The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-11-18
CONDITION IN THE
PHILIPPINES.

During the campaign it was stated
that Judge Parker's statements of
facts with reference to conditions in
the Philippines was based upon first
hand information furnished him bv
Prof Fl. Parker Willis. The Republi-
can papers repeatedly said no credence
should be given to the statements of
Mr.. Willis, of whom they protested
to know nothing. Writing of Mr..
Willis, the Charlotte News says
Few better men than Prof. Willis
could have been selected for the
purpose of getting at the truth about
the conditions now existing in our
Oriental dependencies. 1t was the
editors privilege to be closely asso-
ciated with him for some years at
one of the Virginia Universities. He
is man of clear, brilliant intellect,
tireless energy with "a perfect passion
for going to the very bottom of every
thing he undertakes to investigate
He is scholar and a student of social
problems. not a politician or mere
paid advocate of either Republican
or Democratic doctrines Therefore
we are convinced that his report con-
tains the truth as he has found it
question
gard to his ability as an observer of
existing social conditions
According to Prof Willis the noted
alien and sedition laws would be well
coined to the illegal and high-handed
suppression of opinion that prevails
in that American province, for he
says:
1T has become unsafe for private
persons to attend social gatherings
or express political opinions in their
own homes. Expressions by letter
are equally dangerous, owing to the
searching of the mails. In the
recently concluded O'Bricn libel case
the two defendants. who conduct
newspaper in MAMMA, were sent to
prison on the ground that they had
published the report of some court
proceedings containing statements un-
favorable to the defendant, who hap
pened to be a member of the commits
sion. 1t was admitted that the report
was correct; but the technical point
was made that the headlines did not
accurately describe the substance of
the article.
We are told by this honest investii-
gator that exports are decreasing, the
population of Manila is becoming
smaller, that Americans are abandon
ing the country because business is not
satisfactory, and that the cost of gov
eminent is from three to five times as
high as it was under the regime of
the Spaniards He says newspaper
criticism is stifed by the constabu-
larity and the application of libel
laws. He denounces the judicial adj
ministration, because the judges
know little American and no Spanish
law and, being ignorant of the Span
ish language, they are dependent upon
incompetent and corrupt interpreters.
He charges that the commission fire.
quently directs judge what verdict
he shall render, and are hostile to
those judges who are not subservient.
He asserts that the constabulary are
the mere agents of tyranny.
This is no time to discuss the Phil
ippine question. and we present this
evidence as information and not ats
the basis for argument. We are now
in period of exploitation and eX-
pansion and speculative fever The
majority of the voters seem salts
fed. if their bellies are full and they
have a chance TO exploit the Fill
pinos, TO permit trial by jury, free
dom of speech, freedom of the press,
and other blessings of liberty to be
trampled under foot. That is a tenn
porary condition and Will pass away
when the present unhealthy fever has
run it's course. Then the Filipinos
will be given he same treatment that
Cubans received and the United States
will return to the traditions and prin-
ciplcs of the fathers. Until then
why the trusts will run everything in
America and its colonies until monop-
olists own all the franchises in the
Philippine Islands.