Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-12-05

abused their trusts, compelled the peo-
pie raising hemp to sell it at mucn
less price than it was worth and by
their abuses drove their people into
resistance to constituted authority. Ca
vite and Samar are instances of repos-
ing too much confidence in the self
governing power of people. The dis
turbances have all now been suppress
ed. and il is hoped that with these les
sons local governments can be formed
which will secure quiet and peace to
the deserving inhabitants. The Incl
dent is another proof of the fact that
if there has been any error as regards
giving self government in the Philip
pines it has been in the direction of
giving it too quickly, not too slowly.
a year from next April the first legis-
! lative assembly for the islands Will be
held. On the sanity and self restraint
Of this body much will depend so far
as the future self government of the
islands is concerned.
The most encoura ging feature of the
whole situation has been the very great
| interest taken by the common people
in education and the great increase in
the number of enrolled students in the
public schools. The increase was from
| 100000 To half a million pupils. The
| average attendance is about 40 per
cent. The only limit upon the number
| of pupils seems to be the capacity of
the government to furnish teachers and
| schoolhouses.
Wants Philippine Tariff Revised.
Tho 1Tyria lt1lraI of tho is
lands enforce more strongly than ever
the argument in favor of reducing the
tariff ON the products of the Philippine
Islands entering the United States. L
| earnestly recommend that the tariff
now imposed by the Dingley bill upon
the products of the Philippine Islands
be entirely removed, except the tariff
| on sugar and tobacco, and that that
| tariff be reduced to % per cent of the
| present rates under the Dingley act;
that after July l. 1909, the tariff upon
tobacco and sugar produced i'll the
| Philippine Islands be entirely removed
and that free trade between the islands
| and the United States in the products
| of each country then be provided for
by law.
1
| 1904. Suspends the operation of the
| coastwise laws of the United States
upon the trade between the Philippine
Islands and the United States until
July 1. 1906. l earnestly recommend
that this suspension be postponed until
| July L. 1909. / think il of doubtful
utility 10 apply the coastwise laws TO
the trade between the United States
| and the Philippines under any circun-
| stances, because l am convinced that
| it will do no good whatever to Ameri-
can bottoms and will only interfere
and be an obstacle to the trade be-
tween the Philippines and the United
| States; but if the coastwise law must
be thus applied, certainly it ought not
| TO have effect until free trade is en-
| joyed between the people of the United
States and the people of the Philippine
Islands III their respective products.
| No Peril to Home Industries.
L do not anticipate that free trade
| between the islands and the United
States will produce revolution in the
sugar and tobacco production of the
Philippine Islands. So primitive are
the methods of agriculture in the Phil
ippine Islands, so slow is capital i'll go
ing to the islands, so many difficulties
surround a large agricultural enter
prise in the islands. that it viii be
many. many years before the products
of those islands will have any effect
whatever upon the markets of the
United States. The problem of labor
is also formidable one with the sugar
and tobacco producers in the islands
The best friends of the Filipino people
and the people themselves are utterly
opposed to the admission of Chinese
cody labor; hence the only solution is
the training of Filipino labor, and thi:
will take a long time. The enactment
of law by the congress Of the United
States making provision for free trade
between the islands and the United
States, however, will he of great impOr
lance from q political and sentimental
standpoint, and, while its actual bene
fit has doubtless been exaggerated by
the people of the islands. they will &C
cept this measure Of justice as an indi
cation that the people of the United
States are anxious to aid the people OF
the Philippine Islands in every way
and especially in the agricultural de
velopment of their archipelago. 1t vii
aid the Filipinos without injuring in
terests in America.
Hawaii.
In my Judgment, immediate step:
should he taken for the fertilization oil
Hawaii This is the most important
! point in the Pacific to fortify in order
to conserve the interests of this coun
try. 1t would be hard to Overstate the
; importance of this need. Hawaii is too
. heavily taxed. Laws should be enact
ed setting aside for a period of. say
twenty years 80 per cent of the interna
revenue and customs receipts from Ha
wall as a special fund to be expended
in the islands for educational and pub
,ic buildings and for harbor improve
ments and military and naval defenses
1t cannot he too often repeated tina
2 our aim must he to develop the terri