The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-01-28

4 d . Nv. d . g 70
Court OF the Philippine Islands is equal |
to the courts of any State of curl
Union. This Is In ability and honesty.
doubt whether the same could 10
said Of the provincial courts. 1t isl
difficult to get good juages. Tho old
spanish Judiciary was corrupt, and thn
American Judges did not understand
the Languages or dialects. They were
not familiar with the local laws Onl
the other hama, the Filipino juuge6I
We're not familiar with our ideas of
equity. There was n dlstrust on tho
part of thc.pGople and the government.
am tod that this has passed away
and that the F,illninos are attaining
high rank as judges. Out OF twenty
nino judgcships. fifteen are he'd by
Americans and fourteen by I'il,pinos.
The laws arefenforced by the police.
and the papers of the justices and the
courts are serNtd BY them. There Is
now police force In every town, and
this Is so even ofvthc coIony of lepcrs,
which shas its4own government. For
some years after we took hold of the
isiands the policing was done by our
, army, There were briga..ds every
where. and almost every bamboo clrmp
hid a banoit. The towns had TO be
protected from invasion, and every
pubic road was guarded by soldiers.
AS II is now, tho provinces and munic-
Qualities protect themselves with their
own police and the aid OF the constab-
ularS.
When | visited Bilibid it was dirty
and hlthy. The prisoners are now
made to keep clean, and everything Is
spotless. There is no waste or litter.
, The mon are on their good conduct,
and they may rise from class TO class
q Ia htat toe. a
cent. of the prisoners arc in the first
class.
The prisoners are well fed and they
! aeenl to be contcnted. They are taught
trades of all kinds, and they do excel
| lent work. There Is carriage and
wagon department, which makes wheels
(which are sent broadcast over the
islands There are also silver-malting
+, shops, weaving rooms and departments
/, where they make hats and bnske.s.
| Some OF the prisoners arc carpenters,
/ some polisners and painters. There Is
also tailor's shop and large print
ing establishment. Theirs ls nnrexeou-
ton yard. where the murdorers are
| hanged, The garrote has disappeared.
Our Penal Colony. at Iwnhis.
One OF tho most remarkable OF all
| prisons is the penal colony at Iwnhig,
made up of life prisoners, murderers
and others who have been sent there
as reward for good conduct Mt Billbid.
| This Is on little Island adjoining Pal
| avian. 1t consists of reservation Of
lao square miles, occupied by prisoners
who are engaged IN manufacturing and
I,farTnIng. These conviots govern tnem-
| selves. The only Americans connected
| with them nre their superintendent, e..
| III. Lamb, and an agricultural expert,
brought In to teach them to farm, They
elect their own officers and mako thclr
own laws. They have jury trials, in
which the vote OF the majority convicts
although the superintendent has tho
right of veto Such OF the convicts as
J break the laws may BIO flloBged or gent
4 back to Billbid The convlcts cun
| marry If they wish, and They may
bring their wives and families to live
with them. There are now forty-two
women In tho colony, and six marriages
have occurred this past year,
Uncle Sans Police Force,
| But | want to tell you something
about this constabulary, as tho gov
eminent police force Is called 1t Is
the development and Improvement OF
the old guardla cvile Of the Spanish.
] 1t now consists of about 5000 men,
| who arc scattered all over the ISLANDS,
acting as advisers and aids to the local
police. az the protectors of the roads
and as the guards of the wild men,
There is a detachment OF this police
| In or near every tribe, and Its officer
lis a part Of the community where 1t is
Stationed He guards 1t from thieves.
He Is evsr on the lookout for disease.
and he hunts UP the stolen animals
and quarantlnes the sick ones.
The constabulary has completely
/ wiped out brlgandage. The records
show It has captured 1900 bandits and
killed more than 1000. It has retaken
about 10000 stolen animals and re-
turned them to their. owners.
] This government force consiats
largely OF nativee. being made up nf
lighting men from all parts Of the
i Philippine 1slands, some of the men
are Moros, GONE JIgorrotes, soma
l,yiaayans and GONE Maccabeebes and
/ others, AL have been trained by the
soldiers, and we have q training school
Mt Baguio. where they are instructed.
i They mako excellent fighters, and are
lsproud of their positiona
4 ~ rho III form OF sha rrixans.$