Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-18
IN POLITICS
Filipinos Take to the Game
With Avidity.
SEEKING TO LEAR N
TOO SOON TO PRONOUNCE ON
THEIR ATTEMPs TO GOVERN.
A Larger Reliance Upon Cooperation
Of the Natives Urged and a Fuller
Occupation Of the Civil Service.

In the preceding. articles OF this series,
written In connection with the visit of the
Taft party to the Philippines this past
summer, insistence has been laid upon the
fact that the deficiencies in the present sit
uation in those islands which most urgently
cry for remedy are economic in character
Furthermore, 1t has been insisted that, in so
far as the Filipinos have legitimate political
grievances, the remedy for the ills to which
these point lies primarily and fundamental
ly in the social development of the Filipi-
nos themselves, OF the mass of the people
and not of few. Some of those who con-
ceive that we are going at the whole mat
ter wrong headedly are apparently ready to
proclaim mere American utopianism tibet
supposition that there can be any impor-
tant degree of social progress among the
Filipinos Our grant of a considerable meas
ure of local self-goyernment to the Filipinos,
which o. certain element in the United states
regards as merely a niggardly denial OF the
full measure of self-government that the
Filipinos ought to have In central as Wen
as local affairs these other critics de-
nounce as very unwise and as weak way
of meeting the situation
Test of Local Government.
Here does, In fact. lie the crux of the
whole philippine question" as It has COM
The future government and fate of the
Philippines rest in large part upon the sue
cess or failure of the local governments as
thus far constituted And 1T is too early as
yet to predicate either the one thing or the
other from them An advocate might make
out his case either for the certainty of fall
ure or for the extension yet more rapidly of
political privileges to the Ftlipinos by one
sided presentation of the results thus far
obtained in Filipino local self-government
since 1901. The men, Americans that is, who
know most about the facts are indeed rath-
er too close to the workings of this expert
ment to permit of their judgments being al
together safe as yet, and they themselves
are divided in opinion, where they are will
ing to express an opinion. The element of
intelligent radicals along the Filipinos.
while pressing constantly for the extension
to their people Of still greater participation
in government, are themselves the chief
critics among their people of the workings
of the present local governmentS-in part
quite humanity enough, because they are
most commonly the outs"
Largely through ignorance and failure
in the past to consider themselves as of
the class which formed the local political
aristocracy, some of the older Flipinos who
might be qualified to vote through the pos
session of property have not In some dis
tricts enrolled themselves voters; in
some towns, indeed. there has been evident
at times disposition to undervalue the
holdings of real property with a view to les
SEEMING the land tax, and thus to sacrifice
the privilege of voting.
Actively Interested in Politics.
Generally speaking, however, the reverse
has been the rule throughout the archf-
pelago, and 1t may be said that the Fill
pinos have displayed quite active in
terest in politics. though the humber sort
of new voters are commonly at the dicta-
ton Of one or other of the factions of
traditional 'caciques or bosses in the
towns. There has been, certainly, on the
part of this latter class of manipulators, no
backwardness in taking to the game of
politics" However they may have frac-
tured the election law, in serious as well
as in minor respects. they have certainly
shown that the term practical politics"
need no longer be alien to the Philippines.
Executive Secretary Arthur w. Fergus
son, a man with broad and humorour out
look on Philippine affairs as well life
in general, must be suspected of wearing
a dry smile when he o. k. d the suggestion
of provincial governor that the provincial
and municipal government codes be taught
in the schools "a thing already begun with
the Endorsement that the plan would be
productive of far more beneficial and i'm
mediate results if the municipal authorities
could be induced or required to attend the
classes engaged in the study of the two
codes"
His office was deluged with queries, some
of the most simple nature and indicating
that the law had not been read and digest
ed in advance of the municipal election of
1904, the second general election in Philip
pine municipalities, well as in connection
with the second elections of provincial
governors in conventions of the municipal
councillors of the provinces.
Election Contests.
OF the numerous election contests In
municipalities brought before the provincial
boards sixty-four cases were appealed to the
office of the civil governor. However, fifteen
of the thirty-four Christian provinces dis
tinguished themselves by having no pro-
testedt elections Over 200 opinions and rul-
ings in regard to elections were rendered
by the attorney general and the executive
bureau within the few months preceding
and succeeding the elections (held In 7CS
municipalities and thirty-four provinces.)
Provincial elections were held in thirty
two provinces, the state of affairs in Samar
and Isabella being such that the governor
general postponed elections therein. The
result of the balloing for provincial gov
ernors was: Incumbent reelected in seven
teen provinces, acting governors tappointed
after suspension of GOVERNOR IN two ana
new governors elected In thirteen In
twenty-one of the provinces but one ballot
had to be cast, showing the efficiency, as
a rule, of the candidates preliminary or
panizatfon Thirteen of these elections
were protested and six of the contestants
were eventually seated by the governor
general. The comments Of Executive Sec
rotary Ferguson are interesting:
.aThe law requires that every councillor.
to be eligible to such an Office. must know
how to write, and yet from at least two
provinces came the question whether coun-
eilors who could not write could vote at
the election for provincial governor. Obvi-
ously, ineligible men had been elected al
councillors.
Another governor wished to know what
ought to be done In order to avoid greater
transportation expenses for councillors and
vice presidents of towns. when no candidate
for governor received q majority OF the
votes. evidently believing that should the