Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1904-03-16
VOTING IN THE PHILIPPINES.
The Fi1ipinOs Need No Lessons in Corr
rupt Practices in Conduct
ing Elections.

ing Elections.
When Americans have to deal with
a race of ruder civilization than their
own they are likely to adopt one of
two very different attitudes toward
such race. Either they say: Fill
pinos are piZen, wherever found" or
else they go to the opposite extreme
and say: "One man is as good as an
other, though his skin be brown. Give
him vote" Some of the latter class
are SO enthusiastic over their theory
of human equality that it is with great
difficulty that they admit that white
man is as good as a Filipino, says the
New York Times.
The conduct of the Filipino voter
has been quite study of interest to
those who look forward to ultimate
self-government for the native races.
So far there has not been a definite
line of cleavage between two parties,
though the controversy between the
Roman Catholic church and the Agli-
payans, who are branch of the Cath
olic church only differing in matters
of discipline, has been the keynote to
many elections. AS rule the Catho-
lies have triumphed over the Aglipay-
ans.
Tammany hall in its worst days had
nothing to teach to the simple Tagal
in the matter of intimidation or cor
ruption. From every province come
tales of violence and corruption in
these local elections. The late action
of the commission in consolidating, in
the interest of efficiency and economy,
numbers of the smaller municipalities
into larger municipalities has greatly
aggravated the partisan feeling in
these elections. Formerly there was
usually one man in each village, often
the leader of the military forces in
the time of the instruction, who prac-
tically bossed the town. When sew
eral of these municipalities were con-
solidated there were several of these
bosses, all struggling to be the head
man.
The Tagal loves to be bossed He is
not the man to take part in the gov
eminent in the sense that an American
would. If he has a voice in electinG
his boss he is content to let the boss
his rulers much, except it be by re-
belling entirely and taking to the bolo
and gun.
The elections have not been without
their humors: in one province an cleo
ton was held which did not entirely
meet the views of the taos, and there
was smoldering trouble for some time,
At last big American negro, who had
been discharged from the American
army, happened in the course of long
tramp to fall upon the village The
trouble was explained to him, and he
decided that the election was illegal,
kicked out the officiating presidents,
and declared himself to be the presi-
dente, with the accompanying ten dol
lars in gold per month and pickings
Not much for an American, perhaps,
but there was a living without work,
certain obscure privileges (Which the
negro considerably extended) and the
ten dollars.
Soon after his taking the Office the
head men of the pueblo, those who had
been elected to the other offices, called
on him to consult as to certain meas
III SS W NC IdhOh IO1 IH0 SOOu vi Tic
town. The negro remarked that he
twas the only white man in the town,
and he wasn't going to be bossed by
no blankety blank niggers,'' and
kicked the intruders out of his Office
This was a man after the Tagal's own
heart, and from that time on he was
worshiped by his townspeople. He led
them in their expeditions against other
villages, drank their "bino,' cuffed
them, and behaved generally as a ruler
should.
He might have still been the idol of
an adoring village, but one day he
was foolish enough to sign certain pa
of the province His former rivals for
the place of presidente had never said
a word, and were more than satisfied,
but this gave him away. The governor
looked up this presidente with an
American name. and he is now in jail
The people of that village are heart
broken, and think that their first
pertinent in voting is failure.
In the matter of abiding by the re-
suit of the elections when once the
result has been officially announced
the Filipino has been very good No
case has been reported of refusal to
obey the orders of the new officials.
been trained to govern, and that they
naturally make many grievous mis-
takes, the obedience shown to the new