The Washington herald., 1913-09-22
PHIPPS REPORT
due TO POLITICS
CoNTHUED FROM PAGE ONE.

for fear that they will by themselves
be unable 20 master the problem OF sus-
tanning themselves without the protection
and guidance of an employer or master.
L.gisInfion Not Enferced.
II is claimed by officers Of the Bureau
Of Insular Affairs of the War Depart
n,eut that the legislation in the islands
Is adequate to put stop to actual
slavery. but that its enforcement is most
dificult in view Of the circuitous meth
DDS used in the traffic IN members OF
the unciviiized tribes. As was shown
in the Phipps report. in every known
case of a NegritO boy or girl being sold,
the victim passed through several hands
before being delivered to the ultimate
purchaser. and usually the transaction
then took the form of a baptism and
adoption in the family OF a pretense of
taking pity on . poor orphan child,
alone in the world The Phipps report
gives instances of attempts made by
American officials TO break up the prac-
tice IN their district by prosecutions This
was most difficult, however. because Of
the obstacles placed in the way Of get
ting evidence
Such consideration Of the situation is
not, however. that given 10 il BY the
members Of the school laboring for i'm
mediate independence. This IL shown by
the Jones statement which is a 5 follows:
i have not read the Phipps statement,
but I understand il is reproduction OF
the slavery and peonags charges con-
tanned in the Worcester report which
should not be regarded as official, not
wiIhsta .IdiEg that the cost of its publi-
cation was charged to- the Filipino people
II was an utterly unauthorized and vol
untary statement upon the part of
man quite generally regarded as the
worst enemy OF the FflIpinos.
1T is believed by those thoroughly
familiar with the situation IN the Philip
pines that more cases OF slavery and
peouagc, in proportion 10 the population.
can be found IN the United States than
Phipps nd Worcester have been able to
discover in the civilized portions of the
Philippine Islands. Everybody in the
Philippines understands the animus OF
Commissioner Worcester.
1t is d fact that cannot he Sainsaid
that the laws against slavery and peo-
mage in the Philippines are more drastic
than those Of almost any State OF our
Union. including the District of Columbia.
If il he true that slavery actually eN-
lists there il is an eternal reproaCh and
shame TO GOV. Forbes. Commissioner
Worcester. and their American associates
on the Philippine Commission.
"BeC4use the native assembly refused
10 admit the laws Of the Philippines were
not suHi"ent to punish slavery by enact
ing legislation framed by Worcester he
IL taking this means Of SlandeTing those
poor people with 4 view. of course. to
creating sentiment in the United States
adverse TO their indePe ndencc
i understand he has h, en- employed
by q society incorporated under the laws
Of Delaware for the exploitation of thu
Philippines and he probably now Is on
his way TO the United states to deliver
lectures in which he will depict the poor
Filipinos as savages utterly unit 10 gov
ern Themselves.
Natives Are BIameIeSS.
If the laws in the islands are not
\sdequste to punish those engaged IN the
Nleced practice Of human slavery. the
( NpIt does not lie at the door of the
we assembly. the dsposed and to
opposed American officials in the Phil
AcS.ies would have the public here be-
=. Up to some time in 1907 the Philip
- tCommission. of which Forbes and
kester are members was the sole
slatiyC hody in the islands. and ii
freely will be contended that after all
these years Of so-Called benefcent Ameri-
can rule slavery exists to a greater de-
gree than it did during the wears Of
American occupation prior TO l9'.
More than this. the commission now
has and aIUavs has had exclusive leEis-
lstive jurisdiction over the non-Christian
and non-civIliZed tribes, including the
Moros
''Nobodv denies that slavery and poly
Ean7v both exist to certain d-Erec
among The Mohammodan inhabitants Of
the islands Of Joln and MIndanao. which
Practically have been under the control
Of Worcester for wears. and il cannot
be denied that no great effort has been
made 10 "radi"ate either. Indeed. il is
well known that the government has shut
ill., ewes to its existence.
All of this talk Of slavery and peon-
age is. therefore. the diving and despair
iuE vail ~ American officials appointed
from Washington who are embitteTed
against the filipino people because Of
their reIu"tance to hC separated from
their lucrative Jobs. and should not be
accepted a ileir face value. One of the
rema rla biz things about the Worcester !
report Is that in making his charges he !
attacks even former friends in order TO /
establish his charges.
As ] have Indicated. societies and as
suristioRs have ben and are being .
formed ir the United States To dissemin- /
ate informatIol preiUdiCisl to the Fill /
pin0s. much Il which Is cruelty unjust /
and gr"uudleSs. and circulated with Il |
view. II POSSIBLE. Of creating in America
a sentiment which will result in the .
indefinite postponemeHt OF the independ- |
cnCe Of tho islands
PROM information which recently has |
come 10 me I believe the time il not |
far distant when there will be such facts
laid before tho American people regard
ing the WaStcful II not criminal eNtrJV-
aCanCe and the ma aladministrat tion Of the
Philippine government as will shock and
startle them. Up to this time all the in
formation the American pcorIc have got
ten as TO Philippine affairs have come
through interested and prciudiced chan
uelS II Is to he hoped that under tho
new administration the Philippine people
will ~ least be given 4 fair hearing be-
fore the American people.