El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-01-27

a
NJ want to tell you Of Uncle sam
work in the Philippine islands
We have had possession Of them fol
over u years and it is high time we
were taking account OF STOCK and know
ng what has been done They are, as
you know, under the war department
and the bureau OF insular AFFAIRS Is w
constant communication with them "
travelling officials and by letters and
cablegrams, so that the exact slLuaLlOH
can be at any time known nave
spent this week talking with Gen
Clarence Edwards, the head OF that ou-
reau, and in looking over the 1spoI =
which have recently come. L nave as as
seen many Of the officers who are Just
back from there and as result can
give you Up to date news
The Philippines in 1917.
Most of us know mighty little OF the
Philippines We think that they are a
lot OF tropical Islands on the other SIDE
OF the Pacific. We have heard that the
archipelago bumps its head against the
Island OF FormOsas which now Deiohg
to the japanese, and that il Kicks us
feet about 1900 miles farther sout-
against the Island Of BoFneO, pos
session OF the Dutch ana the British
We have heard that China is on the
west and Hawaii somewhere out IN the
Pacific on the east, but just how DIG
the islands are and what they contain
is q problem. That L shall leave 1of
geography. viii only say that tAe
archipelagO. including the water win
IN II would cover about One-tOurth OF
the United States proper II IL coula Oe
dropped down upon it. that II comprises
something like 5000 volcanic mountain =
Gus islands, and that from east 20 Wssl
it is greater than the distance ION ION
Boston to Pittsburgs and from nor IN
tn eorrt6 aho77t q e long as from Pnlladel
phia to Omaha
The islands altogether have as much
land as New England Luzon IS olSBer
than Ohio; AIindoro and Negros are
each as large as Delaware; Mlndaneo
would more than cover Fennss ~ ANA
and Samar is the size Of Connecticut
The Islands contain, according TO our
own last census, something like S,UVO'-
600 peOple. OF these, 1000 900 are saw
age or seuf-civilized, believing In splr-
its and witches or in the prophet NO
manned, and the other 100000 are
Christians with the same God as our
own That was what We got Tor the
S20.0OO,O 600 we paid for the archipelago
at the close OF our war with SPAIN
Establishing = Government
Yes. We got that and moreI We got
one Of the biggest civilizing jobs OF all
times The people had been mlsgoV-
ernsd for centuries justice was ooushl
and sold and bribery and graft relgned
supreme Eighty percent OF the people
were ignorant and all lacked Ia1lh IN
their rulers. Taxation was heavy, eX-
tortion was common. and none had any
rights which the rulers were bound 70
respect There were practically no pup
lie improvements The roads were I'M
passable for greater part Of the year
schools were almost unknown ana ef-
cry locality had its brigands and ban
dts. In addition was the chaos caused
by the war, and out OF the whole IN
Gle sam had not only to create a gov
eminent OF the people and for the peo-
PIE, but to start the wheels OF our
modern civilization
It is this work he is doing I trav-
eied about the Islands IN 1899, When
we were about taking charge The
army was then establishing the gov
ernments of the towns As soon as
was conquered the Off
GERS called the people together ana
had them elect town council ana
MAYOR. They organized municipalities
Of that kind throughout the archlpelago
allowing each town to govern itself, and
from that they have gone on until the
PhfIippfnes are now practically self
governed, not only as to the municipal
flies but as TO the provinces and as
one great island whole
This has been done with our national
at the back as adviser ana
director. Uncle Sam still controls the
machinery. and he viii continue TO do
30 Notwithstanding the cry OF the Fiji
ofno agitators for independence Presi-
Gent Taft. Gen. Edwards and our other
officials who know the philippines best
realize that TO allow free hand IN the
present condition would result in an
srchv and chaos. Ii will be long be-
tore the islands can be absolutely Ireei
and their future seems to be bound Up
with ours
Nevertheless the whole country has
peIaro has been divided into 80 prov
noes. Seven OF these are inhabited by
he Foros and the uon-Christian tribes,
and in these there are governors ap-
1oiT ted by the governor general at Ma
ria. who is at the head Of the Philip
Dine commission. The other 81 prov
noes practically govern themselves
Each Province chooses Its own off
sials IT has a governor, secretary g
prosecuting attorney and other OFFICERS
lected by the people and consequently
natives. Each has also q treasurer ap-
,osnted bv the governor general. and
his last an American Of known hon
ssty and skilled in accounts.
Every municipality has its presidents,
vice presfdente and city council There
are 700 towns which have that kind OF
government The council Is an hon
49, Dosftfon. and its members serve
'or the prominence which II gives them
and for the love Of the town The
axes collected in the towns are spent
~ the towns and the insular govern
ment gets its support from Indirect
.axes. Every town has its body Of po-
ice. which keeps order in Il, and this
Ia addition TO the Filipino constabu-
arv. which maintains order in the rural
districts throughout the islands
The Philippine LeEtslature.
The Philippines, IN short, are rapidly
coming to have government like ours !
They have this town government
where the officers and police are elect
ed by the people. They have the pro-
7incfal government which Is like that
1f our states, and they have what
nisht~be called q semi-natiOnal gov
srnmeat. the president of which is the
governor general appointed by the
5reSident Of the United States He must
Be an American, and in addition there
re seven commissioners TO advise BIN.
~ these three are Americans and four
are Fflfpinos This is the executive
branch on the government.
The laws are now made by congress
consisting Of this commission and the
Filipino assembly. The assembly is
elected by the people. It first met In
1907 and II has held a number OF ses-
sions since then. Tt contains so mem
ha-p -rr r~fTfufrnz and O. elected from