The Washington times., 1911-02-18

were to have been administered by him
for the benefit of the Inhabitants (inean-
Ing citizens of the islands,"
| Ihc history of the Worcester libel
suit" as recounted by Mr.. Ralston,
Is another page from the brief that rs
particularly strenuous in condemnation
OF the Secretary Of the Interior Mr..
Raiston recital Of that incident Is as
| Our review of the record, necessarily
brief. considering the Importance of its
subject, would be incomplete without
express reference to an instance of
tactlessness and official indiscretion
| which, were further proof necessary,
retary Worcester for the delicate and
well-nigh impossible task set before
him, that of governing, in defiance of
al! American ideas of home rule and
self government, an alien race, an in
stance which shows that, however good
a zoologtst man may be, he may lack
an intelligent comprehension of the hu-
man race.
THE judges of the Philippine Islands
(save those of the supreme court) are
named gy the governor general with the
advice and consent Of the commission.
Such judges hold office during the
pleasure of the commission. Secretary
Worcester, conceiving himself libeled
induced or permitted the public prose-
cutor to bring a criminal libel case
against the supposed authors, under
which they were sentenced to six and
eight months In the penitentiary. Not
content with this, and, perhaps, like
John Gilpin, possessing a frugal mind,
he brought a suit for damages, which
in the Philippines. like the criminal case,
was tried without a jury, and recovered
a Judgment of $4,000.
Verdict From Judge He Created.
THE man who would seek to recover
damages for injured reputation before
a judge whom he helped to create, and
can help to destroy, when such Judge
must himself determine the measure Of
recovery without the Intervention Of a
jury, Is not such a man as can safely
control the liberties of a people"
A large part of the brief is devoted
to charges that the commission vio-
lated the act of Congress by allowing
American sugar interests, presumably
the Sugar trust" to acquire large
establishing the Philippine government
provided that public lands" OF agr!-
cultural character should be sold or
leased TO citizens of said islands in
tracts Of not more than forty acres 10
individuals and $500 acres to corpora
tions. The act also defines specifically
who are such Citizens" declaring them
TO be those persons who were inhab-
ltantS OF the ISLANDS April II, 1888, and
their descendants
Mr. Ralston's contention is that the
commission has violated the law in SELL |
ing and leasing lands to Americans and
others not citizens" that it violated |
the law in this respect when it sold |
lands to its own members, and that IL |
violated the law in another respect by |
selling and leasing land in tracts greater |
than provided by act of Congress. A |
portion Of the brief describing one deal |
with the sugar interests follows:
Certain peculiarly and we'll Informed |
sugar interests in this country deter |
mined, far in advance of Congressional |
action, as to the admission of sugar
from the islands, and, evidently in a /
position to read the future with marvel /
Gus accuracy. to invest largely in Phil
ippine lands, and these interests
thought it advisable to purchase public |
lands.
Though Congress had. as we have
stated, limited possible sales to Fill
pino citizens and Filipino corporations,
the Commission, with lofty disregard OF |
a legislative body 1000 miles away, had |
made law unto itself permitting sales
TO American corporations, and thus it
came TO pass that when the San Mateo
Company. the San Carlos
Agricultural A Company and the San
FTansisco Agricultural Company, all |
California corporations, presented |
themselves through E. L. Poole, the
lNillhOH agent OF the American sugar
interests. he was heartily welcomed,
taken on a government steamer to Min
doro, shown the fatness of the land and
given patents for his principals.
Patrimony for Aliens.
Thus it was that 1900 acres of Fill
pino public lands. their heritage as the
Filipinos vainly thought, passed into
the possession Of small group Of Am
orleans who will give Filipinos leave to
oil for aliens on the lands Of their faith
ers. This land, capable OF supporting,
rs Filipino farms so, near 1000 persons,
$ made the patrimony of a few persons,
oreign to the workers"
Further discussion Of the sugar in
erests' activities in the Philippines
brings in the friar land question. about
which the whole investigation started &
I will be remembered that the friar I
ands were acquired by purchase. The 6
iCt of Congress authorizing their pur-
hase provided that they become part