New-York tribune., 1913-09-22
PHILIPPINE SLAVERY
REPORTS ATTACKED
Representative Jones Calls
Dean Worcester Worst
Enemy of Natives.
HINTS AT SENSATIONS
Predicts Exposures Will Be
Made of Extravaganza
of Insular Gov
ernment.
[From The Tribune Bureau

[From The Tribune Bureau
Washington. Sept 2l.-Attacking th'
good faith of Dean c. Worcester, unit
recently Secretary OF the Interior Of the
Philippines. and challenging the charge:
that wholesale slavery exists in the Phil
ippines. as alleged by both Mr.. Worces
ter and wv. II. Phipps, insular auditor
in elaborate reports. Representative VIII
lam A. Jones, of Virginia, author of the
bill to give the Filipinos Immediate In
dependence. gave out a lengthy state
ment to-day, in which he predicts revela'
tions which will "shock and startle" the
American people.
Representative Jones. who is chairman
OF the House COMMITTEES on Insular AZ
fairs speaks about the wasteful. if not
criminal, extravaganza and the malad
mnistration of the Philippine govern
ment." and hints that "the time is not
far distant" when the facts will be LAID
before the public.
The Worcester report is characterized
by Representative Jones as IAN utterly
unauthorized and voluntary statement or
the part OF man quite generally re-
plnos." II is admitted by Mr.. Jones that
slavery and poygamy both exist 10
certain degree among the Mahometar
inhabitants OF the islands OF Jolo and
Mindanao; but I'm the main he vigorously
denies the allegations Of the Worcester
report
The statement OF Representative Jones
is as follows:
Il have not rSd this Phipps statement
but I understand II is reproduction ol
the slavery and peonage charges con
tained In the Worcester report. winch
should not be regarded as official, notwitn'
standing that the cost OF its publication
was charged to the Filipino people.
"Fiipinos' Worst Enemy"
ut was an utterly unauthorized and
voluntary statement on the part OF q
man quite generally regarded as the
worst enemy OF the Filipinos.
1T is believed by those thoroughly IA
mlliar with the situation In the Phil'p-
pines that more cases Of slavery and
peonage. in proportion 10 population can
be found In the United States than
Phpps and Worcester have been able "a
discover in the civilized portions Of the
Philippine Islands Everybody in the
Philippines understands the animus OF
Commissioner Worcester.
1T is fact that cannot be gainsald
that the laws against slavery and peon-
age In the Philippines are more drastic
than those OF almost any state OF our
Union. including the District Of Column
bia. II II be true that slavery actually
exists there. Il is an eternal reproach and
shame to Governor Forbes. Commissioner
Worcester and their American associates
on the Philippine commission
Because the native Assembly refused
10 admit that the laws OF the Philippines
were not sufficient 10 punish slavery by
enacting legislation framed by Worcester
he is taking this means OF slanderine
those poor people, with a view Of course
10 creating sentiment In the United
States adverse to their independence
81 understand he has been employed by
a society incorporated under the laws OF
Delaware for the exploitation of the
Philippines. and he probably is now on
his way 10 the United States 10 deliver
lectures. In which he will depict the poor
Filipinos as savaGes utterly unfit 10 gov
ern themselves.
III the laws I'm the islands are not ade-
quate 10 punish those engaged in the al
legged practice OF human slavery the fault
does not lie at the doors OF the native
Assembly. as the deposed and to-be de-
posed American officials OF the Philip
pines would have the public here believe
Up TO some time in 1907 the Philippine
commission. of which Forbes and Wor-
cester are members. was the sole legis-
lative body In the islands. and II will
scarcely be- contended that after ell these
years OF so-called benefcent American
rule slavery exists TO greater degree
than 1t did during the years OF American
occupation prior 10 1907.
More than this. the commission now
has and always has had. exclusive leGis-
,lative jurisdiction over the non-Christian
and non-civilized tribes. including the
Moros.
Admits Slavery Exists.
Nobody denies that slavery and polyg-
amy both exist 20 a certain degree among
the Mahometan inhabitants Of the Islands
OF Jolo and Mindanao. which have prac-
tically been under the control Of Worccs-
ter for years. and 1t cannot be denied
that no great effort has been made 10
eradicate either evil. Indeed, II is well
known that the government has shut its