r of the politicians,
supported chiefly by Tagalogs. In other words, it is worth while to
ask ourselves if the demand for independence be real, arising out
of the necessities of the people, or artificial, exploited by the
politicians for ends not unfamiliar to us here in the States. It is
useless to appeal for a decision to public opinion in the Archipelago,
that shall include the whole population, for no such public opinion
exists or can exist. And if it be argued that lack of public opinion
is no disproof of the existence of a real desire for independence, the
rejoinder springs at once to the tongue, that independence would be
a sham where public opinion is impossible. There is cause to believe
that the true aspect of the case is to be found in a remark made
by a young Tagalog (to Mr. Taft himself, if we recollect aright),
that there was no reason why independence should not be established
at once, seeing that the two things needed already existed in the
Philippines, to-wit, the governed in the shape of the peasantry of
the fields, and the governors among the _gente fina,_ the _gente
ilustrada_ (the superior classes) of Manila. However this may be,
a native newspaper of Manila, distinguished by its hostility to all
things American, by its insistent demand for independence, did not
hesitate to accuse the wealthy Filipino class of being "refractory
to the spirit of association," of being "egotistical and disdainful
toward the middle and lower classes," and of refusing "to join their
interests with those of the lower classes." [53]

We do not go so far as do some, and believe that the whole agitation
is but a conspiracy to place the destinies of the Islands in the hands
of an oligarchy. But, in all probability, a Tagalog oligarchy would
be formed; for the capital, Manila, is Tagalog, the adjacent provinces
are Tagalog, the wealthy class of the Islands on the whole is Tagalog,
and there is no middle class anywhere. The mere fact that the capital
is situated in the Tagalog provinces would perhaps alone determine
the issue, apart from the fact that the Tagalogs are the dominant
element, of the native population. Before granting independence,
therefore, we should be reasonably sure that we are not in reality
placing supreme control in the hands of a few.

But let us suppose that in fact the populations of the Archipelago were
quite generally to ask for independence. We must again ask ourselves,
How genuine or real would th