THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.
AN ADDRESS
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
STATE OF NEW-YOBRK,
APRIL 21st, 1904,
BY THlE             /
HON. WILLIAM Hi. TAFT,
Secretary of War.
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ADDRESS.
Gentlemen of the Chamber of Commerce of New- York.
Your President, Mr. JEstJP, has been good enough to invite
me to address you. I should have declined the invitation because of many other engagements, but-for the opportunit
which it gives me to bring to the attention of the solid business men of New-York the problem which we have on our/
hands in the Philippines.
The people' of the United States have under their guidance
and control in the Philippines an archipelago of 3,000 islands,
the population of which is about 7,600oo) souls, Of these,
7,000,000 are Christians and 600,000 are Moros or other Pagan._ytfibes. The problem of the government of the Moros is the.
same as that which England has had in the government of the
Straits Settlements or India. The government of 7,000,000
Christian Filipinos isra very different problem, and one which
it has fallen to the lot of the- United States only to solve.
The attitude of the American people toward the Philippine
Islands may be described as follows: There are those who
think that the Declaration of Independence forbids our accepting or maintaining sovereignty over them; there ate those
who, without respect to the Declaration of Independence, believe that colonial possessions are likely to lead to expense
and corruption and demoralization, have little faith in the solution of the problemr by teaching-the Filipino the art of selfgovernment, and are anxious to get rid of the Islands before
they have done any harm to the United States; then there are'
those who hold that fate brought these Islands under our control, and that thus a' duty was imposed upon ps of seeing to it
that they were not injured by the transfer.AJAs a friend of the
Filipinos, it is my anxious desire to enlarge that class of
Americans who have a real. interest in the welfare of the Islands and who believe that the United States can have no
higher duty or function than to assist the people of the Islands




to prosperity and( a political develolplment which shall enable
theml to secure to themliselves the cnjo)vmcnlt of civil liberty.
I Applause. I The war with Slailnl ldc( us far from CTuba, whose
condition was its cause, to 1these lbeautifil Islands ill the oriental tropics. A.fter DEm I-'C's gluns had broiughIt tile whole.Archilpelag)O Iot'letially within A\nmerican cT(Iltrol, tIhere was no
escape froti the dlliemma which was then and thereafter presented to the pecoplc oif the I T-itcd(l States except the one which
thev took.   Three courses were suTgested; first. tlhat after
peace with Spain, we slIcouldi t url t l'T I lallds back to her. But
ill tlle legitilmate course 4,i tilTe calTliaigl. we\ had called to our
a.i.sstalnc as allies A.\(;t'IN.\L. ) ill l lhIis folrces. with whoTmT the
people of theI Islanls were largely inl smllpathv. It would
have b)een a breacll of faith oln ourll- art to have ldelvered them
over\ to Spail wit tlle b)lo(odlv cotflict vIwhicih voTuld instantl!
lave folllowed. C'old we have lia elivcre(l the Islands over to
the Governmenlt of AGUINALD)O      A.\(;tlsN.\-I.D()O  Government
was a military dicltator-ship, lha\vilg:Icitlal col-trol alnd that
llo)t alwLavs! colplletc, inl firml tei<llt o(i tell (of forty provinces..A coVll\cntioln 1llad been calle(l o.\; A lnx.\i.i)Mo's friends.' A\
larl ^ mlajiTritv of tile (leleg'atces lhad b)een dlirectly aplpointed 1by
hlilm.' Thev forlmulated and a(lolted(  a ('onlstitultion as the basis, a ITpTular goverTlinilent. T'le colTstituition was mere paper.
It was taken froml tlhe (Colnstituitoll of tilhe I'nited States, that,f Mlexico an( tlhat of the A.rgeintilne ReIpublic. It had no life.
for it \was never at an11  timlie plt ill fTolrce.' The actual governIlit'Ill '\was despltic anId ( l)lpressivte tto c\ ell a greater degree
tllasl tilTe STpallishl (ove'rnlIIeTllt c\vTr lhadl l)bccl. a-nd resistance to
its.' althlrit!. caulsedt Tv its (lishlollst\ anll o))Iressive measurcs inll the provinclesz iln which it Ihad( autholority, was frequent; (tid  (listturl)ing.
IThe adoltion of tle cTonstitution at Mlalalos was not indicati\vc of tihe then calacity of the Ipople to maintain pIopular
Celf-go\-crllmi t. It representeld oilT l ani academic aspiration
bv! tlle drafters. "'Thec result was ilcre committee work, with(,lt the slightest evidence of tle practical operativeness of the
instrlumenT t from  previous actual exp)erience in_ government
bTv the l)e)pole. The only real goverrnment which existed under
A(;Ti N\.\.ALT) was that of tile oine-man po\wer, arbitrary and inconsiderate ()f the pe(Iple. \\'ith these facts before the United




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States, I submit that there was no escape from the dilemma
except the acceptance of a transfer of the sovereignty of Spain
and the assumption of politicalcontrol over the Filipino people, until by proper measures and patient governmental training and experience they could be given self-governing capacity. //
Concerning the objection that this is a new business for the
%        UUnited States, which will have a demoralizing effect upon the
nation, I think no one is able to point out any injury which has
thus far resulted to the people of the United States except the
expense attendant upon the maintenance of law and order in
the Islands during the insurrection, and the regrettable loss of
life which occurred. Certainly no one thus far can show the
baleful effects of that dreadful spirit of greed which the opponents of the policy are so prone to see in everything done with
respect to the Philippines. I challenge them to point out in
anything which has been done to the Philippine Islands, either
immediately under the government there established, or by
the United States, which savors in the least of a selfish use of
those Islands for the benefit. either of the individuals in the
United States or of the Government itself. The only thing
which can be seriously made the basis of such a charge was
the attempt during the present session of Congress to put in
force the coastwise trading laws for the benefit of the shipping
of the United States in respect to the trans-oceanic trade between the Islands and the United. States, and that by Act of
Congress has now been postponed for two years longer.
There has been a rebate provided of the export duty on hemp
imported directly from the Islands to the United States. This
has not affected injuriously the trade of the Islands, because
the demand for hemp is so great that the Islands have a monopoly in respect to it. There has unexpectedly been caused
by the rebate a reduction of the income in the Islands of about
$250,000, because the equivalent which was provided as a
counter benefit, to wit, the duties to be collected on imports
from the Islands into the United States, has not equalled the
aggregate rebate on the hemp. This, however, was a miscalculation by the legislators that was pardonable and can easily
be rectified. In every other respect the legislation which has.been enacted has been in favor of the Islands, including a gift
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of three milliotns of dollars for the purp)ose of relieving distress
there. The attitude of those who support the Government in
its policy is altruistic. It is of one who out of a feeling friendI! to the Filipinos would sacrifice much to accomplsh the purposes ()f the Administration there. It is a feeling which does
tile nation credit, and a feeling that a nation of the wealth and
power that this nation has. may well afford to encourage.
ticncral denlunciati mn of the (7overnlment's policy as one of
tlle suppression (of freedom and an attack uponi libertv has rendered uneasy many of our people, but the charge is wholly unfoiunded. lhere has been estallished in the islands a governmenl t (f la  and order iln whlich the admiiinistration of justice
is (jlitte asI g,)( as it is in half tihe States of the I'nion. It has
securl d tl ctverv man. \wo man andl child among the Christian
l]ilipinii,  all the' ricghts cotmtainted in the bill of rights in the
(l.nslitutiOnll  o tle' t'nited States except the rght to bear
iarmi-, aiu li the   tdi t ri atil b) jry. The right to bear arms is
uii tllhat mighirt very well  ec restricted in the United States.
I atllulhtcr and' aplllause. I  lThe freedoii w-ith which firearms
are t' o1(1li.  l  u'nlic  '   lnsc(d  'tt t caa tr )f the busiini ess, \will readily.cco'u  fi, manyi oil the homicides whichl disgrace the criminal
<n;ttl.,f iur cot untr. i 'l h right of trial b1) jury is one which
thel'  fl1' iif tl   islands d 1o lit und(lerstland, and which it is
cis 'V  l) p,-tl)lonl  the cxt' rc-t  )f iuntil they  who  arc  to  coinstitute ie ir v shall bc 1)('ttcr (il ualified( to exercise the function
f iallniiistcrin sill-'usticc. ks it is to-day iln the Islands no man
ned e(c c (onxiictted C  f a criime except b1 the judgment of a
juidge (of first instance. concurred in 1!- a majority of the seven
jiudge,  f thie Suti)preme Cirt. The appeal on the facts and
law to tlic Sutpremc C(ourt of the Islands, which consists of
three 'ili]pinos and folm.\mericans, certainly offers sufficient
securitr agailnst niistakes or prejudices of one judge. All the
suiilstantial ci-il rights then are secured to the Philippine people. 'lThey (do not themselves exercise complete political contr-ol, hut thlat is a very differenit thing from civil liberty. Women and children. and other non-voters in this country, have
tel civil lil)erty secured b- the Constitution. but do not exercise political control. If. we abanldonee  the Islands we should
be turning their political coitrol 0over 'to the violent and the
turbulent. and the agitators and civil liberty could at once




cease to exist there. The great difficulty that we have now in
pmaking our grant of civil libervt useful to the inhabitants is
their failure to understand what their rights are and their incapacity to maintain them. I remember one morning, early in
my: experience in the Philippines, I was visited by an elderly
Tagalo who spoke no Spansh, but who presented a petition,
written for him by some one else, in Spanish, in which he set
forth that his son had been arrested for a crime under the
Spanish regime, had been held for six years without trial, and
was still in Bilibid prison. Calling on me at the same time
was a distinguished lawyer of the Islands. one of the three
persons who had drawn up the constitution adopted at *Malolos. wvhich has attracted so much admiration from our antiimperialistic friends. I turned the petition over to him and
asked him to confer with the old man, which he did. He said
to ne, 'How can we redress this grievance?"  I suggested:
"Under an order of (eneral O'rs the writ of hiabcas corplus is in
force: you ought to sue out such a writ." He asked me what
the writ (-f Ihabca.s corpits was. and I explained it to him, and at
his reqluest drafted a p)etition for the writ. Taking the petition
he went to Pilibid prison and found that there were ninety
persons iln prison in the same situation as that of the son of
mv ear-l caller.  iet filed a petition for the writ in each of
these cases and succeeeded in securing the release of all. His
success in the matter was a revelation to him, as it was to the
people of the community, in respect to what was practical civil
liberty of the individual. Yet it was he who had penned the
constitution supposedt to secure such liberties to his fellow
citizens some two or three years before. My! experience in the
Philippines. and that of others who have been there, justify
me in saying that, were the Americans to leave the Islands
to the government of A(;t.uiNx.u.O or some person of his views,
all the guaranties of civil liberty would be lost in the effort of
the executive head of the government to maintain his position
against hostile calals and conslpiracies. In other words a surrender by us of political control in the Islands, as they are at
present peopled, means the suppression of civil liberty. Hence
it is that those of us who are in favor of only the gradual extension to the Filipinos of political control, retaining a.guidance under the Government of the United States, are the real




defenlders anld prctectors (of the liberties of the P'hilippine people, while the so-called and self-stvled "anti-imperialists" who
delmand an immllediate surren(ler o the Islands, are, in effect,
a(ldvocating a i)olicv which makes ftr absolutism and tyranny.or-a ipolitical chaos, which is ceven worse than either, -and
\which will endl for a longr tiIme to co)nie all hope of the lil)rtV
)f tlhe intliXvidual.  The corse \hichl tlhe so-called. antii:imperialists seek is tlh easy omne. The cotirse which we have on
hlan(l is a dlifficult o)ne.
If \e lpursue the policy \hich i1t now )bin  pulrstued ilrespect to tlhe Islan(ls. the pl,,lic- of holding the Islands fr the
)enlefit of tilt. ilipinlos. andl (of (loin L   every-thing we can to
elevate anid edlucate tlte peoplel to increase their prosperityy
andt to fltrnish tlthemo full olppolrtunity fot)r the )pursuit of happiness. we nec(l troutle,olrselves little albout the alleged violationm of the plrincil)les of tle l)Iclaratiio oif Illlelpen(lence. If
that instrllumenlIt is to b  so colnstrule  as to prevent 1us from
taking tie (course Xwhichl thle (lilemilma already presented required    t tl take. thei tltt history of thLe.\erican Republic
has b1een nothinig )but a violatioin (f tlhe lrincil)les of that instrumeint fronm the beginninil.   \\Womeni an(d chillren and
slaves were no(t permtitted t  ex ercise anl  pIolitical control.
at tlhe tilltm tJat the Declaration ofi Indepelndence was signed.
Those whlo 1! their- luffra-es lhad all the political control
tlere wa \\   ill tlie varios colonits were. ill maTy instances, in
tlte micoir-itv Xf tmtale citizenls.  I ve'Ir lprol)erty qualificatiQn,
every educatiolal qtualificationl that Ie'xcluded from()1  the suffrage
1an1 mald citizIen ive r t\c(lilt\v-oiitt. vio)lated the Declaration of
Indlep1e)cnctle, if, it is ti ilco  g i\ien thle \wid  construction colnten(le(l for by olr oppi()l)lent-. When TllHOl AS.\   JIFFE RSON, who
ienilne(l the  )eclarati(nl, dlirectc(l tlhe purchase of Louisiana,
tle TFrench residents and tile Slpanish residents of that country protested against tlhe transfer l)i N.\pior.:()N to the Triited
Staties ()n the groiulid tilat it Xas madle without their consent,
and they!-  ere tilerebl!   coLnverted into subjiects of a sovereign
to \whoml they had w\illingly s\Norn allegiance. \Vhen we took
ill NSe-M-exico andl \rizona from (,old MIexico we agreed that
wve Nould ultiimately '-iv  themi State goverinment and indeipendent c(nitrol-, \ore than fifty -ears have passed since that
time and they are still held in a condition of dependence, with



out the rights of sovereign States. For fifty years, then, we
have been violating the declaration, with respect to those people. When the war came on, and the isutes of slavery and
State rights were presented, twenty millions of people coerced
ten millions of people to remain in the government from the
control of which they had withdrawn their consent, and now
to-day, in the Southern States, by grandfather's clauses and
by property qualifications and by educational qualifications,
the white people are seeking to exclude from the ballot those
colored voters whom they deem to be unfitted to exercise political control in their respective communities. For either the
Southerner or the New-Englander to rest his opposition to
what we are doing in the Philippines on the Declaration of
Independence involves an inconsistency that robs what he
says of weight. In every instance it will be seen that the
principles of the Declaration of Independence are always
qualified by the statement that the people who are to be consulted with respect to their own government shall have sufficient capacity to govern themselves and better themselves by
such self-government.
In the Philippine Islands ninety per cent. of the inhabitants are still in a hopeless condition of ignorance, and utterly
unable intelligently to wield political control. They are subject, like the waves of the sea, to the influence of the moment,
and any educated Filipino can carry them in one direction or
another, as the 'opportunity and the occasion shall permit.
The ten per cent. of the Filipinos who are educated have
shown by what they have done and what they have aspired to
and what they are, that they may be taught the lesson of selfgovernment, and that their fellows by further education may
be brought up to a condition.of discriminating intelligence
which shall enable them to make a forceful and useful public
opinion. But that it will take more than one generation to
accomplish this, every one familiar with the facts must concede. It is true that the marvelous development of the Japanese in the last fifty years may justify the hope that the period
will be shorter than I have stated, but it is to be noted with
the Japanese; first. that they are a more industrious people
and a more thrifty people than the Filipinos; and second, that
they. have always had an independent and natural govern



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mnClt. lrocccdin ftrom the feudal sy!stem and the continuance
oi the tra(litional g)-mernmental influence of the imperiat
hu-e>hloldI. Tle Spatnish  regime of four hundred years
tamil)cd Olt 1ll tril)al -elation's and everything akin to the
feudal alle'iance andl toc a natural g-overtlllnmelt amongc thie Filiiin(s. alnd thelre is nothino- l)ut the dead-level of a people
whose only hitpe is Ccducati(in iut t po p)l)ular self-goveriment
Iunlder the guidlancc otf somett  p,,\wr C wich meanltime shall secur-re  to  thc pI',(pple tlih   iletilmable beinefitt- of civil liberty.
M1 xnx\\x it dea oft tie missioi ot the t-nited States in the Phillpplinlc l slatls   i  tihat  it (),t ol t to,  itc  maintained  atnd  elcoturaIc.l hy tile  C pc,f thi  T-nitedl   tates withli, t i-card to( the,It'-tiotn  C)I1- it's C t Oi I its p trofitableC  resuilt., t-fr tl a commercial
r fina cial  talldl) t.  ( )pin nts of thte ptlict  ofi tl  i  lic   he admin'-tratic in  -trit 'e to' fit li i  iten   tilit   a  rc   the t  it  eie  the
c'l-.. x\\xicl  til.ev  a- S li.   Pht lilil)pile   Islatd  Is h ve  been  and
~\    V.il  il i,vI. tI, 1,v t,', til l ited St  i  te-.   I:ti  n,-t  tuamiliar with
'i]  -:;it-. ii'  ltlt  'i i91)1>....il'tle;: t ]t:   \\t;Lt'  CIi   tillC  itinlSti-rcCtionI. i, i  Ilt iCiied - 't iCt R S t le,  a,I 'Ct  ll t-tI t l l lred  ttilliots  of dollars.
T'l'lhit  ' I -p!.  'II l',it  f I1T  wita' 11-  l\\;1n  accII 1  li C tl   icc t ldCled.
I-li.':t ill'lt.x: til. ".l. tl,ile'r Ilpr\;iV  il n  thlt. l -;lan s.  Tlt- 1 numrc!  ',  \\I'  *]it  i - (   it il ilt  [l,iis. lia,- le CCn  rtediuced  from
-      (.(|(  I. (()  n. t'l.  I 't l   arimx  of tlie  -nitc(ld States  lilinumbers
(t;.00. Il aiv evenCt. whetilChe r we hax te h lippines or tlot,.,()   'tl'ilIa  I '-l(lir.l '  11a'   nit tI),  I> al'n lot a natio  o l' () ihty
lllin-   ' < u l,)Ie>>l.   'I'l ct, x l. ' c.  i all tha xt  Icae   b   prC)p rlvt  chl ar. ed
l<r  tlit   l'11iliil)iIt(  Cxi)C'rim tiit  froIIm n,11w (. is  the  addtlitional
ct>t C, I1i.lit  1i.0(0 C itt) l  l  trans)ortixi  t rt hem   from  the
1-llitt(l Stal sx  t)  tle' Ihilippin'es and  backl  every  three  -ears,
)V tx.r w]aiil it V' u!l-di Cost O, lkeep tthem in the [ nited States and
C al - i.I,rt tlti i. ti) and  fltirom  tul. stati t is il tht  It'nited  States.
TI'hin i- a cIttmlaratitively smlall suml. Then it is said that our
Navv is tCtiilar'ed COn accottt -of the Philippines. I do niot
thinii tihat oiur -av is to laroe. xwhether \ve have the Philippine- ( r nt.  " )I r comCimcerc'c utist be protected. Our nation
tmult (CCulp' ai digt-nified positiom before the other nations of
thlie wrld, anild crtain it is that the protests of a nation wvith
a. re-.)Iectatblhc ina-v are tmotre respcctfullly listened to than
whenl it has oilv a few wooden hulks to represent its nationalit!. Tlhere- wll be the additional cost of fortifying Maanila,




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Iloilo. Cebn and Subig Bay as part of the coast line of the
U-nited States.  Beyond that there Nivill be no considerable
additional expenditure out of the U-nited States Treasury.
The Islands themselves grive cverv indication of furnishing
revenne sufficient to carry out the plans which the 'United
Mtates may properly carry ont in tite mate'rial and intellectual
development of the conntrv and its people. The taxpaying
capacity of the conntrv,: is, of conrse,, determined by tha-t which
it -odnccs for domestic and foreign use. For the ~ast two
three re,,rr the wvealth prosluced in the Islands has b-een
scrionsly impaired and rednced. not only by the war and the
cholera, but also and chieflyv by the loss of dlraft animals,
ninety- per cent. of which have snccnmbed to the rhinderpest.
Ao-rictnlturc Iias becin dependent npon such animals andl the
cecoverv from this blow mnst necessarily he slow. Conglress
appro~priated three millions of dollars to ass;is;t the Islands in
pes  eigluautatioii s. bnt tli c ciorntiius dlifficulties attendin g thie 11i Op rtation of cattle from other count ries whtichi are
aho. it lii- III die Philippines arc (iilv- knowii to thlose who!micaucnitttuedl it. I ant g~lad to sax, however, that our scientii 1.!,in tlie I-oolaKs hiaxe discovered a method of prevenitingr
ai I c drii i nce aiiil spireaul of die eliscase so that wivcii the planttatiouns arc re-,tu eked rltinderpest will have iio terrors for the
I ariciiid i W\ithi normal codiitliions in a-ri cii ture. whien the
catile -huill hav c huen restored byv breeding- and otherw,%ise to
Ith ir ii ii il niiniher. the Islands; will always he sclf-srupportMi- ain w xill dulohtles~s. furntish a;oirpliis o)f revenue with
who.Ith to meet th'e demanils fur improvements- which lpresent
themnselves in every part of the Islands.
The Philippine Archipelago is the only conntrv in which can
be pfoelnced wehat is known as Manila henmp. or what is called
in the 'Spanish language "abaca." This is a fibre of enormous
s;trength, of front six to fifteen feet in length, which is stripped
from tlte stalk of a banana plant. not thte ordhinarv banana
plant. but a hphant of thte sante family whtiet (hoes not produce,
fruit. Thte leaf is shightelv different ftrom thtat of the fruit
banana, though one may easilyv be mistaken for the other.
Tite plant grows on the side hills. For the first two years it
needs tite shade from thue tropical sun and some cultivation
around thte foot of the stalk.   After two years th~e stalk is




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stronil  enoltugh to affordl the fihre o- commerce. and though
cut dlown w ill reproduce itself each year for six or seven
e-car., and thlis witil very little cultivation. The chief labor
in the protuctiomn of the fihre is that of stripping the' fibre of
thle pith of tihe plant.  It i> (lone by pulling or drawing it
under a knife ed-'e. If the fibre be drawn under a serrated
knife elde tih \\wi(rk is very mtuch easier than if drawn under
a straight edge, utit the filre is not so clean and its value and
(quality are much reduced. The tremendous increase in the
demand for i'"!nila heptp has made profitable the production
of the c!',or and poorer qualities.   \\omnen and children
are al)le to draw the hemp with a serrated knife, while only
tihe stronger adults are able to draw and clean properly the
finer filbre. _Man!  machines have been invented fbr the purpose o)f drawing tile hemp. tbut il ntone of tlhem as yet has the
hemp prodlucer been alle to sectire a result which justifies
their utse colmmerciall!. lThe  either b)reak the fibre or they
discolor it. I'There is tlie oplporttuit! for an invention which
will revoltitionize tlie hemp )business in tlie Philippines as
ctlmptletely as tile c'ottio  gin revolutionized tile production
an(ld preparatioiln of cottoni ill the Soutih. ()f tile forty-one
provinces )of the 'hilippine Islandil. at least fifteen lnow produce colmmlercial luantitities of helni. Tlo-day owing to the
insufficienit means of colimunilicationl andl transportation, many
fiel(ls of hemp are allowxed to rot ai-l are not stripped or used.
InT many of tile plroxinces there is wild henip which is lnot sog,,,oi in textlure alnl which it wiull b)e necessary to replace
1)! cultivate(ld lanits were the opol)rtunity offered to )put it on
tlhe market. '-roum experimenits )b ocur Agricultural Butreau,
I have no loulttt that the nutnmer of plrovinces in which hemp
could 1he raised mighlt be dlotbl'el. The ilemandall fcr hemp is
so great that while an increase in its production might reduce
the price, the total product woultd far exceed in value that
xhich the statistics now show.
Mlany parts of tlhe Islands are very rich in cocoanuts. The
coc oa nut grove is planted txwo hundred to a hectare, that is
twvo hlundred t ttwo and a half acres. It takes four or five
year: for coctoanut trees to bear. After that they.will bear
for a hund(lredl years and a low price per tree for annual rent is
)nte dhollar, M\exican. or forty ldollars, gold, a-year an acre. In




the province of Laguna withiii the last two years, since the
war was over, there have been planted more than five times
the number of trees which were there -before. There is a constant market for copra, which is the dried meat of the cocoanut. and the price is rising. Since the demand for hemp and
cocoanuts have increased so largelly planters have abandoned
the rais-ing of rice, preferring to buv their food out of the profit
of the hemp or cocoanut industry. Therefore, for ten or -fifteen years it has been the habit of the Islands to import rice,
although there are no islands where rice will grow to better
advantage than in the Philippines. The amount of importation, however, was comparatively small until the destruction
of the draft cattle, three vears ago, which reduced the actual
amount of rice production in the Islands far below what was
necessary to feed the people, and during the last year about
$I2,000,ooo, gold. had to be expended in importing rice from
French China.
The sugar and tobacco industries in the Islands are capable
of a considerable increase. The Island of Negros contains
sugar land as rich as any in the world, and the provinces of
Cagayan, Isabela and 'inion, contain tobacco lands which,
next to Cubta, produce the best tobacco. in the world, but the
trouble is that the markets for such sugar and tobacco have
been by tariffs imposed in various countries very much reduced. Should the markets of the lUnited States be opened to
the Philippines, it is certain that both the sugar and the tobacoc industrv would hecome thriving, and although the total
amount of the product in each would probably not effect the
American market at all, so extensive is the demland here for
both tobacco and sugar, it would mean the difference between
poverty and prosperity in the Islands. 1 know that the relduction of the tariff for this purpose is much opposed by the
interests which represent beet sugar and tobacco. but I believe
that a great majority of the people of the L'nited States are in
favor of opening the markets to the Philippine Islands, conscious that it will not destroy either the beet sugar or the
tobacco industry of this country, and feeling that as long as
we maintain the association which we now have with the
Philippine Islands, it is our duty to give them the' benefit of
the markets of the United States and bring them as close to




,r lc)1ptcI alid our tri a:l pVo- -i>ilu.. othit  else \vill justify
tlc     C ppllicatioln (ft tit' coast\wis, trading laws to tlhe tralns-,,cc.tIlic  trade  l)ctxxw   il  t lit  t- itc1 d  States  alld  tile  F'hilippine
I.slaldl-, lit if thlv-  arc  il\xl  t(d,) p artake lx f the  benefits  of
1lt. lpr,,tIcti,()l   tlte,,x!. tll(x\  1 \ l \ well 1)e  sllbjected  to  the  rule
that a. letwell tle [ ' litcl.l' ar'- an1l tlhmselel< tltu pro-,llt t  art  to  ltc  tlraltlsfcirrtl   il  A\Ilu'ritaIll  l)(ttomllS..\nltllh r  iIlIeInln. s.l.i' S u tt'  \\tialtl  ill  tilt  Islaii(s   is   titi al-:l,,-it  illuxhat-tltilei  '-)1xllx\  of  tlixx  mxx - -t l)alitifi l  \-xxoxl  nof
rlill r  a d11l 111  tl lx o.:t \alxalxilxix  tll" -.  I lh(. t,urcs  nof
wealtlh  arc  hiarllv l  c   cl,1l..\A1 d I(l  1 \\  x\xit;lI- a   tl lu'   c'\isiil  IlIralc  l)t\\xx'cll  tlt'  I'llited
>'it.11  ltl, l t'it  l'hili)lx 'l (-.   It  i-  'till  (|ttt  'I-a.ll 1.  lo)i t.'ct c(dl1 '(  t I\  I l illiI -   ill   il  \-,  lt.   \   <-r,f   Clll  I  It la li<   i ra  '-il   fcrred
1'.a 11"'e l\  m  -lilut' o(li t- S alt t r 1. '  fom 1  1  ' hllilli'',  ()il i  ll' l'to ill~
II x l li  illt it llt ` I   IIlt lI  Illxlx'.x  t iI  till.   i tll)Ix t lx llC txlxxxT
Tlx   xi      l       itt, lx  l, x. x'l  I  ixxix-. -\ 1,,xi, IxIi xt   it xl i  xxix.ltx l liI!tx I  x, x ixlxx  lx it I xxlxt I,'   -. 4x  tI,  tl ti t  fltxl)ll
>,  '       'r'.. xx x'l,,,l  tll  lx'lil)  tr:a l- t ',l,lxrt'C!!t'1 ftoll  tltx  I'llilil'-l
~ 5I.t  lt. ":.1111 i t:. ':t11(1  tilt' )'llilil l'llt '!'  ilc-ti..li,' lil;( -u 'cn'  -.  t 1n l' il'l, )in.  \\  tl  tll  1 t i lu. l lr t;,n, o, rl  con d- th1 aIiiti  ln-  iln.u~  1-lald!-.' \\ xilx l.'  c ll-ilttii, i a-il\ttt; - I-i tl lth r mI a-:      l i, Ntx!,, I I  c x  u I.  Iti '   1   1I1\t.   11 '  (lo   l)  alit Nl is tI radl(  1-),l -
*\\xxt.  i.lii  *i ';iuttl  ttlalt'-  at dl,1  1 (,.,l-l nl(  wo,,uld  1)\'e  t"(.'l)lctd  in
I   xxt I'lIi            xx nI t-lt  I'Iii t\'I  x t Iet ItlalxIt t',,lxFl't                  )II '  xii\t'i \t11 i   II   tI'.
Il''   x xL,,l lixtil-  \itl l'>c..lxcxt ltx  tile  lltsiteiss i of txlx e  l'nited
tlat —  lllurctlitan-  itl  tltI' l- lail -  to-(av is  lInfor t ilnate,  and
it-  ean  ll, ean   axxil\' let l xract.   'I'le   (ioxx'ernl lent  If tle  I'nlited
S      xtti   Clt  li~t, ti  l. - lai(ix-  i uni(lt r a  Ilistilnct promise  that it
xx' x,tlt.   xl   till   I lili u)i  lII- for I tllu l)lnefit  xf  tie  Filipinols
illat   t   \\x1(11n  1.\xt xi  -x(lf- x \ lcrnIniclllt to  tlie  lilipilnox -  as
'alitill  it- i tlu,  -lh  t  xxi'(  tltcn'-il  l\x'.  tit if)r  it. and  that  as  Imanlv
1        - -ii p,,i- as p-ilI \\'oxldi l)  ixsed in tlhe personnel xf the
l    xt'rn11 n1(i t. 't'hi h i as I  lxx   x's 1)e(t  thie  attitude   of the  GovtrllIll'llt. aild  ncv\. so  fa' c- I knoxw  ( has there l)een  a single
ttclp if (llcartuire frmlil it. It wai thle attitude declared betore
iltx  wair  lf insurrectioln  l -anlil. while  it was  pernding. and  at
t' ct.lox..    Ian(l  resistale,n 11 thle part of the natives has






'varied 0ur positin ill that regard. Tlhis policy did not Ineet,
as was natural, the read- assent of all the arnll  or of those
persons who were in slympathy witl the armn. The adventturesome spirits whto followed the army for tle purpose of
establishing a business ill its wNake found that tlhe  had all
that theyv could do to supply tile demand made by the army
for Aminerican goods, and as American capital calne in driblets
or in larger suims. it was turnted into tile business of supplying
tle arm-!-  wvith tlosc tlin'-s which the (Goverlnment did not
Suplvt. }:our ()o fihve tradlin- comrpanies were thus organized,
cmbraciinr sui)s-tantiallv:ll tlhe \itmerican enterprise that has
apptear.d( in thl Islands (luring the tirst tlree or fouir years
otf Ai.\erictall tccupatioin..\intcrican merchailts thus situated
casil cailught tihe feelin   of hostility anil contetmpt felt by
many of tie soldiers for tlte r   ililpinis. and were Imost emphlatic
ill   cmildelillill  the  policv, ti tile  (;o(,vcrninlllt  in  attempting
t,(   attract  tile  lili)ill(), aiit(  imai  c  tlliem   sti   far  a i- migit  he  a
part oft the nl\ew civil -lorder. d TheI \mlerican newsplapers which
were cstablished. rteaily 'toil; tlie tonil  of their advertisers
atlni their sublscril)-crs. anil lienlce i it  that the.\Iterican commiluiity in tile Phili)pines tu-dla  is largelyi an anti-lilipilno
coliiimunity. Thie 75.00)o soldiers whcose demlands for supplies
Illade their lbusilless so iprofitab)l. have nol)w beci reduced to
i5.ooo..an( tlc market \hlich imaide th'e A\merican mierchants
fur a tiliel indcpl)endet of tlhe ltilipinous. has now almost entirely disappeared. The colndemnatio n bv such merchants of
tile Civil G( ov ernmentlltt colntiinties, aind they do. not hesitate to
imake the;Government the scapeoat for tle failure iof business
to imiprove.  'he fact is that their customers have gone back
to the T-nited states and that their attitude towards the Filipincos is such that the FTilipinios are not dislost(cl to> patronize
theml.  This is utnfortunlate. and there imust colne into the
Islands a new set of merchants who shlall view the situation
from  an entirely different standlpoint.  There are 7.600.000
Filipinos. Of these, the 7.ooo.0oo  Christian Filipinos are imi-tative, anxious for new ideas, Nilliing to accept them, willing
to follow American st-les. American sports. Ainerican dress
and American customs. A large amount of cotton goods is
imported into the Islands each year, but this is nearly all from
England and Germany. There is no reason why these cotton




lI6


g(ro(ls 1'shoul(1 nlot comlcl from  Ameritica. except the fact that
there arc no1.Amrican hoiuses in tihe Islalnds that have devoted
their attention to xwiining ' ilipino trade. I am not a business
man, lbut l l)know enotilgh to) kl-now\ that it is not the best vwav to
attract customl fr'i an an alien lpeoplc to call them names, to
miake funt (f theml. an(l to (decrv everv effort towards their
advancemclnt1 atd levelolpmlcnt. In other vorlds. the American
merchaintt  in the IPhilippines have gotteln (ff on the wrong
f      l)t.  Thcre should be a radical chainge.
There are a few projected railroad lines in the Philippines
which it \v(uld et possiblc to indtuce capital to build without
a guaranty ofi ilncom'. but it is wiser, it seems to the commission. to attempt to introduce a general system of railways than
to have a link luilt here and a link built there and to await
the process t)f time before trunk lines shall be established.
I-or instacie, it is (uiite t pro)l)ahle that a short lin.e of fortv or
fifty mile, xwvotld lte conlttritctedl without a g'uarantv in the
l'rnoincce oft Iegaspi   i       where is the rich hemp Ibusiness and
where it lias been ctistomarv dltiring- tlhe last two or three hemp
seasonis to p)a for-t! (dollars Mlexicanl a la!- for a cariIou cart;
so. l)erhapl)s it wNoul(l l)e ip)ssil)le t, setcure the construction
of a line wvithout a guaranty from Mlanila south to Batangas,
thougli o(f this I am io t certain. \\ith tlte hllope. however, of
blringing 'capital in conisidlral)le almontt to the Islands, a bill
has heen plreplared, wlhich lias passe(l the IHouse. authorizing
the Ilhili)ppinc (Government to gr-ant franchises for the constructiion (f railsva!s with a gtaranity of income )of not-more
than five pI)r cent. (o tle atmotint actuall- invested for not
exceeding, thirty!years.  In miost cases a g-taranty of a less
percentage woul(d le sufficient. nbt lmy impression is that with
respect to thie main trunk line from   Aparri to Manila, the
difficulties >of construction aitl tile lelav inl securing a profitable bulsiness cotil(l prob)aly require an assttrance of five per
cent. divilden(ld. 'The ol)ppsition ofi tlose wlto oppose the investmient,of any- Americain capital in the Islands-which shall
furnish a motive for a lolger association between the two
c, un)tries thanl is absoltltelv necessary, may postpone the
passage of thit bill until the lext session of Congress. I shall
deeply regret the lelav, but I am not discouraged, for as long
as I cotrrinut e iln llm presentt positionl I expect to press the




1 7
legitimiate clai-nis of the Philippine Islands upon a just and
geeosGovernment for suich auithority in theloagven
ment as -\ill lerirlit a proper development of the material resources of the Islands, andI the dlelav in legislation, which is
in1CIdenlt n]ot to thle 0j)Po-Sition of a majority hut to the opposition of a small mi~nority,.Nwhile it is apt to try one s patience,
ottglt1t neverthieless not to iliscottrage.
I. comne now to the question of lahor. wvhich has heen made
the basis for the most discouraging- accounts of conditions in
the Philippine Islands. The Filipino is a trolpical laborer. In
timnes piast a large amount of rice has heen raised in the
Islands-. a large amount (if tuhacco. a large amiounlt of sugar,
and a large amount of hemrp. and they, all involve, as a material
part of the cost of their production, the lahor of 'the natives.
The (jhi1namien, who have heen said bv mistaken persons to
nttnmber a million or a million and a half in the Islands. in
fact ili) mit numhier 100,00, andl none of them dlo any agriciilttt~a-l — wvoik of an-\- kind in the P hilippine Islands.  The
Filipino is naturally ait agriculturalit. t \hen yon go through
hIls village In the middle of the dlay yoi, w ill prohablV see him
louinging ab~out the wvindow or onl the seat in front of his
houlse. and von will ascrilbe to himn the lIaziest hahits, hecause
VOnI (l0 not know that hie has licen ttp at fottr o'clock in thle
morning and. has wvorked frernli that timne iuntil nine or ten in
the filils, aiid that lie will legiii Nvork a-~ain at four o'clock
and wvork for two ( ir three hoitrs~ until stin dloxwn or later. The
American mercliaiit is lotiid in hIls deniinciation of the -insuffi-'
clencv of the Filipino lahorer. This is hecause thle price of
lahor has prolbably (lotihied since the Aniericans went there,
and hie has heard the tale of how cheap lahor was hefore thle
Spanish regimne ciided. lie also) compilaredl thle cost of lahor in
the Phillippine Islands wvith that in ilon2- Kong-. and he finds
that is very considerahlv less all over China. I amn not conteniding that the lahor in the P hilippines is as, good as Chinese
hahor, fer that lahor is the hest in the world. prohahlv, when
eonC1omyi in wvages andI efficiency iii prodttct are considered,
htut what I wish to disputtti that the lahor conditions in the
P-hilippines are hopeless. '[he city of Manila has tinder its
control, and in its employment, ahotut 3,000 lahorers, and they
are paidl all the wav from fifty cents Mexican to $1.25 MNexi



call. nd thIrc  i l   ol, m, laiiitwtllete'i- -in the )art of tile
aulthl(itics that thleir- \\'r-l; is nlot ploperly andl well tdole. The
Oitartcrmastlr's. -  i)tartImllt,of the arml lhas ai()tmt thlt' same
inumi)r. and tilheir rclprt- otf tile efficiency (if I'ilipino labor
arc xcctlinlv citoturalillg.  \\ ' lave nii\  etmlollcyed really
a.  c.lids,lies   (   til  Ie,lI' u  t  a(i   i I  til mI,st  (litftit l lt (11illilng
antl  c, ll.- i.tru tioll  \x-ork ill)bl it I,0t. ll\t.. 1ict\"e,  11ll(  w ile  their
effciti lc  is  ni)thin-t lik(  tl.hat of tilc.A tierlcanll. i ll t le accomp)lii11 liw   llt f  i\11k  ilt   lrii l)lorti;1 tI(  ll. lpav, thl uv  ltipr babl
gcII  tillrougt alot a       much. bht mcn w\I o arie  cnstr ucting.
tilt li harl  r lwl v,rs  at  Maliila-   Thcl. tlaitlti.  -acific   &   (tulf
(C'mipaly-' hav' c  elpl,,''lo'lpwardls  (of  (,oo  t(,  i.(x   F lili)inos
ill t ihir  ( luarril. i l.  tirt t il(v  foiundl it 'r  (ifficult to  tsicure
w\()rktli l,  iult   l lc-)\  ti \  la e It ' ll   lI  lal)( /  tIhall   thel   llcetd.
l  Ie\  (l al)( t cmi' lt plerC- celt o)f whit.e ftireIe11(111 aIlld  tilthe  rest
ialtitc-. I1 t llv (i\vi  tI(   tilt llati\tc s  loti sc.,. tfurish  at cthurch,
a landl.;a  c k  plit anll(  a:ooll( 1.  (,)In  thl('ir fiesta  dlavs they  give
thilt   \'vacai til.  T'1 le  a\ it t  I. ll>  del s rtit  1.   tll t  abl)silntecismil.
thai n   \\iti l.\Ali Ticaiit lls Tt it - i t  x tit  i nlu llt-  )l111  shIlli()   that the
1         lu' tlabo 1o11lm  il  t e lilippinei  is   te-tachingtT
l lt.i   Ia,   tti iti isltt  l. llt  tic i  it t  lliltlulillttl  tistla il,  ii the
ilt  l-I'i(l\ii,>   l,\\  t, -, o,,!   Sir   \\'  il.l I i   \'  \\  ll( I l-: rel)lrtS
t aitl  It  l'u( 11111 i  ii t  lifthctilxl  (,I ri-i ll^altl   ill   tl rt cctlltllctioa
if litl  (.  ltall  ratii\'tl\ -  eclit  llit   l (ti (. \\1u   1 ve ot nact uallited
\\tilr 1l  \\  tilc   herei   crulll  1)t c l  alc.  liut  that I)v   Illea11 lS  (of
s itle it  l', lrt tlt t lic\  \\t  t  l  ia- il\   taull lit.   anil   that   thenl   the
s tld' cr i.lt   lal~o —>  I l'tet.lt' that tilt <1 1 tit i i-ngx^ll t n)ix-e
t, 1i  ti-luti c f tilt' t il'ipci i e   s\
'I'le r  it  lit d u 1)s  o, t  a  realt  dctal Tf  mineiratl  \\ althl   in   tile
Islanld-. lut it will on.lv  te  a\' ilai)lu aft'r tvranSlp ro tion  shall
have titctl intrt)(tluced1.  It is nl()t an  island  with a bmsan t.a mine
inl it. thllu-l at some distant cday siuch a vein miay be discovererod  there.  'T'lhere is ctertainl  coal inl  the Islands in  colnsideable - (|anttitis. There is no, w )betwxeen the islands a considecra)le inter-islan(d tiradt,. 'and thure are (quite a large nutlInlber
Of shils enlaed tilherlei. \\Without it the Islands could not
live: it is their arterial circulilation. Thie present sstem might
ble much iImproved by1 intr-ullcill -n American -enerous-nethods
of (dealin-i with the ilu)blic. \bout two and a half millions of
caplital has b)een invested il at street railway in Manila, which
will te cmplletedl cxit Tlhaniksiving Dav. Tltis w-ill certainly




change one of the annoving and expensive features of -Manila
life. and will give to the residents of the city opportunity to
ctdo(xlwn their present expense of living, at least twentv-five
perkcent. There is no city in the world where there is so
much travelingc done in carriages. (Ile to the fact that people
nay- not walk alout safely under the tropical' sun.      The
prestence of a street railway will do away with the _necessity
for many ot tthese coilvevances. and the streets will be less
Iuset1 alnd their con(litiol nil ch improved.
There is a sufficient continuous fall of water in streams
within practicable distance of Manila to furnish electrical
Ipo' r exceediiin  fiftten thousand horse power.   With the
high price ot c(cal tiis is an iml)portant aid to mianufacturers.
'TF Tli   s tldsh lhouses and thte Spanish houses wvho have dealt
inl tlie elxor-t tralde in the Islands have earned large profits
duriing the occuipan cx of the Tlnited States.
It is said that the lhealth tof the Islands is such as to preclutle A\inericans frml goitgi there. This is s not true. The
climatei (l)es p) tre-ent one frtill goinig t)utt into the sunt in the
middle of the day and so prevents his working inl the fields
as a lalbotring man., but it is entirely possible for,ne to live
inl tle -slaInds for!yar-l. and if lie does not neglect the ordinary
rule.- it hygiene t(o hle free fronm bad health. IlThe P'rovince of
3Bcnt'uet. \which sl iS 1o n ilts fr(oml Manila. anTd which  will soon
be rtacthcid 1v a railrlad and all tlecttric road in twelve hours,
offer- a c liimate (qluite like the summti er climnatt of the -\dirondackl, oI-r )f Canada.  I 'nder the land reuilations, which go
into foirtc' at tile time tf the adi)ouirnmnenit (f Congress, a sumetr capital is to be established at ltagtuio, and town lots in the
samle place w ill he (ffer-ted at pubtlic atuction. -\mericans engaged in businiess nmay, at small c(-st, hbu  lots and erect houses
and live there as manl  montths of the year as the- choose,
except the- monthls of- Aiugust and September. which are usually so wet as to make it unprofitable. During remaining
months of the year the climate is beautiful, the temperature
going down as low as 35 degrees.xitlIsaXNEIeIr, and rarely if
ever reaching 80 degrees.
It is estimated that not more than five millior   acres of
land are owned, by natives in the Islands, and that the remainder, sixty-five.millions. is owned hb the Government. This
4A,,3,};




2(0
relmaIn lter will un 111   r t1he lan  rc. II ulatiolns )tic tlopenl  for settlellient ll(l urca< at tliilte aliournmillent of the present session
iof ( nres,. Ther     iSe every proslpect that the land w\ill btaken ill) 'v bot1h Iilipinllo  and.\Americans. The mnaximum'
lilmitatti(l fIr -  )llrlcha.t  v a el npalv is 2.00o acres.  This
lilitaltiol i  i, much to, lo\x for the cultivxatioll of sugar, )but is'
stfficientl\ I xtent-ive for tihe cultiv-atioln of other products.
There        e i     i a > isiol il tlhe la\w 1v Whiich rrigatiin c(iompanies
Ima\- on -,1I tocki ill la(nd c()mpailiie-.  that p)rAobablyq the limitati i(l lllav hle oeadl(l iif priv\ate p rofit reluirts. lThe future of
tite  hlilill)inll.e — laln(ls i)f c,,irse it would be dangeroutis to
iprltph-esv \witlh certaillty. ttit witlh a cvhange ill the hygienic
cnltlitin)ll   tlhat sul1rro)tundI lift'. dl(C t  aln ftfective loard of
healthi. wil] a suIlpply,tf Illurc xatrl froml tlle sinkitng of driven
wvll> all ( )\- r the oiuntrl  which tile plentiling P  ll in Cogllress
will ect liural. I   f l urel that tile ipo pitilation will railidly
increase.
\\'e  ho1)l  tilte  I hililpliine  fI, r the  len)ict i t  iif I:ililinto   antd  xwe
aie n11t et1itlel tol tai-.. a.i-l' le act ()ti appl)lrtove a single meas11rl thlat 1hl  notl tihat ia it- cili lf purpos. Illnt4 so, S happtlles
and it fortunatel      hlapp.II-.. that g'nerally vtll'Inthgn we
(1l  flil  the  icn( it,l of tle.  l i ll  tiili it i a d  e  I'hilippin s xw ill onlr
takir tilir ass-ociatio  \\xxiti tl' 1 'nlitcl Stlte li-mrle profitable
to ile It'nle  Stat. i ii lt, t 1)iav mi 111  -a!-er for a continualc   t'  ti  Ille- pre"-llt  p,lic\v  tx  var  tilu   l'lil ilt inc  Iilands  on
-lfislh -iriund- ls t nai tli" i- tile t 'li hambeir ()f Co(lmurce. and
a" i it aturall      e     i 1it-.teet i in tule l)o.u.il/iltiits',f olimmerce
inl  tilht<.(  di-tatt  1-lald. I ha\l t  fI' t liu-tilhie   iln  referring  milore
tlallt  ll tilrc  tii,   tilt  illtudl tlrial  c( tnlllitiols  existing  t here
all  tilt tl.[i()" itilitv  if iil)rx tl 'ilit a11 11   tle i crel se  of  trade
''lt tilt rClei.itu (,f lrtl'ltrit\l il tl   i'Phililpine Islandcs
i" ti-rll(iiilit\x. an111   tli. i -Ili tldl( 1,e  ilt d encl(i by  a  xwell ordered,,'tlittlel;nt.  'I'lie  Iiliplill.o. i mu.it  l)e   tauti-t  tlhe  advantages
)I -u1cli a  o\vernlilnt.it atld til' tv -hitul(l learn from the governniiilt which is tix ven thuem  tl  (ldisl-advanita-ge, that arise. to
x\'ir1-)'txl- il tile c,1ixt1 rv it-l(ll political a-itation for a change
il thel ftorm  )f, governmenit inl tlc e immeliate future. Hence it
is that I lhave \ ve t'iired-t  toi op))(i' with all the argument that
I coiuldl trin  to tel ar tile Ietiti(m to tle political conventions




21
asking that independence be promised to the Filipinos.      It
is not that I am o(pposed( to independence in the Islands,
should the people (if the tPhilipi)ines desire ilndependence when
thle are fittcd for it. lIt t it is tat the reat t Iresent needl in the
Islands is tran(ililitv, the great present nee( in the Islands
is tlhc buildinig uil) f a permanent well-(ordered government,
tlie g-reat pre.,ent incc( ill the Islatndls is the increase of the
a\ingl rellllmanl t t o(f c(onsrvative I'ili)pinls whosl e aid in uplift
ini alnd mailntaining' thle present governmienlt (,n a l)artly p)opi,
lar andl strictl civ\il lil)ert!y 1asis, stall b1e secuired.. promise
such as that which is petitionled for ca!inot but introduce at
(,ice illto tht politics i,f tile Islands the issue of independence,,)f present fitness for self-government, and will frightenl away
frI,1 tlie suIpport of the present government the conservative
clemllelit which is esseiltial to its success, and vet which is
al\\ways timi(l lest b)! a change bringing the violient t and the
'irrconcilalble t, to tl  frt-it. they shall suiffer by reasoin )f their
promlilltieoe iI aidl,f the p)resent government.  Thel promise
tlo gi    ideltll)ependelnc lellps lno one. There is n1l Iiceed of that
liromisc to sctiure trianii(lility because we have train(ulility in
tle lelands. It is certaini to be misunltderstiooi(d as a promise, le )  compliced witll in the present generation, anil if, as is
iprolbale, the p)eople slhall not be fitted for self-govertnment
ill tlhe lre-sent or tlhe next generation, thenl the failure to give
it \will 1)e regardedl as a 1)reach. \\ 1h  no lt et the politics of the
Ilai(l-, take care of thilmelles. \\'lv sl ttshould the gioo)(d peoIle whoi sigeil( the petition intermleddle (l i ith so)lmethingt. the
effect (f whic they are very little al)le to tiiundlrstaildl  \\ hv
n(ot   tia e tlic broader polic-y, whilch is that t f d(Ioill  everythiing
licicticial to thle  I 'ilipp)inie lalnd(ls o(f giving themi  a full
mlarlkt, tf )ffering them an opl)pt(rl:uit ti) have raillroads built
cxtenlsiv'cl through the Islandl,  and otf haviing a tranqiliilitv
lwhich is es ecntial t, t lie (levelopmenet of their )businless and
their l)pr(ol)Prit!: why lnot insist on the slreal  of tlhe ediucati)onall s!stemi. o)f anl iii)pri vicmelit ill the health laiws. and sub)ject everythingi that is donic in the Islands to) an examlination
as to whether it is  enlieficial to the Filipinlo lpeople. and then
wvlhen all has leen donte for- the Philippines that a,government
cal dlo, tan(l they hiave )een elevate(d and taught the dignity
of labur, tlhe wisdom of civil liberty and self-restraint in the




22
political conltrol indispensable to the enjoyment of civil liberty,
when they have learned the principles of successful popular
aelf-government from a gradually enlarged experience therein,
\\e can discuss tihe qluestin wh\ether indelpetndence is what
tile!- Isire andl grant it, o(r whIether the! prefer the retention,if a closer association with t he co( ntrv whvlich, 1b its guidance, lias unselfishly led them Ion to beItter coln(litions..\nd now\, gientlemetll, there rt'-ains t tme thing to say whicil
i:,, more (r less a matter of businless. In or(der to familiarize
thle pl(opll. otf tile l'nited States with 'the P'lilippline Islands,
anl( ill ordler to lring the F ilillos cl()scr to the L'nlited States,
t l    tcomllllissioll has (leem1l  it \wise to expenild albout threelluarter ofi a million d(ollars il making a satisfactorv exhibit;it the W\\  l(l's Fair at St. I ouis. In makingt the etlhnographical xhlibit, tlhe collectors Itave broughit here natives of the
\ ari ui,   trites of tihe Islands. Naturally, as   exhilbiit, thev
w\\ull( t lnt bri ng tile civilized tries, except as tlhey are shown
ill the battalions of scoutis and constabularv wh\ich are here.
Ilhe lducated, the cultured and thle refined F}ilipinos would, of
course, not appear ill all exhibit, and vet the attention likely
o l)e attracted to the wild tril)es ma!y bliind tlie people to the
fact that thliese wild tribes do not correctly represent the general avelrate of civilization in the Islands. Ior that reason the
(omilllissiom  deems.it proper to alppropriate a considerable
t1111 Oif nmoile  to bring to the I'nited States a delegation of
fruoll fOrtv to fifty Filipinos prominenlt at tlie lar, prominent
ill tlusintess, prominent in the provinces, iprominent in literature, ill ider tliat!by going alboitt the counttrv andl the lifferc lit cities they may become acquainted with the institutions
landi appearances (of this cotuntry, and at the samle tine the
utisiness and prominent meni of tile cities of the IUnited States
11may havexc ac(qaintance with tile best elements of tile Filipinos.
Th11  ap)roproiation is not large enough to justify such extetsive visiting to the various cities as we should like, and therefor n  w  have thought it wvise to appeal to the comnlercial
Iodlies of each city to assist us ill the entertailnment of these.getnitltlell while they are he-r. I venture to suggest, therefort, t) tilte Chialmber of C(iimmii'trce, that soimll action lie taken
ill tlie nature of the appointitenltt of a Committee to confer with
Dr. \\VILsoN, who is in charge of tle Philippine Exhibit, and




23
also in charge of the delegation of Filipinos, and to care for
them while in New-York. I am sure that there is in NewYork, as there is elsewhere, a sufficient interest in the people
of those far-distant Islands to invoke some effort on the part
of the individuals to see that the hospitality of the City of
New-York is prol)erly extended to them. The first virtue of
a Filipino city or village is hospitality, and should any of vrour
number ever visit the Philippines and become acquainted with
the Filipinos, you will understand why it is that those of us
who have enjoyed the hospitality of the people of those
Islands are so anxious that the Filipino gentlemen with their
standards of hospitality shall not he disappointed in what
they receive here,.
I thank vou, gentlemen of the( C'hamb er of Commerce and
Mr: Chairman, for your attention. [Great applause.l