are
employed. Their methods are exactly
the same and the weight of their testi-
mony IN court is similar to that of the
police OF New York or any other city.
Bishop Brent, Of the Episcopal church,
IN an interview with me published last
June, said: Manila is comparatively free
from crime, disorder and drunkenness.
Few cities Of the size are 50 well govern
ca or are 50 free from saloons or vicious
classes There is a surprisingly small
amount OF rhine and vice
Extraordinary Statement.
mo. 8. Judge Parker himself declares
that the islands remain to-day utterly
untouched for any good that the United
States might have done for them.
This is a most extraordinary state
ment for an American citizen to make.
1t can only be accounted for by ignor-
ohNN HAAN " ~ DOVS 0ddSC
Parker see no good in the establishment
of 1000 schools and the education of
more than 100000 children? Does he
realize the value Of the pubic improve
nlents that have been made. the new
harbors at Manila, which have cost
= ,696,311 to date. and $674. $50 at Iloilo
and Cebu; the widened streets, the pave
ments, the parks, the sewers. the new
water systems, the public highways that
have been extended and improved at a
cost of $500 600; the 1,2OO school houses
that have been built, and the ariou
other improvements upon which millions
of dollars lave been expended. not from
the treasury of the United States. but
from the local treasures of the islands?
1t would require a page in a newspaper
TO tell what has been done in the way of
public utilities alone by the American
government.
SeIf-supporting.
".And. finally, the Democratic candi-
date for the Presidency asks: Are the
Philippine Islands a self-supporting com,
munity?
He confesses his ignorance upon this
point in almost the same breath that he
declares them fit for independence and
self-government. If Judge Parker had
made any preparation for his speech. if
he had taken the trouble to inform him
self upon the most important conditions.
he would have known that the customs
revenues alone during the last three or
four years nave been seventeen, eighteen
and nineteen million dollars a year, an
| increase from three, four or five millions
- ,-. S,a.;r1 IL nDl 4h,+ %h.