New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-07-21

could have prevented it il he had wanted TO
do so. But he wanted to reassign the old
judges and appoint half dozen new ones TO
suit Speaker Osmena and a few young law
yers of Manila. Confidence in the judiciary
has thus been largely destroyed
Before this reorganization act was passed
there were approximately twenty-four judges
of first instance and six land court judges
thirty in all.
/ This act abolished the land court, enlarged
the jurisdiction of first instance courts, ana
provided for thrty-six judges instead OF
thirty, with a decrease of salaries so as to
make the aggregate of salaries paid about the
same as before But there was really no
necessity for a greater number of judges, as
they were already sufficient in number, intel
ligerce and industry TO dispose of the bust
ness, and in a much more efficient and salts
factory manner This act also included the
unprecedented provision that after reaching
sixty-fve years of age judge must retire
without pay or pension, no matter how long
he had been on the bench or how good rec
ord he had made.
Mr.. Harrison Ia young man of forty sum-
mers) must have concluded that only young
men are capable. One might suspect how
even, that it was done in order to get rid OF
the American judges of experience, who had
long ago been appointed by such learned ana
able lawyers as Mr.. Taft, General Luke
Wright and Judge H. c. lde, predecessors OF
Mr.. Harrison. In 1904 the native and Amerl-
can Judges were about equal in number. Now
the proportion is two to one in favor Of the
natives.
1t was Mr.. Harrison's misfortune when he
first landed in the Philippines that he knew
nothing of conditions there. He received
advice from unreliable and unworthy sources,
instead of from experienced. well informed
men like Mr.. Taft, Hon. Dean Worcester,
General Luke Wright, Judge Ide, Judge Gill
bert, Ex-Governor Forbes and others, who
could and would have given him good
sound advice if he had been willing to re-
ceive it or sought it. But Mr. Harrison
seemed to have spurned it and sought coun
sci from improper sources, resulting in de-
plorable mistakes and maladministraton.
None of his predecessors had allowed poll
tics to play any part in the selection of gov
eminent officials. This cannot be said of
Mr. Harrison. He publicly proclaimed that
he was Democrat before reaching the
Philippine shores, and his Democracy could
not down. 1t was allowed to assert itself
wherever possible. A careful analysis of
his appointments would clearly demonstrate
his partsanship. Mr.. Harrison is not suf-
,icienty broad-minded to be other than
partisan. He is a good fellow socially, but
a young man, and, it is said an ardent
Tammanyite.
What about business conditions? Since
the first publication in Manila of the
Stanton speech of President Wilson, in De-
cember, 1913, business in the islands has
been at standstil. Yes, paralyzed, and
largely destroyed. The Americans in the
islands are demoralized, distrustful and dis
heartened; the Filipinos made to feel that
the bottom rail would be top, and
il has been placed there, with as little rea-
son and good sense as when the blacks in
South Carolina and Mississippi were al
lowed to take the reins of government just
after the Civil War
II the Harrison policy is the Wilson pol
icy, then Mr. Wilson has practically undone
the good that has been done in the islands
by his predecessors.
All this is independent of the serious in
Justice done TO the numerous faithful and
highly efficient American public servants in
the Philippines who have been removed
from Office or their designations forced
without any good or sufficient cause MANY
Of them had been so long in the foreign
service and so far from the homeland as 20
pu, them entirely out of touch with their
relatives and friends and business affairs.
and some of them too old to renew life's
struggle in their native land, never having
even suspected that they would be thrown
out of employment in the government ser
vice if they made good.
This was gross outrage and reflects in
Unite discredit upon the Harrison or Wilson !
Administration, or both, and has been seri-