The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-12-04

t40n ana establishments VI nAhhA1tEht duI
departmental governments. and all other
matfers OF civil nature for which the
military governor Il now competent 70
provide By rules or orders Of legislative
character
s'The Commission will also have power
during the same period 20 appoint TO of.
fee such officers under the judicial. edu-
cational, and civil-service systems and In
the municipal and departmental govern
mepts as shall be provided for. Until
the complete transfer Of control the Mill
tary Governor will remain the chief ex-
ecutive head of the government Of the
islands. and will exercise the executive
authority now possessed BY him and not
herein expressly assigned to the Commits
sion, subject, however. TO the rules and
orders enacted by the Commission In the
exercise of the legislative powers con-
ferred upon them. In the meantime the
municipal and departmental governments
will continue to report to the Military
Governor and be subject to his admins
trative supervision and control, under
your direction, but that supervision and
control viii be confined within the mar
rowest limits consistent with the require
ment that the powers Of government in
the municipalities and departments shall
be honestly and effectively exercised and
that law and order and individual free
dom shall be maintained.
"All legislative rules and orders, estab-
lishments of government, and appoint
ments to office by the Commission will
take effect Immediately, or at such times
as they shall designate, subject to your
approval and action upon the coming in
Of the Commissions reports. which are to
be made from time to time as their action
Is taken. Wherever civil governments
are constituted under the direction of the
Commission such military posts, garri-
sons, and forces will be continued for the
suppression of instruction and brigand-
age and the maintenance of law and or
der as the Military Commander shall
deem requisite, and the military forces
shall be at all times subject, under his
orders. to the call of the civil authorities
for the maintenance of law and order and
the enforcement of their authority.
"In the establishment of municipal
governments the Commission will take
as the basis of their work the govern
ments established by the Military Gov
ernor under his order of August 3, 1899,
and under the report of the board con.
stituted by the Military Governor by his
order of January 20, 1000, to formulate
and report a plan OF municipal govern.
ment. of which His Honor Cayetano
Arellano. President of the Audiencia,
was chairman. and they will give to the
conclusions of that board the weight and
consideration which the high character
and distinguished abilities of its members
justify.
sin the constitution of departmental
or provincial governments they will give
especial attention to the existing govern
ment of the island of Negros, constituted,
with the approval of the people of that
island. under the order of the Military
Governor of July %. 1899, and after veri-
flying, SO far as may be practicable, the
reports of the successful working of that
government they will be guided by the
experience thus acquired so far as 1t may
be applicable to the condition existing in
other portions of the Philippines. They
will avail themselves, to the fullest de-
gree practicable, of the conclusions reach
ed by the previous Commission to the
Philippines.
"In the distribution of powers among
the governments organized by the Com
mission, the presumption is always to be
in favor of the smaller subdivision, so
that all the powers which can properly
be exercised by the municipal govern
ment shall be vested In that government,
and all the powers of more general
character which can be exercised by the
departmental government shall be vested
In that government. and so that in the
governmental system, which is the result
of the process, the central government OF
the islands, following the example of the
distribution of the powers between the
States and the National Government OF
the United States, shall have no direct
administration except of matters of pure
ly general concern, and shall have only
such supervision and control over local
governments as may be necessary to Sc
cure and enforce faithful and efficient adj
mnistration by local officers.
THE many different degrees of eivili-
cation and varieties of custom and ca
pacity among the people Of the different
islands preclude very definite instruc-
ton as to the part which the people shall
take in the selection of their own OIL
GERS; but these general rules are to be OBJ
served: That in all cases the municipal
officers, who administer the local affairs
of the people, are TO be selected by the
people. and that wherever officers of more
extended jurisdiction are 10 DC seiecttu
in any way. natives of the islands are to
be preferred. and il they can be found
competent and willing to perform the
duties. they are TO receive the offices In
preference to any others.
at will be necessary to fill some offices
for the present with Americans which
after time may well be filed by natives
of the islands. As soon as practicable a
system for ascertaining the merit and
fitness of candidates for civil Office should
be put in force. An indispensable quail
fcation Cor all offices and positions Of
trust and authority in the islands must
be absolute and unconditional loyalty ia
the United States, and absolute and UNI
hampered authority and power to re-
move and punish any officer deviating
from that standard must at all times be
retained in the hands of the central au-
thority of the islands.
"In all the forms of government and
administrative provisions which they are
authorized TO prescribe the Commission
should bear in mind that the government
xubiah thax, ara biia ching IL daGirDad