Omaha daily bee., 1907-12-22
sSAFT ON PHILIPPINES
Archipelago is Most Tranquil in Its
Entire History.
GENERAL PEACE PREVAILS
Agriculture is Not Hindered by Fear
of Predatory Bands.
SCHOOLS MAY SOLVE PROBLEMS
People Can Be Educated for Self
Government in One Generation.
HOME RULE IN MUNICIPALITIES
He says Much Progress Has Been
Made and that Critics should RE-
member Conditions in cities
in United states.
People Can Be Educated for Self
Government in One Generation.
IoME RULE IN MUNICIPALITIES

WASHINGTON. Dec A.--As soon as he
has disposed of the vast amount of depart
mental business which has accumulated |
during his long absence secretary Taft will
begin the preparation of an extended re-
port of his observations In the Philippines.
In an interview tonight, Mr.. Taft discussed
at much length the situation in the islands, |
from both a political and material View |
point and expressed himself as highly graf
flied with the progress that had been made
in all lines.
The whole situation" he said briefly
may be summed up in this way; peace pre-
walls throughout the Philippines today In
a greater degree than ever in their history,
either under Spanish or American rule.
Agriculture is nowhere now impeded by
fear on the part OF the farmers of preda-
tory bands. Under the policy inaugurated
by President Mckinley In reference to the
establishment of a temporary government
in the Philippines a community consisting
of 100000 people inhabiting 800 different
islands, many Of whom were in open re-
belion against the government of the
United States for four years, with all the
disturbances following from robbery and
predatory bands which broke out from time
to time due to local causes have been
brought to a state of profound peace and
IIdnQulIllN III WHICH lDe DeOpl6 DIS Il WIOlt
are supporting the government. This is a
real peace comprising all the word
implies. This is the first and probably the
most important accomplishment of the
United States in the Philippines.
Education win solve situation.
From an educational standpoint condl-
tions support our policy in the islands and
those who share in our hopes for the flu
tt.ro in ctata nf futaI
age ripe to receive modern western con-
ceptions of religion and politics, as they
shall be educated to understand them. This
is the reason why believe that the whole
Christian Filipino people are capable, by
training and experience. OF becoming a
self-governing people. The common Fill
pino agricultural laborer sends his children
to school to learn English. There is no
real difference between the educated and
the ignora Il Filipino that cannot be over
come by the education of one generation"
when do you think the people win be
sufficiently well educated to enable them
to govern themselves?" the secretary was
asked.
THE Philippine government has not funds
enough to educate in primary and industrial
schools all the present generation OF school
age" he replied, "and unless some other
means are found It will take more than a
generation to complete the primary and in
dustrial education OF the common people
Until that is done, we ought not to lift our
guiding hand from the islands The total
enrolment in the schools for the year, not
including the Moro provinces, where the
schools are conducted under a separate
system, was only few thousand under
$4,000. For school purposes and new build
ings. this year the central government has
appropriated S,5Oo,OOO pesos. The mainte-
nance of primary schools, imposed by law
upon the municipalities, involves an expend-
lture of nearly 100000 pesos annually.
Local seIf-GOvernment.
II might refer to certain admitted short
comings in the conduct of municipal af-
fairs in the Philippines, which. however,
| should not have the effect of discouraging
those who are interested in the success OF
! the experiment. To effect these il might be
! remarked that even in the United States
municipal government has not been a shin
| ing success l do not hesitate to say that
autonomous municipal governments are
making good progress and are gradually
accomplishing the purposes for which they
| We're created. We are in this uuandary
| when we, who are responsible for the
policy of autonomy in municipal and pro-
Vincial governments, assert that II is pro-
| crossing satisfactorily we ind our words
! are apt to be misconstrued by enthusi-
| astic theorists who \are convinced off hand
! OF the complete fitness of the Filipinos to
| govern themselves, and fully establish
| ing the correctness of their views On
| the other hand, when the defects in such
Local governments are pointed out the cry
| is raised by pessimsts and adherents of
the English crown colony system that this
is an admission of failure as well as a con-
| cession that we have gone too far in en-
trusting local governmental power to the
Fflipinos. The truth, as 1t is conceived
by me, lies between the two extreme po-
stions. The result indicates neither that
/ the Filipinos fitted at once for COM
plete self-government nor does Il Justify
! the view that they may not be made ulti-
mately capable OF complete self-govern-
ment by gradual extension Of partial
self-government as they may become more
and more fit to exercise It,"
Not Ready for Jury System.
Mr.. Taft was asked IL I'm his opinion
| the people were it for the introduction of
| the jury system and could they safely be
permitted to bear arms.
mo, to both questions" he said There
are among the people those prone to vio-
lence and who with the use of arms would
at once resort to ladronism or robbery. as
a means of livelihood The temptation
would be too great
Before Jurors can sit impartlally be-
| tween society and the prisoner at the bar
/ the community must become sufficiently
] imbued with the sense of responsibility for
| the government and with its identification
/ with the government Without this re-
spOnsbhity and Identification jurors are
/ certain always to favor the prisoner and TO
sympathize In the prosecution against him