Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-08-15
RESUME By GOV. IDE
OF ISLAND ELECTIONS.
pines Explains Conditions There IN
IntervieM for the hrce press.

s.. Jc chnsbuty aug I4.-ET- Gov. Henry
G. 1de Of the Philippine islands Is passJ
ing ne month a his home IN this plac5
and bcinF most cordially greeted by his
friends. 4 representative Of the Fres
Press called on hin yesterday and IN
response 70 a request FOR an interview
upon the election in tho Philippines ha
gave ire following interesting resume OF
the situation.
"The fret election for the neruoers
of q General Assembly was hold on July
a. In all the civilized or Christ ian por-
vinces of the islands when 90 members
were chosen by AL qualified to vote. Theee
members viii ser-ve .or Two years and tho
assctnbl! meets annually IN a. ninety
davs' session, the first session opening.
on October 20. The reriS.ra tion through
on, tho islands was worry small For IN
stance, Of the 23o."oo Inhabitants in ire
city Of Manila only 7o46 registered and
without doubt the regis.ration in Manila
WIS far more comrlcte than N the pro-
v'nces. This Is easily accounted for when
one realizes that the Filipinos have never
known anything about voting o. govern
mental affairs by an actual participation
themselves They nave. therefore, had no
political affairs.
Tho present population Of the Islands
e 7,5ro O'o and before the American oc-
cupation only between nd 10 per cent.
OF the Inhabitants could read the
| Spanish language n 1902 the census
showed that the total circulation Of the
newspapers IN the native languages and
| dia' - vas only Bag copies The p,-ess
as in America was absolutely free, and
yet the census at that time showed that
there was but one publ >ation. daily,
weekly or monthly In any language IS
sued TO each 40 inhabitants. while II
the United States there IS an average o.
one copy for each inha bttant In 100
only one person out of every five owe,
10 years old could read or write. This
people in order 10 have any interest in
| politics must receive their knovledgs
| either through tire press or by tors
But the speakers reach only a few hun.
dred, eud hence It op+.4.d ,nat -.
great mass of the Filrr--os have neve,
been touched by any political agitatiur
either written or spoken. Hundreds o,
thousands had no real knowledge Of tho
situation or knew that an election wa.
! to occur.
AGITATORS ARE POLITICIANS.
Under these circumstances the peonp
who have taken interest in politics ar
| largely the aGirators ana the few thar cal.
! be reached by the press or public -,,eet.
| !ngs. The campaign rallies that were heli
were snally attended and only by those
most Interested, 1t thus happened that
the man most extreme in his da,7larat tion 4
and his fervtd patriotism. so-cAIled, got
the applause by playing T. the galleries
| The majority of The members
elected were elected on -he plat
form of immediate inderendenca
Their pla atforTn was expressed BY the Ma.
nila member. Dorinador Gomez. who sale
IN the campaign. 7 had rl;.cg live one
| hour in poverty and hunger with inde.
pendence than live a century IN the midS
| Of afluence and culture under the domit
nation of a foreign power Dr. Come
| IS a man of unsavory reputation and ont
| OF the two members from Manila in tht
| new assembly. though he may not get hi.
seat as II will be contested on the groun d
| Of fraud and electioneeriug at the polls on
| election day.
The new assembly has the same power
as the House Of Representatives IN tho
Uni ed States, while the commission haA
the same power as the American Senate.
It VIII undoubtedly appear later that
many OF tho men elected on the in
dependent platform viii prove to be CON
servacve and they will endeavor 10 have
the islands neutraN2e1 as was done in
Europe after the Franco Prusstan war
with Belgium tho Netherlands ard
Switzec nd.
"While II IS undoubtedly a disappoint-
ment THAI some blatant ag4tators Shouts
secure seats N the assembly, Vet the
result IS not a great surprise to thos h
familiar with the conditions IN the IS
lands Judging from what ! know Of tho
members elected l think the assembly
after some extreme resolutions upon the
subject of independence will settle down
| 10 business and undertake to legislate
for the best good Of the Islands as they
understand II There will he a great many
| conservative men IN the assembly and
| their knowledge Of local aafrirs will prove
most useful In legislator"