Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-10-24
parker LIES NAILED
Governor Luke Wright of the
Philippines Submits a State
ment of Facts
REPLY TO PARkER's STATEMENT
Democratic Candidates Dismal Pic
ture of Conditions in the Islands is
Shown to Have Been Painted From
Imagination and Had No Basis in
Fact.

Fact.
cable dispatches from Secretary OF
War Taft to Governor Wright OF the
Philippine Islands and from the gov
ernor to the secretary in reply thereto
were made public at the war depart
ment yesterday:
October 20, 1904.-To Mr.. Wright,
Manila: The democratic candidate for
president on the fifteenth of the pres
ent month in a public address said:
But two classes Of our people can hope
to be benefited by our holding the
hunting for special government privi-
leges and the class which seeks to
make of office holding a means Of live
Ehood. The latter class in the Philip
pines comprises some officials of whom
student of conditions there recently
said: "Of the character of many in
office too little cannot be said. AT the
best they have been inefficient; at the
worst, dishonest, corrupt, and despot-
ic. The islands seem to have succeed,
ed in getting the very dregs OF our peo-
ple''
"He also said: The situation in the
Philippines today is so terrible that 1t
passes the comprehension OF our peo-
pie at home. Agriculturally the coun-
try for the time is ruined. Land is
going out of cultivation; the popula-
ton is ill fed and in some places unable
to get work. The country is overbur-
dened with taxation; disease is preva-
lent; the farm animals dead; the towns
In many places in ruins, whole districts
in the hands of ladrones, the price of
products poor and unremunerative.
Public opinion has no free expression;
newspapers are bought up or are
browbeaten into silence; men of in
fluence who criticize the commission
are ostracized; the plays produced in
the theaters are censored; there is
not an organ of expression Of the pop
Illar voice that is not controlled. In
private life, men are subject to a
complete, far-reaching, thorough sys-
tenn Of espionage. Detectives appear in
the guise Of servants and the oath of
single one is enough to destroy a mans
reputation, property, or even life it
self
..Your comment as civil governor
UNION this statement of conditions in
The islands is requested. . (Signed)
TAFT"
Governor Wright's Answer.
The reply of Governor Wright was
II OF SHo
yesterday October 23) and was as
follows:
Misunderstanding Of War, Wash
lngton: With reference to your tele-
gram Of goth, quoting recent utterances
of Judge Parker upon administration
and conditions here, and requesting
statements Of facts relating thereto,
report as follows:
"First. The statement that any con-
siderable number of officials have
proved corrupt, inefficient or despotfc
does great 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 department.
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.
Total defaults since July, 1901, begin
ming civil government, s7S,559. No ul-
Innate loss. Government protected by
Insurance. We have comprehensive
civil service law, rigidly enforced, I'M
der which antecedents and qualificat-
dons of employees are scrutiniZed. Com
plants Of oppressive acts exceptional
and promptly investigated and correct
Cd. Relations between the American
officials and Filipinos as a rule cordial.
Second. Nothing warranting the
statement that towns are in ruin, lands
are going out of cultivation, people
i'll fed, unable to get work. and coun-
try ruined agriculturally. Towns in
same state as before instruction, save
few burned by insurgents. which have
been rebuilt and are populated as be
fore. Sanitary conditions greatly inn
proved. In 1901 and 1902 epidemfcs
of surra and rinderpest destroyed pro-
badly 70 per cent Of animals used in
agriculture. causing reduced area OF
cultivated land and considerable dis
tress, which commission relieved by
inaugurating public work thru aid gem
SlOuoiJ S<AsSAoSSA Ny SOll62 Vs. LIoSS
succeeded by innoculation in checking
rinderpest. Those localities most SER
iously affected have drawn from those
where disease did not prevail, and this, |
together with animals imported and |
natural increase. has caused steady in |
crease, so that at present there are |
under cultivation nearly all land here |
tofore cultivated.
Third. Taxation is not oppressive. |
Customs duties average about 1s per |
cent ad valorem as compared with % |
per cent under Spanish regime. In |
dustrial taxes are also less than Span
ish. Receipts are honestly applied for
the benefit Of the people.
Fourth. 1t is not true that there
are whole districts in the hands Of the |
dadrones. There have been occasional
Instances during the last year of de-
predations of ladrones who find con-
cealment in remote mountain fastness-
es and raid isolated settlements of ma
tives and steal their carabaos. They |
have been relentlessly pursued by the !
constabulatory. AS a result of this |
policy. ladronism is no longer operat-