The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-02-03
For the philippines, With Local selt
!, Government and a Central Gov
ernment at Manila.
THE PHILIPPINE COMMISSIONS
Report Submitted to Congress by the
President = Suffrage Should
be Restricted.

ume of 2G4 pages, including the appen-
dix, and is signed by Prof. schur1nann,
Admiral Dewey, Colonel DENLY and
Prof. worcester. The principal subject
dwelt with is the plan Of government
proposed by the commission, which In
cludes a discussion Of the Spanish gov
ernment existing prior to the war, the
various reforms desired by the Filipl-
nos and the constitutions proposed by
them, together with the conclusions
and plans suggested by the commits
sion, The report also covers many other
matters connected with the social ad-
ministration of the islands, racial char
acteristics, educaion; secular and re-
llglous orders; the Chinese in the is
lands public health, currency, etc. as
well as the condition pnd needs Of the
United States in the Philippines from a
naval and maritime standpoint. The
second volume of the report. which VIII
not he ready for several weeks, will
contain a detailed description OF the
climate and natural resources Of the
island.
An Unqualified Announcement.
The commission announces itself un-
oualifiedly in favor of a government of
the Philippines analogous to that Of a
territory of the United states with a
governor appointed by the President.
They sav # is desirable that the inhab.
Itants Of the archipelago should enjoy
large measure of home rule in local af-
fairs, their towns to enjoy substantial
ly the rights and privileges Of towns In
territory.
The Filipinos could manage their own
town and county AFFAIRS through their
own officers, whom they could elect
with no help from American officials ex-
cept such as would be Involved ir'con-
troll from the central government at
Manila. The suffrage should be re-
strlctcd by educational or property
qualifications. or both. This system
would necessitate a small body of
American officials OF great ability and
integrity and of patience and tact in
dealing with other officers, and on this
account the commission recommend
that they should be paid high salaries.
The commission say they could be call
cd advisers or commissioners, and that
one for every 25OOOO natives should
suffice. 1t would be the duty of such
commissioners to report upon their
work to the central government at Ma
nila. Their main function would be to
advise town and county councils in the
discharge Of their duties, and to watch
the collection OF revenue and It's expen-
dItures. Our government of the Philip
pines, the commission insist, must be
adapted to the FillpInos.
Does Not Apply to Philippines.
The commission discusses the system
Of government by protectorate estab-
lIshed over the Malayan peninsula by
Great Britain, deemlng such q protec-
torate Inadvlsable It having been insI-
tuted for the reason that England had
no sovereignty there. The United
States, which possesses sovereignty
over the Philippines, need not concern
Itself with such scheme. The mass of
the people, except In the Suiu group
and some portions OF Mindanno and
Palawan. which are without chIeftains
or rulers, arc, without distinction of
birth or rank; In other words, are
pure democracy. The kind OF protec-
torate which the Insurgeut leaders de-
sired, the commission say, Is one In
which the United States would assume
nli responsibility for protecting Philip
pine government against foreign ag-
gressIon, while their own officials would
collect revenues.
The raising of the American nag in
the Philippine Islands has entaIled great
responsibilities upon us, but to suaran-
tee external protection, while renounc-
ing internal dominion is no way of es-
Gaping from them. on the contrary.
while you pull down the flag you only
pile up difficulties"
From the outset, however, the COM
mission believes II snfe and desirable to
extend to the Fillpinos larger liberties OF
self government than Jefferson ap-
proved OF for tho inhabitants of Louis
lana. assuming that in the Sulu archl-
pelago and such portions OF the other
Islands as are occupied by tho tribes OF
Indians, the government VIII be con-
Quoted through the agency OF their sui
taus or their chiefs
In connection with the subject Of gov
ernmcnt. the commission reaches the
followlnE conclusions;
Conclusions Of the Commission.
81. The United States cannot with
draw from the Philippines. We are
there aud the duty bids Us remain.
There Is no escape from, our responslbIll-
ty TO the Fillplnos and to mankind for
the government OF the archipelago and
the amelioratlon OF the condition OF It's
Inhabitants
80. The F'iliplnoJ arc wholly unpre-
pared for Independence, and IL indc-
pendcrcc were given them they could
not maintain IT,"
Under the thlrd head Ia Included u
COPY of Admiml DCwey's letter To- Sen
ator Lodge, which wns read In the SEN
ntc the other day, denying Aguinaldo's
claim that he was promised indcpend-
CnCc.
u. There being no Philippine nation,
but only a collection of different neo-
plos. there Is no general public opinion
IN the archipelago; but the men Of prop
crty and education, who alone Interest