Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (May 3, 1908)
TIIE SUNDAY OREGOXIAX, TORTLAND, MAY 3. 1903. 3 EFFORT WASt 5B CM WONDERFUL PROGRESS EN EDUCATION, AGRICULTURE, MANUFACTURES AND GOON CLEANLINESS i . 4 7-v -1-J rvt . - rv-r -iM sj7SS 1 - rrs i i I r : r i - - f V I - ' X 1 Ilk- : sssyvvni , Ira Jlr y. ' ' w 1 '.pk-- - - iti4iiimMiittwmriiiifcwiirwiTBBK IrTI rNVlW'u ' - Tiffin f 1 ' ' 1 ' wn3wnaBHaB?aBSffla -uriHaTiiTMaB53 zrzzs' azz jz&&zziz& When Manila fell then for the first time since the world began did a na tion flushed with victory and mis tress of the fate of conquered mil. lions, turn her face from earth to heaven, and, catching some of the divine charity that Inspired the good Samaritan set herself to lift a sub ject people to a higher plane of prog ress. Though the hand extended by her In amity and brotherly love was roughly thrust aside by those she sought to aid, she clung to her policy of disinterested, benevolence with a tenacity born of conviction. She knew her neighbor, and while the smoke of battle still hung over the hills and valleys of the Philippines and every town and barrio was smoking with rebellion she replaced the military with civil regime and on the smolder derlng embers of Insurrection planted civil government. JAMES F. SMITH, Governor-General of the Philippines. American Army. The town became well governed, and the officials learned rapidly in the practical school of af fairs. This method is typical of the manage ment of municipal affairs throughout the Philippines. No phase of the gov ernment of the Islands can as yet be termed popular for the franchise has not been extended to more than 16 per cent of the people. Only those who can speak English or Spanish, who paid taxes or had held office In the past are at present allowed to vote, the policy being to extend the franchise as the natives become more enlightened. They are given every possible latitude In their con trol of the towns and are pulled up only when It is found Imperatively necessary- The line Is closely drawn between the municipal, provincial and national gov ernment In the Islands. In the various colonies the same principle of allowing the general election of native governors and other oftlcera and entrusting them with the management of affairs has been followed. They have been closely super vised and whenever they have gone wrong or acted foolishly they have been called to account. They have been taught and have shown a general readiness to profit by that Instruction. Finally the national privilege of choosing a Legisla ture has been given to the natives and In this they have shown themselves both interesting and unexpectedly rational. CONSERVATIVE LEGISLATURE THE election of the Philippine Legisla ture and the course ii pursued during the session that is just closed has proven 0 to the world that tho native has ability of his own as a politician and can play to both the gallery and pit at the same time. The nearest approach to the draw ing of party lines In the election was the distinction of Progresistas of Federalists, who avor the policy of the United States and are willing to wait until fit ness is proven before assuming unaiJea the lines of government, and on the other hand the Nationalista party, which favors Immediate self-government by the natives. This party first appeared as the Partido Nationalista Immedlatista or the Imme diate National party. This showed pop ularity and the lead was followed by a party known as the Partido Nation alista Urgentlsslma. or the most urgent nationalist party. Not to be outdone, a third party sprang forth and called itself the Partido Nationalista Kxplosivista, or tne explosively national party. This lat ter party was as strongly national as it was possible for men of any faith to de- nominate themselves, but all three were loud In their demands for immediate gov-' eminent by the people who voted, and those people wanting to do the governing voted for them and they were elected. . It so happens that if the reins of gov ernment were given into the hands of the present voting constituency of the Philippines there would be no approach to popular government, for but 15 per cent of the male population have the franchise at the most -liberal figures. The native, however, has not yet grasped the Idea of every man living under a government having a voice in it, for there has always been a ruling and a ruled class and he cannot understand it yet. He cites with the utmost seriousness the fact that there are twice as many educated Filipinos as there are offices to fill and urges that there is opportunity for even rotation among the government class. The big idea has not as 'yet sunk In. The explosively urgent. Immediate na tionalists having been elected upon their ardent declarations, became, upon the meeting of the Legislature a very dif ferent sort of 'men. They realized the fact, that they were being measured by the United States as to their ability as a deliberative body and that their future development and even their future ex istence depended upon how they should deport themselves. They were then play ing for the favor of the wise men in governmental affairs with whom rested their futures and the fiery talk of the campaign subsided. The Philippine Leg islature became a dignified, even con servative deliberative body. It made good beyond the fondest expectations of students of Philippine affairs who hope to see a great nation built upon the site of centuries of inactivity. The Anti-imperialistic League origi nating in Boston has long agitated the idea of immediate Independence of the Filipino regardless of the lack of unity; language, enlightment in the presence of the old Spanish idea of class dis tinction and a lack of an understand ing of any sort of government with a possibility of permanence. Fiske War ren, representing that league, was on the spot as a lobbyist. Dr. Dominldor Gomez, a radical firebrand orator, de livered a most Impassioned speech in favor of immediate Independence but by an almost unanimous vote it was stricken from the record and the body went quietly about the deliberation of serious affairs. The Anti-imperialistic League, which has done much to keep up the spirit of unrest In the islands by holding out a hope of Immediate In dependence with every Presidential election,- was entirely ignored. The first act of the Legislature was a vote of thanks to the United States for past favors and an appropriation of 1,003, 000 pesos for public schools. The action of the Legislature shows the people to be learning their lesson with wonderful rapidity. The death rate has always been something frightful in the Philippines. This is not so much due to the climate as to unsanitary conditions, in Manila 60 per cent of the babies, die before they have reached the age of one year. It is a densely populated city prac tically without sewerage and taking' water from the Mariquina River, a stream that is lined with villages that observe no precaution against pollut ing it. Before the end of the present year, however, a modern sewer system will be in course of operation and a water system bringing pure water from the Interior will place the city on an entirely different basis. It is ex- I pected that next year the death rate will be reduced to half of what it Is at present.' Countless artesian wells are accomplishing for the interior j towns what a water system wili do for Manila. American machinery makes them possible. A striking example of what may be accomplished is euuwn ;n tho results that have been brought about in connection with smallpox. In Manila the natives . formerly died like flies with it, but last year there was riot a single death reported from this cause. In a surrounding section of country where the average toll to smallpox was 6000 a year not a soul died from this cause. In a single year 2,000;000 vaccinations have been made. These lives are being saved outright through American occupation, and with sanitary methods Introduced the total will run into the millions In a few years. In addition healttirul conditions will go far toward developing and strentlienlng the race. Before the" American occupation there was little done toward such Im peratively necessary worn as the iso lation of lepers. They were known to exist in considerable numDers through out the islands, mingling freely with their fellows and increasing the num ber of sufferers. Instances were known where they were stoned and driven out of villages as in biblcal times. Now, however, a colony has been es tablished at Culion, a Deautlful and healthful Island, and all those affected are gradually being concentrated It Is expected that in all there will be found to be some 3000 cases of leprosy, but when these are isolated contagion will cease, and as those affected are short lived, the disease may be wiped out in the course of a few years. AGRICULTURAL OPPORTUNITY THE greatest blow that tho islands have suffered since the beginning of the American occupation has been the rinderpest, a disease among the domes tic animals that carried off the greater part of them and left the farmer with out a beast of burden to carry or drag his load. It has been found Impos sible to replace the native carabas by any cattle from the outside, as these when Introduced mostly die before becoming used to the climate. Amer can machinery Is, however, being rapidly introduced and is taking ihe place of these domestic animals. It is no uncommon sight to see a traction engine drawing a gang of plows or an Amelcan harvester threshing rice. Agriculture has been materially in terfered with because of this loss, but the figures show that the value of the export crop for the past six years ha3 been regularly 50 per cent greater than H ever was during the SpaaUh repino. In the olden times the avers go export amounted to about J23.j0O.OU0 In value while the average for the past six years has been 132,300,000. This Is not an Inconsiderable item as an Immedi ate result of Yankee thrift, for so short a period, and in the face of disas ter such as is rarely met. The islands are valuable primarily because of the fertility of the soil and upon this basis must be built their future. - They are located in the tropics and have a soil of unusual fertility. India, China, Japan and other sections of the Far East have been farmed until the soils are exhausted, yet the mouths are to be fed and the Philippines are virgin and can be made productive. There is an unlimted market for every thing that may be produced, for In this part of the world, In which lives the bulk of Its population, there is a market at the very door. There Is a forest primeval in the Philippines that covers an area greater CZZZEE'jr' c?2 TZZST Z7?2A7Z W- T V V T than New England and offers hard woods and ordinary building timber of quality and in quantity. China is badly in need of railroad ties and all sorts of structural materials, - as Is Australia, and in the Philippines these are ready for the axe. The Government has taken charge "of the lands and Is ad ministering them from the standpoint of scientific forestry, allowing only the mature trees to be cut and as a result there will be possible an annual yield of ripe timber that will but improve the forests as the years pass. Sugar cultivation is hot deemed the best thing for the future of the island3, as it will lead to a centralization of power in a wealthy few and the degre dation of the masses. As the United States is carrying on the work In the Philippines from the standpoint of the philanthropist it is rhougnt best to en courage the tendency toward increas ing the numbers of small farmers who own their own land anJ work it. rather than the big planter. In the mean time the United States puts up the tariff- bar against the introduction of Philippine sugar which the local manu facturer maintains he needs for his own protection. Tho friends of the Islands in return say that they would like sale In this country for an amount of sugar so limited as to produce no effect on the market, tne object being the Immediate limited financial aid to the archipelago. This has not yet been granted. Hemp, tobacco, rice and other small crops are regarded as navlng a more direct bearing upon the future of the native and offering him greater profits and better living. When the Philippines were first taken over by the United 3tates a policy for their control and flnul dis position was mapped out by President McKlnley. That policy looked to the government of the Filipino for his good rather than his exploitation of and to the gradual extention to him of self government as he proved himself capable of It. There has since been little advocacy on the part of any party for any change of that policy and it has been iiioly adhered to and it is the only thing looked for in the future. There have been ttlts one way and another as to methods and time, but the principle has not baen changed. The insular bureau of the War Depart ment keeps l'.s finger upon tho native pulse and when the right beat is folt the boon will be. granted; b'U compe tence must first be proven. When the- educational system that has been inaugurated, primary and political, has ground for 30 years it is held that a new generation with undreamed of pos sibilities will be in charge of affairs. It will be an educated English-speaking generation and the whole of the islands will have been drawn together by the bond of a common language and a com mon Interest. The educated class as at present existing will have been submerged and have ceased to exist as a ruling class aside from the masses of the people. The virus of selfgovernment by the people will have sunk deep and In this Isolated cor ner of the world in the heart of one of the oldest races the earth has known will be produced a form of government de veloped to its utmost by a viril young race of the West. Such a race as the Filipinos educated into the operation of a republican form of government will be a novelty that will lend interest to the deliberation of students of government. The idea of the public a's to who bears the expense of the multitude of service that is being done the Filipinos is er roneous In the extreme. The fact stands that the greater part of the burden rests upon the islands themselves and the ex penditure Is merely guided by the Insular Bureau. The United States does not pay a cent toward the maintenance of the public schools; toward sanitation, toward Industrial development. All these ex penses are met out of funds raised by the islands themselves. The- service of the Americans in this .'respect is merely in the administration of affairs. They show the people how to get the right things for themselves and do not extend their aid so far as to create a crutch that will go toward preventing the natives from walking alone. WHO PAYS THE FREIGHT? THE taxes out of which the wonderful transformation Is being brought about are, however, not so heavy upon the masses of the people as were those undor which they labored during the Spanish occupation and for 250 years made so little progress. The wealthy, who escaped under the Spanish regime are more reavily taxed now than then, but the masses pay less. There seems no ques tion as to the respective benefits. The expense to the United States is, however, sufficiently great and her sacri fice sufficiently appalling to entitle her to credit for a monumental and unselfish work. There are maintained in the Philip pines 12,000 soldiers. There is the neces sity in the United States for maintaining a standing Army under any conditions and as there are no other battles to fight these men had as well be in the islands as In Fort Sam Houston. The additional expense of keeping them there over what it is at home is, however, about $5,000,000 a year. Aside from this there is the sacri fice of some thousands of soldier lives in battle and from disease that are to he charged up to the Filipino account. The soldiers were glad, however, to take their chance in the jungles, for it gave the op portunity for a fight, the first lqve of the Anglo-Saxon and the soldier's glory. Some lost in the gamble, but not grudg ingly. There is the first $20,000,000 paid to Spain that must be charged up to tho Islands. There are $5,000,000 in the ac count in a direct expenditure in the pur chase of the estates owned by the Cath olic Church. This is another example of the magnificent accomplishments of the United States for the Filipino people. On these church lands dwelt 60,000 of them as virtual serfs, while today they are homesteadlng these same lands in small farms and becoming property citi zens. It Is a part of the great, plan to put the land In the hands of tho people and make them an independent agricultural nation. A considerable sum is being spent at Manila for fortification, but this may not be charged to the Island because of the fact that It is done In the establish ment of our security In connection with the naval base at Sublg Bay in the East, for which this country has striven for many years. AWAKENING T them. HE Philippines are awakening to an appreciation of what is being done for The Americans are no longer dis trusted and regarded as tyrants against whom eternal vigilance must be main tained in an effort to avoid oppression. The little brown people are putting their hands in those . of the busy Yankee and asking to bo allowed to follow where he leads. At the latest election of gov ernors about half of those who were elected stood on a platform following the plan of tho Americans for inde pendence only after it was earned and not for one or more generations. Tho idea that a sale of the Islands Is pos sible Is finding always less place in tho mind of the native. He is coming, through oft-repeated reassurance, to have absolute confidence in the sincerity of his protector and tiir.t the only thing that will prevent him standing ultimately as a citizen of an ' independent country will be his own declaration in favor of remaining under the same guidance pcr- ' manently. All these tilings have been done in ten years. Since chaos has been brought into order there has elapsed but half that time. Yet a populous nation' is be ing adapted to a new mould and is al ready assuming its shape. This In. spito of the fact that the development of na tions is considered an age-long process beset with difficulties that only great time can remove. The rapid growth hot house method has never before been tried, but the indications point to the accomplishment of one of the greatest tasks of the nge in record time. America has proven ' herself original and on a bigger scale than ever before in her ap plication of national phllantrophy. Has there ever been given a bigger push to world advancement? EUROPE GROWS TIRED OF ITS GYPSIES Conference Meets In June at Berne, to Get Rid of Strollers. A LWAYS a wanderer on the face of tho earth, the Gypsy is once more to face persecution. The united effort of Europe is to be ex erted to drive from the continent the mysterious, nomadic race of beings, whose life has been the inspiration of great literature and stirring music. "No home but the road, no life but pleasure, no roof but the sky," the Gypsy's dream of happiness is no longer to be realized in Europe, for next June a conference of representatives of all the powers will meet at Berne to decide on the best means of getting rid for all time of the picturesque bands of strolling peo ple whose history goes way back to the most remote ages. It Is a need for a universal system of policing the continent that has forced repressive measures to be adopted against the Gypsies. Recent attacks, successful and unsuc cessful, on the lives of monarchs have fired the police of the continent to re newed efforts to guard against anarchy. No one ever accused the Gypsy of be ing an anarchist. He is too Indolent, too easy-going, to take an interest in poli tics. He cares nothing about who gov erns the country, or how tne wealth Is distributed, as long as he can go from place to place in his decorated wagon and get enough to eat to keep life in him self, his wife, his children, his horse and dogs. For the rest, give him but .he sunshine and the open air; wealth can be dis tributed any way at all, unjustly or Justly; monarchs can be good or bad, he cares not at all: he has neither country nor politics. His last thought would be to take life as a means of bringing dif ferent political conditions. But there is no doubt at all that the camp of the Gypsy with it's easy iree dom, its rough good fellowship, has often been a shield for the desperate criminal. The band never examines too closely into the comings and goings of those who com pose It. The make-up of the company Is ever changing and a newcomer is little marked as long as he be orderly, and will do his share of the little work tnat Is performed in these migratory homes. Hence the escaping criminal, the murder-contemplating anarchist, who would find himself watched in the cities, at the railroad stations, boat landings, etc., and his coming to the home of royalty re ported In advance can make his way In Gypsy camp with only small danger of detection. The progress may be slower, but the result Is surer. It is a stern remedy that is about to be applied, merely because in isolated In stances the criminal has- taken advantage of the free llfo of the Gypsy camp to use it for a cloak. But the order has gone forth, and the attempt to be inaugurated next June will be the most systematic ever known. The task will be an enormous one, for the pleasure-loving brown man, with his love for music and bright colors, "his un conventlonality in dress, his wild cry for personal liberty, has spread all over the continent. It is said that there are no less than 750,000 In Europe, and. It must oe remembered, that this enormous total has been reached In spite of the fact that for a large part of his history the Gypsy has been an object of suspicion and of persecution in many countries. In consequence of the unwillingness of the Gypsy to give statistics about him self It has not been easy to ascertain the totals in the various countries. But in anticipation of the conference at Berne a careful effort has been made to get figures, and the following do not v. y markedly from the exact totals: Austro-Hungary, 300,000: Turkey. 100. 000; Greece, 10.000; Bosnia, 20,000; Russia, 150,000; Italy 50,000: Portugal and Spain, 200.000; France, 10.000; England, '5000. In this motley aggregation is included the descendants of a dozen races, for the Gypsy, though he preserves certain char acteristics, is really the composition of the world's lovers of complete freedom. Perhaps at first there was a people, a separate and distinct nation. Many au thorities agree that there, was. Some say the first of the race were descendants of the Saracens put to flight by the wars of the Crusaders. Tne most tenable theory, however, is the one which places the original cypsies in India, and proclaims them descended from the caste of the Pariahs. Scorned at home, and held to be the ldwest, they longed for a condition in life where they could be free of the scorn and exactions of those above them. Then some of the daring packed their tents and started on their long pilgrimages. Others followed, and the Gypsy proved happy. Ho had lit tle, but he needed little. Freedom's joy made up to him for exposure and fre quent hunger. Moreover, he had come from little and was content. But by a curious contradiction, though he fled to get away from his native coun try, the Gypsy held to the native custom tenaciously. He scorned to learn the language and customs of those whose do main he traversed. Ho remained clan nish, lie guarded his own tongue; what little religion he believed he continued to practice. In vain various governments as a solution of 'the problem sought to educate them, to make citizens of the dark-skinned wanderers, to force them to pay taxes and become part of the civil ized communities. The Gypsy was loyal to his life in the open; he smiled alike at promises or menace. His cart was his cradle, his home, his hospital and his bier. From the old tribal days descended a fixed belief in the authority u, the head of the house. The father is master oZ the faintly, and over the fathers reign the chief of the band, whose dictates are obeyed, and who has the power of in flicting punishments cither by person al chastisement, quarantine or banish ment from the camp, the kind of pen alty depending largely. 1 course,, on the gravity of the crime. The Gypsy child, while getting only the teaching of the mother and that only until the age of 7, is far from being the hopeless illiterate that might be Imagined. The Gypsy Is a natural born dancer, musician and seeress. Clzst. in his famous rhapsodies, has wonderfully committed to music the wild harmonies loved of this people that dwells in greatest numbers In Austro-Hungary. Undoubtedly the concerted European movement will drive large numbers from the other side to this country, Mexico and South America, there to continue the. strolling life, which is theirs by choice and from which no man's dcereo can permanently turn them. Kansas City Journal.