Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-10-25
Parker Deceived or In
tentionaIIy Tells Untruth
Grave and DepIorabIe Mis-
statements About Philippines.
Answer from Gov. Wright Effectually
Disposes of Every One.

statement made by Judge Alton Il.
Parker Democratic candidate for the
presidency, in his public utterances,
that gross corruption existed among
the office holders in the Philippines,
and that the situation in the Philip
pines. today, is 80 terrible that it pass
es comprehension of our people at
home" led Secretary Taft to request
of Gov. Wright, his comment upon said
statements. Gov Wright replies in
substance, as follows:
First. the statement that any con-
siderable number of officials have
proven corrupt, inefficient or despotic
does grave injustice to body of hard
working, self-reSpecting Americans.
whose character and service will COM
pare favOrably with those of employees
of the federal or state governments.
Whilst there have been a number Of
defaults by subordinates. they are few
as compared with the whole, and have
been promptly detected and punished.
Defaulters with few exceptions, APP
peare1 during disturbed conditions.
prior to the Inauguration of the civil
service law.
Second, nothing warranting the
statement that towns are in ruins,
lands are going out of cultivation. peo-
pie lilly fed, unable to get work and
country ruined agriculturally. Towns
in same state as before the insurrec-
ton, save few burned by Insurgents,
which have been rebuilt and re-occu-
pied. Towns generally populated as be-
fore. Sanitary conditions greatly i'm
proved, demand for labor GENERALLY
equal and in some cases exceeds sup
| ply ana at increasing wages.
Third, taxation is not oppressive.
Customs duties average about Is Ter
cent. aGvalOrem, as compared with p
per cent. under Spanish regime. Indus-
! trial taxes also less than Spanish
Receipts honestly applied for the ben
| eft of the people.
| Fourth, it is not true that whole dis
| tricts are in the hands of ladrones.
There is no disorder or disposition to
| violence among that class of people,
who are attending to their usual voca-
tions. Americans can and do go ev-
| erywhcre without danger or thought of
| it.
| These general statements as to
peace and order are intended to apply
| to all of the islands inhabitated by civ
| lliZcd FilipmoS, except the Island Of
| Samar. 1t has a population on the
| mountains of the interior, many of
whom have never seen n white man.
are semi-savage and have a weakness
for raiding towns along the coast. They
| are also religious fanatics, generally
directed by people claiming to be in
| N-nlnnr.. HE similar ha1f-M-ilJ
found scattered through the mountains
| of the archipelago and until their
country is opened up by roads and
turbanccs OF the character indicated
| may be expected.
| Fifth, statements that newspapers
are bought up or brow beaten into ST.
lcnce: that men of influence, who crit
| icise the commission are ostraciZcd:
] that an organs of expression of pub
| lie opinion controlled and that there is
10 free expression of the popular mind
are wholly unsupportable by facts 1t
is equally untrue that men in private
life are subjected to espionage, or that
detectives in the guise of servants are
employed.
"All these statements are the veriest
nonsense. without a scintilla Of fact to
support them. The only use to which
detectives are put is to ferret out GRIM
inals as is done by the United States
land the number of detectives employed
by the government, upon comparison
will be found to be fewer here i'm pro-
port ON to population than in New
| York.
Judge Parker has evidently been
grossly deceived.
lSigneD WRIGHT"