Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1905-12-22

plants to make regarding existing
political conditions. From my observa.
lions md inquiry, | should say that the
PHILIPPINES are an interesting people and
capable OF much development. Ia
children learn English with great facil.
ity, and there scams to be a general
desire among all classes for education.
tie hight echouis being crowded by
those who are coupled during the lay.
Tho population IL about ! 100000. The
number of children q! school age Il tO
l5J is over 100000, Of whom about one
sixth are enrolled. | WIS told that
there was much ua-crncss tO attend the
schools, but that iu-ullicicmcy of funds
prevented the increase OF the enroll
mcut.
Va listened to the Filipino leaders
at ]banquels and public meetings. They
mad. as II rule, pleasing voices, II Il
vibrant tone that appealed to the emo
tiuus, and | hn ce no doubt that they
wouId be very potent i'll Influencing the
masses OF their people. They carried
themselves with dignity and s~rlt-con-
troll. They Bhowci much familiarity
with orr struggle for Independence.
But it WIS not apparent that they had
much conception of the Individual
rights and the fundamental Liberties
which independence should st cure. II
is impossible that they could have. The
educated class, constitutes "a very small
percentage of the population. Most q!
them had been trained Under the Span
ish government of dI-hOuc-ty and graft.
IN which almost every oliirial WAS the
"prrossor, certainly not the servant o!
the people. and under which the peas
ante, constituting about ninety per cent
OF the population, were exploited by the
official and Influential classes, both
Spanish and %Eilipiuos. These peas
ants ARE said to be patient. submissive,
easily influenced and easily led. Urdcr
the influence Of their lenders. the
patient agricultural peasants % today
become the lHdroucs Of the fnnntichl
pulijnnes or the patriotic lusurrcctos,
or all combined. Of tomorrow. They
llsANN 'tth tNNlHSAFlIlN'a ~ NlIt DA4tIAhI
system, represented 10y rulers such as
sultaus, dHto4 and c~aciqucs, hcadmen
who direct the energies Of their people,
and to whose will the peasant class is
subject.
That the peasants also de.Irc indie.
pcndcucc cannot be doubtcd. They
would prefer to he led and governed by
their own leaders. even though the lat
ter have III yirw their industrial sub
lection. | am satisfied from what |
have seen and heard i'll the Philippines,
that the re- can be no permanent fnr"di-
ness between the Filipinos and the
Americans. Tho Filipino people, Us
II rule, wish IA national life, oven though
most of them nave no real conception OF
what liberty means.
The Islands were not quiet. \. long
and expensive campaign had beer
wagcd in Cuvitc against the ladrouca
ncccssitatinR martial law and the re-.
coEccntraticn Of the n]ativc-, vino were
disposci to shelter and protect them.
SuInar had been III confusion as the
result Of the outbreak a! The pulijan-s
or "rcd brrcchcs." the mountain people
OF that island, in IN iusurrcctiouary
movement, half religions and funatical.
and half protest against the native Of.
i%icIals, who, though elected under
American administration, thought their
cx,ortion aud oppression. All these
movements taxed Ia the full the
strength OF the scouts and the con-
stabulGry forces
In contrast with tho beautiful appear.
ancc Of the islands was tho dulotul story
~ the people. Added to the ravagcs Of
the civil WI with spain, and OF our war
OF, conquest, were the disastcrs caused
10y cholera. rindcrpCst, surrH, the loCusts
and typhuons. Tho agricultural deprnss-
ion WIS great. TIA" sugar plantations
were without modern machinery and
modern mcthods, and it was impossible
to borrow money for their renovation.
And yet, Notwithstanding these unt0wari
conditions, the apparent contradiction
0f nm increase in wages also existed, and
u N'S a'lI'l ! ~ I''''l'IH wv bsI'"
cultural purposes. THIS wag accounted
for by the statement that the movements
Of the military forces and the public
works had Withdrawn the lnborcrs from
tho farms, ~lmdisposItion to york wns
nIzo complained Of. The iucrcgFc III
wages enabled the natives io secure
by ono dn!'s labor what used to require
two. Tho result was that tho Iaborcr,
having earned in one or iwu days enough
To secure a weeks supply at rice, would
lie of until tho pressure 81 hunger again
drove him to work
Give Your Stomach Rest.