The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-12-08

DdSL year LHTOIGliDGl Tic IllIDGiaEo
excent in the province of Cayite. the
province of Batangas. and the province
of Samar. and in the island OF Joio
among the Mofoso. The Jo1o disturb
ance was put an end to by several sharp
n the short ENGAGEMENTS. n
now peace revaiI in the Moro prov
ince. Cavite. the mother OF ladrones
in the Spanish times. is SO Dermeated
with the traditional gymapthy of the
Ipeople for ladronism as to make it diff
Ificult to stamp out the disease. Batan-
gas was onIv disturbed by reason of
the fugitive ladrones from Cavite. Sa-
mar was thrown int disturbance by
the uneducated and partly savage peo-
pies living In the mountains.
having been given by the municipal
code more power than they We're able
to exercise discreetly. elected munich
nal officers who abused their trusts
Icompelled the people raising hemp TO
sell it at a much less price than it was
worth. n by their abuses drove their
people into resistance to constituted
AUTHORITY. Cavite and Samar are in
l~stances of reposing too much conf
dence in the self-governine power of q
people. The disturbances have all nov
been suppressed. and it is hoped that
with these lessons local governments
can be formed which will secure quiet
and peace to the deserving inhabitants.
The incident is another proof of the
fact that if there has been any error
as regards giving self-government i'm
the Philippines it has been in the d.
~rection Of giving it too quickly. not too
SLOWLY. \ wear from next April the
first legislative assembly for the islands
will be held. On the sanity and self
restraint of this body much will de-
pend so far as the future Self-goyern-
ment of the islands is concerned.
The most encouraging feature of the
whole situation has been the very
great interest taken by the common
people in education and the great in
crease in the number of enrolled stu
dents in the public schools. The in
i~cre7se was from 600. 900 to half a mil
lion r"Dils. The average attendance
IS about 70 ner cent. The only limit
'"0n tn numEer Of pupils seems to be
ith" """~"'tv of the government to fur
in:eh t-2~hers and schoolhouses.
tn" agricultural conditions Of the
4i";Hnde enforce more strongly than
lever the argument in favor of reduc-
iinG the tariff on the products of the
rhjlipp;nn Islands enterine the United
states. 7 earnestly recommend that
the tariff now supposed by the Dingley
bill unon tho products of the Philip
.pinc Islands he entirely removed. ex-
l"eUt the tariff on sugar and tobacco.
and that that tariff be reduced to %
per cent of the present rates under the
Dinglev Act: that after Julv L. 1909.
the tariff upon tobacco and sugar DrO-
duced in the Philippine Stands be en-
tire]v removed and that free trade
between the islands and the United
IStaaos in the products of each country
then be- provided for by law.
\ statute N force. enacted April Is.
1908 suspends the operation of the
:coastwise laws Of the United States
"n0n the trade between the Philippin"
Islands and the United states until
.Julv 1. 1905. ~Tearnestlv recommend
that this suspension he postponed until
July I. 1909. 7 hin it of doubtful
utility to apply the c~oastwise laws to
the trade between the United States
and the Philippines under any circum-
stances. because I am convinced that
it will do no good whatever to Ameri-
lean bottoms. and will onlv interfere
land be an obstacle to the trade be-
tween the Philippines inc the United
States: but if the coastwise law must
he thus applied. certainly it ought not
to have effect until free trade is enjoy
ind between the DeODle Of the United
Estates and the DeOn1e of the Philip
mine Islands in their respective pro-
iducts.
I do not anticipate that free trade
between the islands n the United
Estates will produce n revolution in the
iSuoar and tobacco production of the
iPhiliDDine Islands. SO primitive are
the methods of agriculture in the Phil
j%ippines Islands so slow is caDital in
going to the islands. so many difficult
ties surround q LARGE agricultural en-
~tenriso in the islands that it will be
lmanv. mapv wears before the products
lof those islands will have any effect
wv n n fnyor ,1nnn tho m rLofS of the
united States. The problem of labor is
jalso a formidable n with the sugar
and tobacco producers in the islands.
THE best friends of the Filipino people
and the peOnle themselves are utterly
iOppOsed to the admission OF Chinese
lcoolie labor. Hence the only solution
is the training of Filipino labor. and
this will take a long time. The enact
lment of a law by the Congress of the
IUnited States making provision for
free trade between the islands and
the United States. however. will be Of
jgreat Importance from a political n
sentimental standpoint: and while its
lactual benefit has doubtless been eX-
Iaggerated by the people of the islands.
they will accept this measur of Justice
las an indication that the people Of the
UNITED States are anxious - aid the
lpeoDle of the Philippine Islands in ev-
erv way. and especially in the agricul-
ltural DEVELOPMENT Of their Archipela-
go. It will aid the Filioinos without
ijniuring interests in America,
Hawaii.
In nv Judgment immediate steps
|should be taken for the f~ortification
of Hawaii. This is the most important
point in the Pacific to fortifv 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
%Ienacted settling aside for a period of,
lsay, twenty years IS per cen of the in
Iternal revenue and customs receipts
from Hawaii as a special fund to be
Expended in the islands for educational
land public buildings. and for harbor
improvements and military and naval
idefenses. 1t car not be too often re-
lpeated that our aim must be to devel-
Top the Territory of Hawaii on tradi-
ItionaI American lines. That Territory
has serious commercial and industrial
problems to reckon with: but no meas
lure of relief can be considered which