"The Insular, provincial, and municipal governments of the Philippines rest on the free and peaceful suffrage of the people. The people elect members of the Insular legislature, provincial governors, members of the provincial boards, municipal presidents, and members of the municipal councils. Interest in the elections is widespread and election day passes without any serious disturbances. There was a general, quiet acceptance by the minority of the results of the popular vote. * * * CONSTITUTIONAL GUARANTEES "The structure and workings of our government also conform to the standard defined by Mr. Root in that it is "subject to the limitations and safeguards which the experience of a constitutional government has shown to be necessary to the preservation of individual rights." The Filipino people fought for such constitutional safeguards during the Spanish régime. A modern bill of rights was inserted in the Constitution of the Philippine Republic. Our present constitutional limitations and safeguards have been in operation since 1900 when President McKinley in his instructions to the second Philippine Commission set down as inviolable rules the fundamental provisions of the American Bill of Rights. These provisions with slight modification were later included in the Organic Act of 1902, and again set forth in the Jones Law of 1916. For more than twenty years, therefore, the Philippine Government has been subject to constitutional practices. They are imbedded in the political life of the people, and no matter what political change may occur in the Philippines they will find no material alteration. An impartial judiciary is there to enforce them. COMPETENT JUDICIARY "The Supreme Court has the respect and confidence of the Filipino people. The courts of First Instance, mostly presided over by Filipinos ever since 1914, have maintained a standard which, in general, compares favorably with the state courts of the Union. From August 31, 1912, to September 1, 1913, during the last two years of Governor Forbes' administration, only 25.1 per cent of the decisions appealed from these courts were reversed by the Supreme Court. From March 3, 1919, to March 4, 1921, another period of two years with Filipinos in control, the percentage of reversals decreased to 20.8 per cent. The number of cases disposed of by the Courts of First Instance for the eight years (1906 to 1913, inclusive) was as many as 82,528. The total number of cases disposed of for the same length of time, with Filipinos in greater control (1914 to 1921, inclusive), was 117,357 or an increase of 34,829, or 42 per cent. GENERAL PROGRESS