The story of the Philippines, for use in the schools of the Philippine Islands

by Adeline Knapp

The United States is often spoken of as a free country. Its people are free because they have a voice in the making and upholding of their government. There are strong laws in the land to protect their freedom. No man and no state can be really free without such laws. If a man would enjoy liberty, and freedom from the power of evil, he must obey the laws of goodness. So a people must honor and uphold the laws of the state, if the state is to be strong enough to protect their liberties. We can easily see that if there were no laws, and each man were free to do as he pleased, no man’s life or property would be safe. Every man would have to take care of himself, and the land where such a condition existed would cease to be a civilized country. Laws are made for the protection of a people, and without them there would be an end to liberty and progress.

For a great many years the government in the Philippine Islands was by force of arms. It was not a government in which the people had any voice. They were ruled by laws made by a power outside of themselves, and often these laws were against their interests and welfare. It is hard to make a people uphold such laws. The government that tries to do this will always, in the end, have to call in force to its aid. A government cannot long rule, however, by force alone. Even a military government, to be successful, must be based upon just laws. It must recognize and uphold what is just and right.

At the beginning of American rule in these islands, a good many reforms had to be made at once. It was necessary to set the country in order, so that business might go on, justice might be done, and safety insured to the people. Life and property were in danger, and even among themselves the people hardly knew who were their friends and who were their foes. The country needed wise, just laws, strongly upheld, to bring about peace, order, and safety. At that time a military rule was the best form of government to meet this need, and military rule was therefore set up in the islands.

This government made many changes in the country. Courts were established, and every effort was made to carry out the laws with justice to all. Many prisoners who had been for years wrongfully imprisoned were released from jail. Steps were taken at once to open schools where the children might be taught; and many other reforms were made that, in time, will show good results in the country. They are of a sort that will make this a much richer and happier land. This is what the United States wishes to do. It is a great and powerful nation, and other nations expect it to build up a good government in these islands. The government at Washington has declared that the aim of American rule in the Philippines is to prepare the people for self-government and to teach them what true liberty really is.

In January, 1899, the President of the United States appointed a body of men wise in government to come to the Philippine Islands from America. These men were to learn all that they could about the country and its people, in order that they might recommend a just form of government for the country. They had to find out what were the ideas of the Filipino people in regard to government, and to study the needs of the country, before they could make any recommendations.

The commissioners came to Manila early in April, 1899, and began work at once. They traveled about the country to see what it was like. They held meetings in Manila and elsewhere, and invited leading Filipinos to come and meet with them. They did this in order to ask them about matters of interest to the country and its people. They promised the people that just laws should be established in the country, and the government is keeping that promise.

The members of the commission saw that good schools are a great need in the country. An attempt was made to provide these at once, and the commander of the army established a great many schools, with soldiers as teachers. It was seen, however, that to make the schools what the people needed would require experienced teachers. These could not be provided immediately; but a couple of years later hundreds of trained American teachers were brought to the islands. In time, when there are enough trained Filipino teachers to carry on the work, this country will have a school system as good as any in the world. The American Government has pledged itself to bring education to these islands, and to see that the people have justice and fair treatment in all that touches their lives. It will not cease its efforts until the Filipinos are as able to maintain themselves securely in their rights and liberties as are the Americans.

GOVERNOR WILLIAM H. TAFT.

The president of the first Philippine commission was the Hon. Jacob Schurman, and this commission is known as the Schurman Commission. The members did the work which they were sent here to do, and made a full report to Congress. This report sets forth all that the commission had learned about the country. The views of the Filipinos who appeared before the commission are given in their own words, which were written down at the time. The report was printed, in order that both Filipinos and Americans might know all that had been said and done.