We had been in Capiz but a short time when talk of the coming election began to occupy both Americans and Filipinos.  The Governor of the province at that time held his position by appointment from Mr. Taft, but provisions had been made by the Commission for an election at a specified time, which was then at hand.  In view of the fact that it was the first election ever held in the province, we Americans expected to encounter much rejoicing over the newly acquired right, and a general outbreak of gratification.  It made a barely perceptible ripple.  The Filipinos had not gathered momentum enough under the new system to approach an election by the well-recognized channels.  There were no speeches, no public gatherings, no processions, and, so far as the mass of the population were concerned, no interest whatsoever.  There is not universal suffrage in the Philippines.  The electors for the occasion were the concejales, or town councillors, of the towns in the province.  On a given day they would assemble to cast their votes.

Our appointed Governor was a candidate to succeed himself, and the only opponent of any importance was a local lawyer, named D——.  D——­ was on very good terms with most of the Americans, who regarded him as something of an Americanista, but he was greatly hated by the prominent Filipino families in town, not only on the score of his suspected pro-American sentiment, but on account of certain meddlings of his in past time with cacique power.

A short time before the election the American community were thunderstruck on hearing that D——­ had been arrested on a charge of murder.  Our Supervisor—­and, I believe, the Treasurer—­offered to go on his bail.  Then came a telegram from Judge Bates at Iloilo, denying bail.  For a day or two telegrams flew back and forth, the Americans trying to secure the temporary release of the unfortunate lawyer but accomplishing nothing.  D——­ was kept practically incomunicado in the local calabozo.  He insisted that there was a plot on foot to destroy him, and either he was much distressed or he pretended to be so.  Then came an order to take him out to a small town in the interior whence the charge came.  D——­ declared that he should be killed on the way.  The Americans finally prevailed upon an American inspector of constabulary to accompany the prisoner’s escort.  The rainy season was in full force, and prisoner and escort had a bad time getting out to Maayon, the town aforementioned.  Once there the charge broke down at once.  It was based upon a statement made by an old woman that a spirit had appeared to her in a dream, and had accused D——­ of being the cause of its immaterial existence.  The prisoner was almost immediately set at liberty.  For reasons best known to himself, he found it inconvenient to return to Capiz and to renew his campaign for the governorship.