The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1908-09-23
Iaft's Philippine Government
By S. E. DeRackin.

! been expended upon highways in any
direction from Manila it would have
opened up a vast and productive terri
| tory teeming with population" de-
nOunce Taft's Indifference to the fact
| that millions of productive acres are
lying idle due to the bad condition of
roads," denounce Taft for his insolence
and discourtesy in informing all who
did not like the way he was running
the Islands that there was nothing to
prevent them from leaving" and in
conclusion, say: "The government here
should in some measure be responsible
to the people here, and until such is
the case the situation will grow stead
lily worse, rather than better, and re-
main a scandal to the people of the
United States
Convention Resolutions.
THE policy of the government has
been characterized by the most waste
full and extravagant expenditure of
public funds; by the employment at
high salaries of incapable and incom-
petent officials whose only qualifica-
tons have been their utilization with
the republican party or their personal
|
Gals; by the corruption of the judi
ciary; and by the passage of careless
and ridiculous legislative measures
which have impoverished the country
and utterly ruined our prestige in the
eyes of the Filipino people. "-Extract
from resolutions passed by Cebu dem
ocrats, March II. 1908, but which were
suppressed by the Manila democratic
convention of April 4, and dominated
by democrats employed by the Taft
regime.
Whereas. no parallel for incompe-
tency and disregard of the rights and
interests of the people governed exists
in American history comparable with
the government of the Philippine ISL
ands under Tafts administration dur
ing the past eight years, the near
est approach thereto being the carpet
bag government of the southern states
at the close Of the civil war;
Therefore, be it resolved, that the
democratic convention here assembled
demands a just, humane, helpful, and
inexpensive government for the Filipi-
no people which will insure the great
est good to the greatest number, in
stead of an expensive and snowy gov
eminent for American carpetba ggerS,
or that the Filipino Islands be sur
rendered to the native people with the
least practicable delay to the end that
the prostitution of American institu-
lions may be brought to an end."-Ex-
tract from resolutions of Mindanao
democratic convention of March II,
1908. which refused to participate in
N in ha1 n
Manila April 4, 1908.
Newspaper Comment.
The United States has gained moth
ing in prestige by the manner in which
the government has been administered
here; blunder followed blunder with
such unceasing regularity that we be-
came accustomed to expect nothing
else, yet when the opportunity offered
we find the representatives of one of
the great political parties endorsing
the acts of the master blunderers and
supporting his candidacy for the pres
idency of the United States.-Cebu
Courier, March IA, 1908.
Too Costly a Government Re-
trenchment in governmental expendi
lures here in the Philippines is abso
lutely necessary. A country with only
thirty million pesos ($15,000, 000.-Ed.)
in circulation and an annual tax budg
ct of thirty million is bound to become
a ruinous proposition in a short time.
The people are overtaxed and have not
the wherewith to buy even the necessi
ties of life. The country is on the
verge of a financial panic and many
hitherto solid business houses are
struggling in the death grip to main
tain their existence. Where does the
fault lie? 1t lies with the Philippine
commission who continue to make the
poor struggling Filipinos pay for
maintaining government at least four