St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1915-12-08
Partisanship In Philippines.

Secretary of War Garrison made
the most serious mistake of his
term of office when he publically at
tackled EXPIRES. Taft for criticising
the democratic partisanship in the
conduct of the Philippine government
because he drew from Mr.. Taft the
strongest arraignment the admins
tration has received. Mr.. Taft evident
ly had the facts at his
command and presents them in a
way that cannot fail to carry convic-
ton. He makes this statement re-
garding the changes by Governor
General Harrison in the Philippines:
He discharged at once upon his ar
rival Mccoy, collector of customs;
Sleeper, director of public funds; Will
son, assistant director of public lands;
Leech, director of printing; Parsons,
consulting architect; Welch, assistant
executive secretary; Hogsette, assist
ant director of printing; HELM, direc-
tor of bureau of navigation; Harding,
chief of Manila police; Scott, captain
of police. BY abolishing their offices,
Enright, assistant and acting director
of the Civil Service Bureau; Randall
special agent of the executive bureau,
and Williams, chief commissioner to
San Francisco exposition, were elimi-
mated. Frank Carpenter executive
secretary of the islands for ten years,
and assistant for years before was
transferred to the Moro governorship
with whose duties he was not familiar
This was in order to make way for
Filipino in an office the Importance
and political power of which are great
er than those of any other bureau po-
sition.
The official record shows that be-
tween October, 1913, when Governor
General Harrison landed, and Jan. 1,
1914, 1913 Americans were separated
from office. and that by July IA, 1914,
the number of separated had increas-
ed to ATS and that all of these were
officially reported to have rendered
satisfactory service. In addition to
these, 1 am informed by Dan r. Will
liams, that Mr.. Taylor, director of ag
riculture; Mr.. Stewart, director of
prisons; Mr.. Cotterman, director of
posts; Mr.. Hastings, member of the
Manila municipal board; Mr.. Bow
ditch, secretary of the Moro province;
Mr.. Robertson, director of the Philip
pine library; Mr.. Smith, chief of the
ence; Mr.. Robelin chemist of the bur
eau of science; Mr.. Kearney, chief
clerk of the bureau of posts; Mr.
Beardsley, chief of the postal savings
bank division; Mr.. Gee. chief clerk of
the division of the public works bur-
eau; Mr.. Cobb, supreme court record
err and Judge Crossfield of the court
of first instance, resigned because of
cuts in salaries, and uncertainty of
tenure.
Such a number of competent and
experienced officials could not be
turned out of office and their places
taken by inexperienced men without
demoralizing the service. Secretary
Garrison failed to mention a single inn
provement that has followed this dras-
tic change in the personnel of the Phil
ippine government while Mr.. Taft
shows that a deficiency in the sinking
fund to pay the seven millions Friars'
lands bonds retardation of the scien-
tific work of suppressing the danger
Gus disease of rhindopest and inef-
ficiency in collecting internal revenue
has followed this political spoils sys-
tenn of the democrats.
The fact seems to be that the demo-
Gratis have unstintedly provided snaps
for their friends in the Philippines to
the serious harm of good government
among these wards of the United
States. Economy. efficiency and
honesty have been disregarded in the
distribution of political pap and even
as good a man as Sec Garrison is un-
able to convince the public that justice
has been done.