The Lamar register., 1905-10-04
THE PHILIPPINES.
AS SEEN LAY MEMBERS OF THE
TAFT PARTY. ~
REPORT AT SAN FRANCISCO
All Agree That Fiioinos Are Not Vet
Fitted for Independence = Great
Possibilities 1n Seiis3nd Location
Education PRINCIPAL Need.

Wednesday have summarized their i'm
pressions as follows:
Congressman cooper of Wisconsin.
chairman of tho House committee on
tinsular affairs, saidi-
4 "One effect of the trip will be, in
large measure, to take the}question Of
immediate Philippine independence
out of politics. Personal, stuay of the
situation has, ~ think, convinced the
member Of our party, Democrats and
Republicans. that the inhabitants OF
the Philippine islands are not now cap.
able Of free selfgoyernment. This CON
clusioh is admitted TO he true by edu-
Gated conservative Filipinos them
I selves. q
| "The United States has done many
noble, wonderful things in the islands
but its most glorious work is the es-
tablishment there of a splendid sys-
TEN of American common schools.
These schools steadily increasing in
mum ber,s attended now by 375,000 chill
drcn out of an enrolment of more than
100000, will, more than any other in
| fiuence. help to abolish the multitude
of dialects and tongues and regenerate
the people of the Philippines" ~ 81,
Congressman Foss. chairman of the
said:
''Imade this journey largely for the
I purpose of making a stuuy OF questions
coming within the scope of the com
mittee OF which | am chairman. ~
Congressman Hepburn, chairman OF
the House committee on foreign and
interstate commerce, said: ~
H.. fei In h0 vy a
disappointment to me in two respects. :.
was agreeably disappointed. TO find
that my idea of the extent and value
! of the islands as productive territory
/ was far below the truth, | regard Lu-
zon as the finest and most productive
| island in the large group that extends
from Japan southward along the ASH
attic coast. Twas lsappointed ip that
the people of the Philippines have not
proved the equals in labor and skill of
| their neighbors and have not taken
from the soil the riches that nature
has planted. Fiipinos need education
and physical deyelopment.' 'and they
must be taught The dignity of laber.
The United States has much to do in
these islands
Congressman Charles F. Scott. OF
Kansas said:
1T was Il surprise TO most of us to
learn that only nine per cent. of the
tillable land is under cultivation and
that vast areas of the most fertile soil
in the world is yet untouched. The de-,
velopment OF this. fruitful land. the
opening of the great deposits of coal.
Iron and other minerals, ana the sutili
ration of the 1000. 0.o0e. .acres of hard
wood forests offers a rich field foI-'the
investment OF American capital and for
enterprise. --... '., i..is
with. Se resources properly devel-
oped, the Philippines will support 4D.-
0D0 1000 PEOPLE as easily ,as they now
maintains, 900. 900. They are the rich
est group of tropical islands IL The
world and the time wifi come when.
the United States will. count them
among its proudest posse
Senator Patterson of Colorado:
Sc" rhe-Ihilippines, the more you know
OF them. the more serious appears the
problem. | am convinced that in their
government we are getting farther and
farther away from Secretary's' Taft's
. patriotic and humane policy-the. Phil
ippines for the Filipinos and ultimate
independence. The gulf between the
| native and the American is widening.
My VISIT TO China has convinced me
mores than ever of the wisdom and ne
.cessity of Chinese exclusion. believe
| the boycolf will soon be over. bat in
any event American methods, .fpd civ
( ilization is Of greater moment thss
Chinese commerce. 'N--
| Japan won me .'fromsthe fl ST. An
I admirabie.pe ople in many ways. The
/ disgust after the treaty was an or
ganized effort to prevent the Emperor
from ratifying It, Japan is the most
4 fsr dol 49, I
| States and England Will have for the
| commerce of Asia, and in a few years,
il they. hold fheir own against Japan
Many economic and industrial
changes must take place."
Secretary Taft said of the conditions
in the archipelago: s..,....N.
The POLITICAL situation. in some re-
1 spects was not as good as 1t ought to
/ be- wave of ladronism has swept
over the province of Cavite, and it has
been. foupl necessary. TO suspend the
win. Ct habeas corpus in that province
and Ba'angas, 'the neiehboring prov.
ince. The same was tue of Samar,
but the use of troops in Samar and the
use OF scouts and constab abulary in Cis
yite had -puh. an end.to This business:
however. there were two or three men
Irresponsible for the keeping up of la
] tloulSllls VINO Hdu iOt. DttH cdptnTeu.
rSome OF the younger men of educa-
tion haze been advocating immediats
independ' nee. II !. therefore becomes
ne cessall' to state with considerable
emphasis The policy of the administra-
tiun OH this subject. and to say that
in the opinion of the. administra tion
there was no possible hope for inde-
pendence short of a generation. be-
! cause'tse people could not be fitted for
self government in that Iime: indeed,
ii will probably take "A hhuch longer
period, "a. a r.
while the conditions in the Philip,
pines we're not as favorable as we
: wAlIti lflse to have them. and probably
will not be favorable until the depres-
sing conditions shall he 'fdfb~fd by "a
f'pfospcrous season, still. progress is be.
slipg made. The government is more
efficient; inemcNnt, men are being
eliminated and things are settling 10
business. Economy is being practiced
more and .insse in the government. Fill
I. ipinos are being introduced very rap
idly to lake the places sfsAmericans
fl'an'l' oh'the whole. io iee5tins back over
Il, two. .yssS decided steps forward have
Z ha.sr l,.TNt