The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-02-04
NO NEW ACTION
ON PHILIPPINES
SENATE MAY NOT REACH PEND.
ING LEGISLATION THIS
SESSION.


Special to The Neps
Washington, Feb. At is not ex.
pected that the Philippine bill pend
ing in the United States Senate will
be reached at this session. Never.
theless it has many ardent hackers,
and new preamble has been written
into 1t, defining one of the most i'm.
portant points, that the United States
Will be the Judge of the ability Of
the Philippine people to govern them.
selves. Complete independence Is
promised in the revised preamble, the
text Of which follows:
Whereas, 1t Is desirable to place in
the bends of the people OF the Philip
pines such an increasing control Of
lhelr Domestic affairs as can be given
them without, in the meantime, i'm.
pairing the sovereignty of the United
States, in order that, by the use and
exercise of popular franchise and gov
ernmental powers, they may be the
better prepared to fully assume the
responsibilities and enjoy all the priv
ileges Of complete independence,
which it is the purpose of the United
States to grant, when, in the judy
ment of the United States, the people
of the Philippine Islands shall be fit
ted therefor"
Some truly amazing facts have been
given by General Mcintyre, chief OF
the Bureau of Insular Affairs, concern.
ing the development which the Fill
pinos have already made. In the short
time that American influence has been
at work there, the Filipino has gain
cd complete control of his municipal
government. He elects all of the of
iicers and almost invariably the Of
fcers are natives. The municipal
judge in every town is a native. The
judiciary, the oonstabulary, the bu-
reaus Of education. prisons, science,
public works and agriculture, the light
house service and the coast survey
are all established on modern lines
and are conducted economically and
The G0,000,C00 acres of public do
main, half forest and half agricultural
land are being kept for the natives
and are not being exploited by capt.
talists and settlers from the outside.
According to General Mcintyre the
islands are self-supporting. The ma
tives are paying their bills, are put
ting funds aside each year to meet
their small bonded debt, and have
comfortable bank balances in many
American banks. That the Filipinos
are making Roadway towards the day
when they will be competent to gov
ern themselves, is the confident as
sertion of Gen. Mcintyre. He says
that the Moros, the hardest to handle
of the entire native races, are now gov
erned by civilian. The Moros, former
robbers and heather warriors, are be-
coming good citizens, are sending
their children to schools. They have
their own constabulary and Uncle
Sans soldiers have been withdrawn.
Professional brigands have been driv-
en- out of business. Boys and girls to
the number of $4,000 are attending
the public schools. There are 4,3Ol
schools in the Philippines now, a gain
Of 400 in one year.
Let me repeat" says Gen. McIn-
tyre, that the government of the
Filipino people is self-sustaining. The
taxes collected are paying for all the
functions and activities of the govern
ment, for the courts, the postal serv
lee, the preservation of the forests, the |
survey of the islands, and public
schools and the improvement of rivers
and harbors. There is peace every.
where and the people are happier and
more prosperous than ever before"