Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1914-06-19

The newspapers reflect the discord-
ant views. The American journals are
filled with denunciation of Governor
General Harrison's policy. though his
gracious personality has won him
friends even among his opponents.
while the Filipino press is correspond
ingly laudatory. Don Martin Ocampo,
the leading Filipino journalist, said:
You will not find the portrait of Will
son or Bryan or Clark in any Ameri-
can office. but only in the Filipino.
And he spoke the truth. The editor Of
the leading American daily said: You
ask Filipino. the ordinary fellow. any
where:
care you better OF than before the
Americans came?
He will reply, Yes
ASK him II he is happier under
American rule. and he will reply he is.
Then ask him II he wants indie
pendence and he will answer in the
Affirmative also.
HE doesn't know what's good for
him"
Can FiIiplnos Govern Themselves7
The question of the duty of the
United States in regard to these islands
and their peoples resolves itself into
whether or not they are capable Of
governing themselves and maintaining
law and order as an Independent ma
ton. II they can do this, even those
persons in Manila most violently op-
posed to self-government would agree.
though with reluctance, that it should
be granted. No one here-at least in
public-is opposed to ultimate indie
pendence or self-government, when
the Filipinos are capable of self-gov-
eminent" to use the phrase of COM
mon speech. The difference is as to
the time. In two centuries at the
present rate of progress" said one
American. IN a generation or two"
said another, while a third shrewd
observer without the conservatism of
capital invested in the brewery or
timber or other local business, said:
The Filipinos are capable of govern
ing themselves and maintaining peace
and progress on the island now. And
how can we say for a certainty that
they are not unless we give them q
chance to demonstrate their capacity?
AS to maintaining themselves against
outside aggression, that is another mat
ter. AS for self-government, look at
the work of the Philippine assembly.
That throws light on the problem, II
it does not solve It"
Good Work Of the Assembly.
The Philippine assembly, the legis-
lature of the islands. had just ad-
journed. 1t is composed of two houses.
The lower house consists of members
elected from the various provinces by
voters who have certain educational
and property qualifications. Its men,
bership is, Of course, entirely native.
The upper house, called the commits
SION, is composed of the governor gen.
eral and eight commissioners. appoint
ed by the president of the United
States. Until recently, five of this
commission were Americans and four
Fflipinos. Under President Wilson's
however, five Of the
commission "a majority are Fill
pinos. The work of this assembly
was equal to that of legislative bodies
in other and Western lands. It COM
rares favorably. in discussion of meas
ures and final decision. with the state
legislatures in America. There was
harmony between the two houses and
each passed about the same number
of bills originating In the other house.
In appropriation Of money the assem-
bly, was notably careful and discrim-
mating. Osemena, the speaker. from
Cebu. would have easily been a leader
in any legislative body, and Palma. the
senior member of the commission.
would rank among the foremost mem.
bers of any upper house. The whole
was characterized by fine
public spirit.
Show Fast-crowIns Capacity.
In local civil government. in the
judiciary, on commissions, in the con-
and as soldiers. the Filipino
has shown an unexpected and growing
In this view the opponents
Of independence agreed, but insist they
succeed only when they are under
some white mans authority. Thomas
A. Street. formerly professor in the
law school Of the University Of Mis-
souri,. now member of the code com.
mittee Of the Philippines, bears wit
ness to their rapid growth in the quail |
ties needed for successful statehood. |
Maj. B. B. Buck Of the regular army. |
commandant Of cadets at Mis-
souri,. testifies to their ability as SOL |
diers. Indeed. the universal opinion |
classes the Filipinos as the most su-
'rrior of the Malayan peoples.
There are several different peoples
among the 100000 Christians who
nhabit the 1000 or more islands
up the archipelago. Some are
n q state Of barbarism little removed
rom savagery. Religious antagonism,
by Spanish rule. existed be-
ween Christians and Mohammedans,
but the antag6nism has apparently
essened under American control. This
'eligious difference. jealousy between
he several peoples and the existence