The Conservative (Nebraska City, Neb.) 1898-1902, June 08, 1899, Page 9, Image 9
'Cbc Conservative , the republic after its establishment. There were civil wars between the church and 'the liberal parties. The liberals secured the confiscation of much of the church property. The United States has never had a similar condition to deal with , and our government and politics are utterly unfitted to meet its requirements. "We should shrink from such a problem. "We should let the Fil- piuos work out that question for them selves in their own way. It is alleged that one reason why they wish for in dependence is that they desire to gain control of the forfeited church property of the Spanish government ( which is very valuable ) , and of all Spanish con cessions , in order to dispose of them to their own advantage. By Spanish con cessions I mean charters for water works , tramways , electric lighting , and other industrial interests and points of vantage of all kinds. The treaty with Spain compels our government to re spect all corporate and treaty rights , under which rights all the desirable pro perty of the islands is held , and leaves no booty for the United States to offset the expense of military control and ad ministration. An Oillcial Report. Moreover , in the Philippines , as in Formosa , Hainan , Saigon , Singapore , Ceylon , Java , Sumatra , etc. , the best fields of enterprise are largely controlled by wealthy Chinese financiers , who be sides their general interests , mining or agricultural , in a very clever way do an immense loan business. Mr. Edw. W. Harden , special commissioner of the United States , in his official report on the "Financial and Industrial Condi tions of the Philippine Islands" says : "The business of lending money to planters is largely in the hands of the mestizos or Chinese half castes , who ex act interest of from 12 to 80 per cent , and even as high as 40 per cent for the use of their money. " Also , "The half-caste Chinese mesti zos make a business of lending money on city and country property not generally acceptable as a guaranty by the banks. " They will make advances on security that an American banker would reject , and more often on no security at all. When certain conditions are present , liberal loans are made at the limit of peaceful ondmauce as to the interest rate , and so it comes to pass in those countries that Chinese practically hold thousands of people , of every station in life in a peculiar or financial form of bondage. This is in substance what a merchant at Manila has written. To it I may add ( from reading and observation ) that the Chinese are constantly emigra ting to all other Oriental countries con tiguous to the Flowery Kingdom and are even pressing upon the Hawaiian islands in large numbers , and where once these people obtain a foothold they never relinquish it. The well-known WMBUi i. business sagacity of the Chinese clearly demonstrates that it is futile for the white laborer , mechanic , merchant , or shop keeper to attempt to compote with them in Oriental lauds. Tito Labor Question. Upon the question of labor in the Philippines , special commissioner Har den , already quoted , says : "The question of labor is a serious one. The natives ore not to be depended upon as laborers. They work only when they see fit , and their work is far from jeiug satisfactory. The best workers in ; ho Philippine islands are the Chinese coolies , most of them , however , are in and around Manila. The Spanish gov ernment had a law in force under which Chinese coolies were allowed to land on the payment of a tax of $50 a head. Under the military occupation of Manila no more Chinese have been allowed to land at that port. Planters nud busi ness men believe the Chinese should bo allowed to come in , under proper restric tions , as they make the best servants and in many ways the best laborers that cnu be obtained in the islands. " The Chinese are , in fact , the best la borers that can be obtained in the Ori ent , but are the masses of the American people ready to invite race troubles by an influx of Asiatics either by unre stricted immigration or as citizens of the United States under the annexation of the Philippines ? As to retaining these islands , the whole scheme is one of forcible annexa tion , dictated by commercial greed. Commissioner Donby , who is popularly supposed to dominate the commission now in the Philippines , and doubtless does , after stating the proposition as a purely "business" one , has said : "The cold , hard , practical question alone remains : Will the possession of these islands benefit us as a nation ? If it will not , set them free tomorrow , and let their people , if they wish , cut each other's throats or play what pranks they please. To this complexion we must come at last , that , unless it is beneficial for us to hold these islands wo should turn them loose. " If this does not dispose of the last semblance of altruism , the last vestige of benevolence , I do not know what fur ther evidence is needed. We cannot as similate alien races , and the invitation , however presented , to bring Oriental peoples under the government of the United States , with freedom to come and go as citizens , means more just such happenings as have disgraced this coun try in the brutal murders of Chinese on the Pacific coast , and of negroes in the western and southern states. It is im possible for the masses to overcome race antipathy. The history of the world shows that all branches of the Aryan race will assimilate with each other , bul never with the Mongolian , African , etc The Spanish have come nearer to it with the Indians and Malays than any other nice , but it is only partial with them and has resulted in the overthrow of Spain's sovereignty in every colony whore it had taken place. JOHN J. VALENTINE. NO TRANSMITTED ANTAGONISM. The head of every family should im press it upon his descendants that nil of lis fights and contentions with individ uals die when ho dies ; and must bo juried in forgotfuluess and the llowors of forgiveness grown upon their graves. The contentions and wrangles which separate and aggravate some good men , ought never to be perpetuated. Anger and wrath which have fired one genera tion should bo extinguished with the passing away of that generation. THE CONSERVATIVE is against the con servation of the causes of personal bit- ; ornoss and strife and there in nothing more lamentable than to bequeath a personal fight , quarrel or contention to one's own sous. Lot each generation bo satisfied to have its personal animosities die when it dies. Cumulative causes of trouble and uuhappiness should not bo transmitted or impressed upon posterity. A VISIT TO AN OTO13 COUNTY ' 'I see him directly I come in sight of the place ; it was corn-shuokiu" time , and ho was throwin' corn into his crib. Crib was , oh , I d'kuow , may bo twelve foot high ; he never had no boards knocked off the top , like the rest of us do , just pitched the com clean over ; looked like ho done it easy , too. Soon's lie see mo , course , he came out to meet mo ; didn't say a blame word , just reached into the buggy an' picked mo up , lifted mo clean over the wheel , an' my feet never touched the ground till he set me down inside the house. I weigh about a huudred-n-seventy , but I was stockier in them. days. Got into the parlor , an' ho set me down in a chair , an' then what does he do but reach over and got the big Bible oif the center- table and nlank it down in my lap. 'There , ' he says , 'there's a good book ; ' an' off ho goes , 'thout another word , an' I never see him again till he'd put up my horse an' finished pitchin' in his corn. Course 'twas all in fun. " The county commissioners of Otoo county , in the state of Nebraska can beat the calendar. These three learned officers of the law can make two days labor out of the work done in one day and get paid for same. They make out and audit their own accounts. These commissioners average salaries of about eighty dollars each per mouth. They must work at the rate of about eight to ten dollars a day two days in one. Their compensation per year is greater than that of the average clerk , account ant or book-keeper in Nebraska. When ' "V - shall their salaries be increased ? When will they make three days out of one ?