Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1904-11-03

are on the pay rolls and il is the opin-
ion of the newspapers of Manila, both
Democratic ard Republican, and of every
foreigner, European and American, that
our little brown brother already has
about as much independence and self
government as he can stand. 1t is a
little provoking for Judge Taft and his
successors to he condemned in this coun-
try for giving the natives too small
share in the government and in the
Philippines for giving them too much.
NO. e. Plays produced in the theaters
are censored
There is no censorship whatever in
the Philippine Islands, and there has
been none since civil government was
established. Somebody has evidently
been telling Judge Parker about the sup
preston of play based upon incidents
in the instruction, in which the Uni
ted States flag was pulled down by the
actors in n very dramatic manner, torn
into pieces and trampled upon. The play
was presented but once. If the police
had not prohibited second production,
the theater and the actors would have
been torn in pieces by mob of indig-
nant soldiers and citizens who had or
ganized for that purpose To satisfy
public clamor, Senior Tolentino, the
author. was arrested. He was released
under bonds, but jumped his bail and ran
away. He afterward fell in with ldcarte,
the supreme chief of the National Demo
cratic Republic of the Philippine Is
lands and prepared his proclamations
and conducted his correspondence, for
Ricarte cannot read or write. Both of
these gentlemen are now i'll the peni-
tertiary.
Trials Are Fair.
mo. s. Detectives appear in the guise
of servants, and the oath of single
one is enough to destroy a mans repu-
tation, property, liberty or even life it.
SELF
when left Manila last summer
there had been four trials for sedition
since the establishment of the civil gov
erpment, the latest in which DR.. Gomez,
editor Of native newspaper, was de-
PENDANT having lasted four months, and
he was acquitted upon technicalities; 166
| people had been convicted of what may
be termed political offenses, including
| the deluded victims of the Hong Kong
| junta and other reasonable organiza-
| tons, and thirty-three persons had suf-
| fered the capital penalty. each case hav-
| ing been carefully reviewed by the Su-
! prcme Court. Their crimes were muir
der. arson, rape and highway robbery.
| There are two detective organizations
one CONNECTED with the city police,
which works within the municipal limits.
| The other. connected with the constabu-
| larry, works in the rural districts. Amer
! lean. Spanish and native detectives are
| employed. Their methods are exactly
! the same and the weight of their tcsti-
mony in court is similar to that of the
| police of New York or any other city.
Bishop Brent of the Episcopal church,
| in an interview with me published last
June, said: Manila is comparatively free
| from crime, disorder and drunkenness.
! Few cities of the size are so we'll govern
ed or are so free from saloons or vicious
classes. There is a surprisingly small
amount of crime and vice
Extraordinary Statement.
"No. 8. Judge Parker himself declares
that the islands remain to-day utterly
untouched for any good that the United
| States might have done for them.
This is q most extraordinary state
ment for an American citizen 10 make.
1t can only be accounted for by ignor-
|
Parker see no good in the establishment
of 4,00O schools and the education of
more than 100000 children? Does he
realize the value Of the puplc improve
ments that have been made, the new
| harbors at Manila, which have cost
/ $2,G96,311 to date, and $674, 536 at Iloilo
and Cebu; the widened streets, the pave
ments, the parks, the sewers, the new
water systems, the public highways that
| have been extended and improved at a
cost of $4,000; the 1,200 school houses
that have been built, and the various
other Improvements upon which millions
of dollars have been expended. not from
the treasury Of the United States, but
from the local treasures OF the islands
1t would require page in newspaper
to tell what has been done in the way of
public utilities alone by the American
government.
| Self-SupportinG.
"And, finally, the Democratic candi-
date for the Presidency asks: Are the
Philippine Islands u self-supporting com
munity|
He confesses his ignorance upon this
point in almost the same breath that he
declares them fit for independence and
self-government. If Judge Parker had
made any preparation for his speech, if
he had taken the trouble to inform him
| self upon the most important conditions,
he would have known that the customs
revenues alone during the last three or
four years have been seventeen, eighteen
and nineteen million dollars a year, an
increase from three, four or five millions