Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-09-10

LY INTER MOUNTAIN: BUT
the government of the Philippines shall
consist of a commission appointed by the
cabinet, consisting of a governor gen.
eral. an advisory council elected by the
people, the qualifications of electors to
be carefully considered and determined
and the governor general to have abso-
lutte veto. Judiciary strong and indie
pendent; judges appointed by the
president, the bin and judges to be
chosen from natives or Americans, both
having record to fitness. The president
earnestly desire the cessation OF blood
shed and that the people of the Philip
pine islands at an early date shall have
the largest measure of local self govern
ment consistent with peace and good Or
der"
FILIPINOS WOULD NOT HAVE
In the latter part of May another
group of representatives came from the
insurgent leader. The whole matter was
fully discussed. when the promise of iac-
ceptance seemed near at hand. They
assured u commissioners they would
return after consulting with their leader,
but they never did. AS a result of the
views, expressed by the first Tagai orig
inal report, favorable to the plan Of the
commission, 1T appears that the bearer
was by military order of the insurgent
leaders. stripped of his shoulder straps.
dismissed from the army, and sentenced
to II years Imprisonment.
The views of the commission are best
set forth in their own words: "Deplora-
BILE as war is. the n in which we are
now engaged was unavoidable. We
We're attacked by a band of Adventures
\ o~l cr~~:-
to us except ignominious retreat. 1t is
not be conceived of that any American
would have sanctioned the surrender of
Manila to the insurgents. Our obliga-
tons to other nations and to the friendly
F1lipinos and to ourselves and our flag
demanded that force should be met by
force. Whatever the future of the Phil
ippines nay be. there is no course open
to us now except the prosecution of the
wal until the Insurgents are reduced to
submission, The commission is Of the
opinion that there has been no time
since the destruction Of the Spanish
squadron by Admiral Dewey when it
was possible to withdraw our forces
from the islands. either with honor to
ourselves or with safety to the inhabi-
tants."
After the most thorough study of the
peoples of the islands, the commission
reported. among other things:
NfEDfD AUTHORITATIVE GUID-
ANCE.
Their lack of education and present
and linguistic Universities, %disqualify
them in spite of their mental gifts and
domestic virtues to undertake the task
OF governing the archipelago at the pres
ent time. The most that can be expect
ed of them is to cooperate with the Am
orleans in the administration Of general
affairs. with Manila as center, subject to
A =, n~f ~ -,
found necessary.
should our power by any fatality be
withdrawn, the commission believes that
the government of the Philippines would
speedily relapse into an anarchy which
would necessitate the Intervention OF
other powers and the eventual division
of the Stands among them. Only
through American occupation, therefore,
is the idea of a free commonwealth at
all conceivable. Thus the welfare of the
FilipinOs comedies with the dictates of
national honor in forbidding our aband-
onment of the archipelago. We cannot
from any point of view escape the re-
sponslbilties of government which our
sovereignty entails. and the commission
is strongly persuaded that the PERFORM
ance OF our duty will prove the, great
blessing to the peoples of the Filip:nos."
Satisfied that nothing further could be
accomplished in pursuance of their mis-
oiitI III ISpCilltll dS SUPPRESSED, /
and before the meeting Of congress-. I re-
quested the commission to return to the
United States. Their most intelligent
n comprehensive report was submitted
to congress-.
In March, 1900, believing the insurrec-
ton was practically ended. and desiring !
to promote a stable government in the
archipelago. I appointed the following
civil commission:
Hon. w Taft, Ohio: Prof. Dean c.
Worcester. of Michigan: Hon. Luke
Wright, of Tennessee; Henry c. Ide. of
Vermont, and Hon. Bernard Moses of
California. My Instructions to them
contained the following:
PRESENT CIVIL COMMISSION.
You will instruct the commission to
devote their attention in the first in
stance to the establishment of municipal
governments in which the natives in
both cities and rural communities shall
be afforded the opportunity to manage
their own local affairs to the fullest ex-
tent of which they are capable. and sub
within their capacities consistent with
the maintenance Of law, order and 10y
atty.
whenever the commission is Of the
opinion hat the condition of affairs is
such that government may be trans
ferred from military to civil authority,
they will report that conclusion to you,
the secretary Of war. with their. reasons
as to the form Of control Of government
best suited.
THEIR DUTIES.
Beginning with the first of February
1900. the right to exercise subject to my
approval through the secretary of war
hat part of power of government in the
phi1inninn iclorI, yh}oh 81 80 n n{c