Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-28

paralytfc appealed to his people. Mabinl
was credited with being the brains of
Aguinaldo, and certainly he exercised a
powerful influence over his course.
1.-The Katipunan Society, which was
secret political organization, embracing at
one time in its history quite a number or
leading Filipinos and great majority of the
lower classes, was organized for pollucal
purposes to bring about independence. ana
there seems to be no doubt that II was
sometimes used as an instrument OF assas-
sination by those who had control or IL
The founder of it was Andrew Bonlfacio,
who, becoming jealous OF Aguinaldo
power himself revolted, was tried by
court martial, pardoned by Aguinaldo,
and subsequently was killed in the noun
tains of Cavite, probably by Aguinaldo
order. .
ablest military leader of the insurgents
was entrapped into a visit TO Aguinaldo S
headquarters and a quarrel with the guard,
who shot him. The persons In TINS country
who have idealized Aguinaldo have indlg-
nantly repealed the charges that Agulnaldo
compasSed those two deaths, but one must
say that the moral evidence Is very STRONG
against him. He admitted to Gen Funston
that he had caused Luna's death because.
he said. Luna was engaged in conspiracy
against him. Mabini. his closest friend
and the man who was most familiar with
all that he did and his whole policy,
charges him, in a book written within a
few months of Mabini's death, with having
caused the assassination OF both Bonl-
in a judicial style, and betrays no evl.
6ence of bitterness of feeling against
Aguinaldo which would prompt him TO a
false statement of the facts Aguinaldo
has not seen fit publicly to deny either ac-
cusation.
Acts Justified by Political EFFICIENCY
Farther on in his address Mr.. Taft said:
II do not wish to traduce Aguinaldo or
to show that he is a murderer, In our
regard MN.
What he did he doubtless thought to be
Justified by political exigency and self
defense But | deem it important to bring
ont the facts in order to show the char
acter of government that he was estab-
fishing that it's corner stone was violence
and bloodshed; and that under such gov
eminent there was no hope OF CIVIL ho-
erty. ~ .,o
corruption and abuses of Aguinaldos gov
eminent and the certainty or anarchy tla'
would follow, due to the peculiar coIui
lions 1 have just described, would nave
made it an act of folly on the part OF the
American people, strongly TO De condemn
ed to abandon the islands:
IF then" said Mr.. Taft, the govern
ment could not be turned over 10 Agui-
naIdo and his followers the only othef
course was that America should accept
sovereignty over the lslanus anu coiluuS.
a government there for the penent Oh ti:e
Tinted States has held that the transfer
of the sovereignty by the treaty of Paris
from Spain to the United States was
legal transfer, and that the United STATES
was the lawful sovereign in the archlpelaeo
after the treaty of peace was signed. us
authority resisted and now the ques-
ton arose what was Its duty.
ct conceive that its duty was exacuy
that of any government in which very
considerable part of the people, subject 10
its control, desire to Withdraw from its
sovereignty, and set up soN iie' VI
their own rooo
The United States was obliged to enforce
its authority, said Mr.. Taft, and afterward
to prepare the people of the island Tor pop
ular government. He then recited what the
United States had done for the Filfpinos;
The organization of municipal and proVin-
cial governments ION bases so l1beral IN the
matter of autonomy as to surprise the IN
habitants of the islands,; the suppression
of ladronism by a native constabulary; the
founding of educational system mat
shall give elementary instruction ana a
knowledge of English to all children VINO
attend the schools: the construction OF pub
lie works and road building. and the estab-
fishing of a judicial system, part native,
part American. Regarding the teaching of
English Mr.. Taft said:
Education of Filipinos.
I'VE cannot teach Filipinos English in a
year We can hardly teach them English in
a generation. We can only teach them
English thoroughly through the children;
but we must wait until the children grow
up and become men before the adults shall
speak English
About 10 per cent of the youth of the
islands were at school, but from the Fill
pino teachers preparing in normal schools
it was expected that In less than decade
every Filipino child could study English
and receive an elementary education
Now. / have been frequently asked,
said Mr. Taft, lin letters from suspicious
individuals resident in and about Boston,
whether it is true that all the civil rights
are secured 10 the Inhabitants of the Phil
ippine Islands. Are they not still subject
to the surveillance and annoyances which
they encountered under the Spanish rule?
With respect to this / should like to say.
first, that any inhabitant of the Philippine
Islands is entitled to apply to court for the
nraserva tion of eyary right mentioned In the