The state herald., 1904-11-04

| space. will take some OF them sera
tim:
NO. /. The officials of the govern
ment are dishonest, corrupt and despotic
The islands seem to have succeeded IL
getting the very dregs OF our people
No government in the world has q
more intelligent. honest or industrious
corps of employees than is serving under
the Philippine commission, aud the as
sertion is an insult TO the families and
friends who remain in the United States
The records OF the Philippine govern,
ment to date will show degree of eff.
cheney. honesty and fidelity equal to the
executive and judicial branches of any
government in the world.
NO. .. 'Agriculturally the country
is for the time ruined. Land is going
out OF cultivation, the population is i'll
fed. and In some places unable to get
work
Prosperity Now ReIans.
Two years ago there was terrible
drought all over the Philippines and the
farmers lost their crops. Famine was
averted by an Appropriation from Con.
gress which was expended for rice aud
'sH'' i''hS NHtTe IL wal
needed among the people. But is 1t
honest for Judge Parker TO hold the gov
ernment responsible for an act of Provi-
dcncef Last year. however. prosperity
was restored and at the present date
there is no spot on earth where the agri-
cultural population is in better condi.
ticn than in the Philippine Islands. The
only difficulty is the lack OF labor. II is
impossible for farmers or other employ
ers TO obtain the help needed, although
wages are three, and In some cases four
times as high AS they were before Amer.
lean occupation. The people are clam.
oring for Chinese coolies. who are pro-
hibited from seeking employment in the
Philippine Islands under the same ex.
ciusion laws that prevail In the United
States.
mo. 3. The country Is overburdened
with taxation: disease Is prevalent and
the farm animals are dead
The rate OF taxation will average ~
per cent. lower than under Spanish
domination, but under American rule
taxes are collected from everybody i'm.
partially. Formerly those who had a
pull or were disposed to bribe the col.
l-ctors cvaded payment. while others
were compelled 10 pay the last penny.
The revenues. therefore. are three and
four times as large as they ever were.
Since the enforcement OF sanitary laws
and regulations, the construction OF sew.
ers and the purihcation OF the water
supply the death rate has been decrea se,l
30 per cent. IL Is true that more than
half the farm animals In the Philippines
died from the plague during the great
drought OF 1902, but il 1t honest for
Judge Parker to charge that calamity to
the administration
mo. 4. Whole districts are In the
hands OF ladrones.'
Ladrones p1termInsted,
"ladrones are highwaymen, freeboot.
ers. who live In gangs In the woods, raid
the settlements and blnckmail the plant.
ers. In Spanish times they used 10
flourish, but the vigorous and yIgilant
operations OF the native constnhulary
nav. practically extcrminated them, aud
the Philippine Islands are now As safe
as any part OF the United States.
NO. .. The price OF products Is
poor and unrcmuneratiy..'
Any person Interested In the details
on this point can obtain the quotations
on Philippin. staples. such as hemp.
tobacco. sugar, copra aud rice. from any
commission'house. wher. Judge Parker
could have secured accurate Information
u he had placed any value upon hi.
word. lie ought 10 know that prices OF
agricultural products are not fixed In
Mhnlla' but In the great markets Of the
world.
mo. q, ruhllc opinion has no fre.
erpression' newspapers are bough, up
or ARE brOwbeatcn into silence
The editors of the Manila American,
the Gable News. the Times. the Sunday
sun and others newspapers published
In Manila will smile when they read TINT.
They differ In opinion ns to the merit.
OF the men hni the wisdom of III. policy
Of the administration. Some of the
papers support u aud some oppose Il.
and the latter lamhaste the oif,clni. with
M energy that is unrqualei IN any other
editorial room In the world. Before
Judge Parker made such a prrposterou.
assertion he should hay. examined q alc
Of the Manila Times or tho Sunday sun.
The editors OF those papers have good
ground for libel suit against him.
Rare c..r ~ seo,.i ,spey.
'The criticisms Of the administration
which appear daily In the Manila papers,
often bitter and violent. are almost with.
out exception basel upon ita libcrall,y
toward the natives; for doing exactly
what Judge Parker says II has not done,
for giving the filiplnos too much .eit.
government. for promising them inde.
p.nd-nce aud for appointing 50 many
natives To once. Every governor OF
every province. every mayor Of every
town except Msnila, nnd almost every
pfn'lnrinal and municipal oficial ,. a
| II only had one sack Of corn, said
he 10 bis wife. ! could do my plant.