The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1899-12-13


he satisfactory to the natives themselv'
a new system was put In force by {
o der OF the major general comman
Ing inc department Of which the ft
!. lowing are the most important el
/. ments:
y 1t wss ordered that the governmc
(. OF the island OF Negros should copsi
II ol mi litary government appointed
y the United States military governor
J, the Philippines and civil governt
r and an advisory council elected by tn
+. people. The military governor WAS al
I thorizcd to appoint secretaries of th
treasury, interior, agriculture, publi
, lnstruc tion, an attorney general and a
, auditor. The seat of government va
fixed at Bscolod. The military Cover
nor exercises the supreme cxecutiv
power. He is to SEQ that the laws a.
executed, appoint TO Office and fill al
vacancies In Office not otherwise pro
vided for, and may, with the approva
OF the military governor for tn,
Philippines, remove any officer from
of1ice. The civil governor advises tn,
military governor on oil public ques
ttoDs, and presides over the advis
ory council. He, in general, performl
the duties whicn are performed by
| secretaries OF state In our own system
Of government.
| The advisory council consists OF eigh,
mem bers elected by the people within
territorial limits, which are de6ped
In the order of the commanding gen.
eral.
TIE time and places of holding elec
| tions are to be fixed by the military
governor Of the Island of Negros.
The qualifications OF voters are as fol-
lows:
l. And u voter must be q male citi-
zen OF the island OF Negros.
z. or the age OF twenty.Cne years.
3. He shall be able to speak, read
ana ana write the English, Spanish or
real pro petty woFth $500 or or nav "s' q rent. emn
81 on real property Of the value Of
81 ,O0O
4. He must have resided in the island
not less than one year preceding, and
In the district in which he offers to
register as voter not le 80 than three
months Immediately preceding the
time he offers to register.
b. he must register at o time fixed
by law before voting.
o. Prior to such registration he shall
have paid oil taxes due by him to the
government, provided that 70 insane
person sha be allowed to register or
vote.
The military governor has the right
to veto all bills or resolutions adopted
by the advisory council, and his veto
Is final If not disapproved by the mill.
tary governor OF the Phil ppines. The
advisory council discharges all the or
dinary duties OF legislature. The
usual duties pertaining to said Offices
are to be performed by the secretary OF
the tire easury, interior, agriculture,
public instruction, the attorney general
and the auditor.
The judicial power is We, ted In three
judges, who are to be appointed by the
military governor OF the island. In
fertor courts are to be est t'ished.
Free public schools are to be estab.
lished throughout the populous dis
tricts OF the island, in which the Eng
lish language shall be taught, and this |
subject will receive the careful con-
sideration Of tho advisory council.
The burden OF government must be |
equally and equitably |
among the people. The military au.
thoritics will collect and receive the |
customs revenue and will control postal |
matters and Philippine inter-island |
trade and commerce.
The military government, subject to |
approval OF tho military governor of |
the Philippines, determines all ques-
tions not specifically provided for, and |
whi n do not come under the jurisdic- |
tion OF the advisory council.
l communicate these facts to tho |
Congress for Its information and &C.
tlon. Everything indicates that with |
the epeedy suppression of the Tagalo |
rebellion, life in the archipelago will |
soon resume it's ordinary course under |
the protection of our sovereignty and |
the people OF these favored islands will |
enjoy prosperity and . freedom which |
they have mover before known. Al |
ready hundreds of schools are open
and filed with children. Religious |
freedom Is sacredly assured and en-
loyed. The courts are dispensing JUS |
tice. Business Is beginning to circulate |
In Its accustomed channels. Manila, |
whose Inhabitants were fleeing to the |
country few months ago is now a |
populous thriving mart OF commerce. |
The earnest and unromitting endeavors |
of the commission and tho admiral and !
MAJOR general commanding the depart |
mont OF the Pacific to assure the peo- |
Pile OF the benefclent intentions OF this |
govern me ut, have had their legitimate
effect In convincing tho great majority |
of them that peace and safety and pros |
perity and stable government can only
be found In loyal acceptance Of the
OF the United Ststos.
THEY ARE OURS"
The future government OF the Philip
pines rests with the Congress OF the
United States. Few gravor responsi-
bilitles have over beon copfided to US.
III We accept them In spirit worthy OF
our race and our traditions, q great op-
portunity comes with them. The Is
lands lie under the shelter OF our flag.
They are ours by every title OF LAW and
equity. They cannot be abandoned. II
We desert them, we leave them at once
to anarchy and finally to barbarism
We ning them, a golden apple OF dis.
cord, among the rivl powers, no one OF
which could permit another to seize
them unquestioned.
Their rich plains and valleys would
be the sccne Of endless strife and blood
shed. The advent Of Dewey's neet In
Manila bay instead OF being, a. We
hope, tho dawn OF now day OF free
dom and progress, will hxve been the
beginning OF an era OF misery and
VIC once. worse than any which has
darkcned. their unhappy past. The
su9g estion has been made that we
could renounce our authority over TIE
islands and giving them Independence
could retain q prOtectorate over them.
This proposition will not bo found,
n m h. ~