Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-01
AMERICA i'm THE PHILIPPINES
V-UPLIFTTNG THE FILIPINO
BY Frederic j. HaSkin

disregarded. country filled with
cholera, bubonic plague, smallpox, beri-
,beri and other diseases of like CHAR
acter. The plague has been eliminated,
the endemic cholera is now quickly
stamped out whenever it appears, and
beri-beri is almost a thing of the past.
The bureau of health works constant
ly to prevent epidemic diseases and is
educating the people to take precau-
ticns. The bureau of science Is study
ing tropical diseases, and has not only
worked wonders in improving the ami
NAL and vegetable health of the ISL
ands, but has brought the medical pro-
fession Of the world to a better under
standing of the problems of tropical
diseases.
America found the prisons conducted
like the prisons of the middle ages,
heartless crueltles being inflicted upon
the unfortunates who were cast into
jail, regardless of the nature Of their
crime or the hope of reformation. The
prisons have been converted into re-
formatory institutions, and every pris-
oner Is given the opportunity to fit
himself for rejoining society as an hon.
est man. A penal colony on an island
paradise Is governed by the prisoners
themselves under republican forms.
America found the mountains inhab-
tied by wild tribes who knew nothing
of civilization, and which were con-
stantly at deadly war with each other,
seeking heads of the enemy as tro-
phles. The Americans have reached out
among these people. have persuaded
them to cease their warlike habits
have stopped their practice of head
hunting, and are bringing. the wild
tribes into touch with the civilization
of their Christian brothers Of the low
lands.
America found a civil service system
which was entirely controlled by favor
itism and in which offices were almost
openly bought and sold. officers OF
the civil government were expected to
add to their meager salaries by graft,
and the expectation was always real
lied. Graft was universal and uncon-
demned. The gret majority of the peo-
pie had no conception of the possibility
of honest administration. The Ameri-
cans put grafters and defaulters into
Jail, and, wonder of wonders to the
Filipinos the American CRATER went to
prison just as quickly as the native
defaulter.
America found a judiciary system
sadly In need of reform. Litigation
was protracted, expensive and uncer
tain. A man accused of crime need not
be confronted by the witness against
him, and he had no compulsory right
to subpoena witnesses in his own be-
half. He was railroaded to prison
without anything approaching tho
American understanding of a fair
trial. The Americans have established
new judicial system, from the justice
of the peace to the supreme court, al
though they have maintained in force
the Spanish or Roman system OF law.
The trial courts are presided over by
A nj 4.,du alI
are of the highest integrity. Appeals
to the higher courts are a matter OF
right, and the old summary injustice is
thing of the past.
America found a taxation system
which laid all the burden on the very
poor. Persons of property or wealth
were required to contribute little or
nothing to the support of the govern
ment and all taxes were wrung from
the poverty-stricken by cruel methods.
The Americans established a system
of taxation which secured the necessary
revenues by a levy upon the people in
proportion to their ability to pay. The
taxes are almost as high as during the
Spanish regime, but the burden Is more
equally distributed and the expendi-
lures OF revenue are of vastly more
benefit to the people at large.
America found a people which nat
urally divided itself into two classes.
the aristocrats who looked upon work
as degrading, and the masses who
worked only enough to supply them
selves with the most meager necessi-
tlese. The Americans have been en-
deavoring to teach the Filipinos of
high and low degree that honest labor
is not disgraceful. To some extent
this effort has been successful. The
Americans have taught the people to
want more things. and they must work
more to have them But ten years is
too short a time to make over the hab-
its of a race which has run in the
same groove for ages.
America found the Philippines eleven
years ago. The accomplishments OF
that brief period are wonderful-yet
the march of progress there is consid-
cred as hardly we'll under way Moth
ing in the whole history of the United
States is more significant than what 1t
has done for the Philippines and the
Filipinos.
TomOrrow-America In the Philippines; II
Manila, an American City.