The sun., 1907-12-01
FILIPINO AMNESTY AT WORK
LIKELY TO HELP GREATLY IN
P.ACIFYING THE ISL INDS.

GOImltihnG FDttAcNi FOWers 10 lhe
PeOple-RadlcaIs Made conservative
Disorder Checketl-EaOstlIe Co Japan.
MANILA, Oct. l9-The Philippine As
sembly Ia an accomplished fact and the
most important sUep along the lines OF the
benevolent policy initiated by tho present
Secretary Of War more than six years ago
haa been taken by the national Government
for the benefit Of its Oriental possessions.
The policy which made the Philippine
Assembly a possibility was novel. and it
met at It's inception the determined oppo-
sition Of selfish interests and the open con-
domination OF ultraOonssrvatives.
The policy, new as il was did things.
however, and notwithstanding the prOphe-
cies 20 tho contrary, it charmed the rifle
out OF the hands Of the insurgenf and made
the one time rebel chief the pacific presi-
dent of a municipality or the staid governor
of a province. IL brought peace TO the
islands. In word. the policy Of attraction.
the policy Of giving TO the Filipino people
as large a measure Of local self-gOvernment
&c they might be capable Of exercising and
enjoying proved successful.
With this record OF achievement one would
think IL unnecessary to discuss lts efficiency
or 10 doubt its wisdom at this stage OF the
proceedings. Nevertheless the prophets Of
evil who predicted failure and disaster
at the cradle Of a new rule Of national con-
duct and responsibility are just as free
to-day in prognosticating that the Assembly
will be a calamity as they were six years
ago in prophesying that the concession of
civil government to the Philippines would
be a monumental madness.
AIkhOuvb civil csfab-
lshed ON the very heels of insurrection.
and while thousands of Filipinos were still
in armed resistance to the lawful authorities.
the political pessimists throw themselves into
spasms of apprehension over the Assembly
because loud mouthed agitators talk glibly
Of immediate independence and because a
political party with radical views has gained
a temporary triumph at the polls. IL may
be argued that if civil government. coupled
with the right to elect municipal and pro-
vincial officials. could be safely conceded
TO a people still clutChing the weapons Of
rebellion that same people, armed with
no deadlier weapon than tongues sharp
sned with the desire for office. might safely
risk be entrusted with the Assembly.
II. however. one may judge Of the future
by the past I think we may in a measure
depend upon il that tho Assembly will not
make too radical use Of its powers and
that whatever mistakes are made-and
there will be enough of them-wil be mis-
takes principally of the head and not of
the heart. Municipalities enjoyed the right
to elect local officials while the blood was
still warm with the renembrances of the |
yet only a small percentage Of |
those elected proved disloyai. Provinces !
received the right to elect their governors |
when services rendered to the insurgent |
cause we're the principal recommendation |
for the place. yet very few governors have |
proved faithless to the United States or |
made use OF their powers to encourage or
foment disorder. 1t Is ALSO worthy OF note
that in the elections Of 1908 out of thirty /
one governors twelve we're elected az Fed /
erals and nineteen as Radicals and that /
fiftoen OF these same governors are now 4
Progresistas, ten are Nationalsts. four are /
mot Independistael and one
IN Modernista. This is the political past.
and II any inference can be drawn from il 4
II is that the candidates for Office are us
1ally radical and the officehOlders are us
ually conservative.
That the Assembly, a majority OF which
was elected on a radical platform, will !
prove just an conservative as the governors
may be safely assumed. Hardly had the
result OF the elections been announced when
most OF the extremists began to back water,
some asserting that immediate independ-
enoe did not mean independence at once,
others declaring that IL would be unwise |
In any event to demand independence from
Congress. and dOubly so before the Assem-
bly, had demonstrated it's capacity to exer-
cise the powers conferred upon 1t. Still
others insisted that nothing should he
done by the Assembly touching the status
Of the Philippines further than to request
that the United States formally define it's |
final policy fo.' the islands
The situation is very simple when il il re-
membered that the insurrection against
spain came from the bottom. In 1899 the
katipunan. made up largely Of the poor
and uneducated. represented violence revo-
luton and the masses. while the Liga Fill
pima. composed OF the rich and the culti-
waited. was the accredited agent of peace.
evolution and the classes. These two
elements, socially and politically unsyTa-
pathetic, were Cemented together by the |
blood Of Rinal and presented to Spain and
the United States during the insurrections
known among FilipinOs. Defeat, however,
restored In some measure the original status,
and the upper classes, represented by the |
Federal party, once again became the adVo-
Gates Of peaceful evolution, while the ire
sponsible masses, conquered but not con-
vinoed. retained their radical views and
awaited a leader.
With the beginning Of the establishment
OF civil government a group OF prominent
which formed later an Organiza-
ton and became known as the Federal
party. rallied to the assistance OF the Gov
ernment. Many of these men, il may be
said, were at one time or another the most
active opponents of Spain and the most
promoters and leaders Of the
military and civil Filipino organization
which supported the insurrectiOn against
the United States These men, upon being
convinced OF the inevitable failure of the
and the overwhelming power
Of the United States, took OFF their coats and
hustled TO get into the American band !
wagon. They offered real cooperation !
with the new authorities and some OF them
assisted the commission in its Investigations
and accompanied that body when the
famous tour Of the archipelago was made
for the purpose Of establishing civil voy-
ernment in the provinces. Thus il was /
not unnatural that the Federal party. the
only organized body cooperating az a body.
should receive the principal plIms in the
way OF Government appointments. and
Federal recommendations were naturally |
Of strong influence. However, there were
not enough offices to go around and that
left a dsgruntled element within the party,
the strength Of which was increased bv
The gradual addition Of all those who were
tarCiV IN aha andOning eha ,nl /