The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1908-05-21

The present is always prophetic of
the future, and while the Philippine
assembly, which is nearing the end of
its first session, is still too young and
its history too brief to permit definite
conclusion being drawn concerning It's
future. still the personalities and i'm
pulses which has directed the present
session and the exposition of men and
measures, as expressed in actual leg
islative work, make interesting study
and point more or less accurately to
the possibilities OF the future.
The actions of most legislative
bodies are circumscribed and directed
through parties; and while the Philip
pine assembly is not an exception to
this general rule, 1t has so far pre-.
sented some notifications of II. Al
though the campaign for election of
delegates was conducted in party
names, and the members took their
seats as representatives of these par
ties, there was little real political CO
hesion among the various groups at
the time the assembly convened. Five
so-called parties secured representa-
ton: The Nacionalista, with 32 seats;
the Independent, with 20 seats; the
Progresista, with 16 seats the Imme
diatista, with seven seats. and the In
dependista, with four seats. There is,
in addition, member who avowedly
represents the interest of the Roman
Catholic church, and while he may be
classed as Nacionalista, he disclaims
any direct party afliliation.
OF the so-called parties mentioned,
only three represented political views
| definite enough to permit clear dis
tinction among them. The Immedia-
tista and Independista parties are
ionalista party. These groups were
held together by common expressed
desire for complete severance from
the United States. The Progresista,
while regarding independence as a
goal in the distance, does not favor
present agitation TO attain it. The
strong Independent group is composed
commit themselves on this PROPOSE
tion. So only two parties had ex-
| pressed prediction convictions suf-
ficiently tangible to present positive
policy: The Nacionalista and Pro
gresista; and the ideals which these
represented may be cogently ex-
pressed by the customary appella-
tions of Radical and Conservative.
The various Nacionalista groups COM
bined had a majority of seats, but by
n very narrow margin, which gave the
Independent group virtual balance
of power.
While the hand of the commission.
wherein a majority are Americans,
was not openly visible in the election
of Osmena, there is no doubt that 1t
contributed it's influence to the result,
which made it possible for the two
branches of the legislature to COM
mence their joint labors harmoniously.
The session was not very old before
Il became evident that party lines, as
they had been drawn In the elsction
campaign, were resting very lightly
upon the shoulders of the delegates.
Independence had been a good cam
paign slogan, but responsibility was
bringing the members face TO face
with practical political matters which
required action that must, If possible,
stand the test of criticism. Then there
is no doubt that the body as a whole
felt that 1t is in a sense on trial, and
that any excess would promptly react
upon 1t. Mr.. Tafts words of warning
were fresh in mind Speaker Osmena
was elected as a Nacionalista, but his
course so far reveals him to be as con.
servative in practice as the most pro-
nounced Progresista; and the same is
true of other Nacionalistas. A sense
of its own dignity is growing upon the
assembly, which opefates to check
rash actions. Then there Is no doubt
that 1t has its political ear to the
ground, and is acutely sensitive to the
external factors which affect it.
The direct external influence, aside
from congress, is the commission
The American commissioners exercise
executive functions apart from their
legislative duties; In fact, the commits.
sion embraces all the executive au-
thority of the insular government,
which is now concentrated in the
hands of the five American members.
So the commission holds a double
check upon the assembly.
Eighty-six bills have so far been in
troduced. and of these only two have
passed. and both have become laws by
the assent OF the commission. The
first bill passed by the assembly was
to appropriate 100000 pesos for the
erection of barrio schools; the second