The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1900-12-04

certed plan of strategic action. operating
/ only by the methods common to the ira
| dftions of guerrilla warfare. which, while
| ineffective to alter the general control
now established, are still sufficient to
/ beget insecurity among the populations
! that have felt the good results of our
control, and thus delay the conferment
upon them of the fullest measures or
| local self-governmenti of education, and
| of industrial and agricultural develop
ment which we stand ready to give to
/ them.
BY the spring of this year the effective
! opposition of the dissatisfied TagalS to
| the authority of the United States was
/ virtually ended. thus opening the door
| for the extension of a stable admins
| tratiOn over much of the territory of
! the archipelago Desiring to bring this
| about, / appointed in March last civil
| commission composed OF Hon. William
/ H. Taft, of Ohio; Prof. Dean c. Worcester,
of Michigan Hon. Luke E. Wright, of Ten
nessee; Hon. Henry G. Ide, of Vermont
! and Prof Bernard Moses, of California
| The aims of their mission and the scope
OF their authority are clearly set forth
| dressed to the secretary of war to be
! transmitted to them.
Principles Are Appreciated.
Referring to the manner in which the
work of the commission upon the lines
| has been received by the people of the
Philippines, the president says:
1t is evident that the most enlightened
| lnOuBuI OF the Hnlllpplne ISLANDS fully
! preciates the Importance of these princi-
! Piles and rules, and they will inevitably
within a short time command universal
assent. Upon every division and branch
of the government of the Philippines.
therefore, must be imposed three inviol-
able rules:
That no person shall be deprived of life,
liberty, or property without due process of
| law; that private property shall not be
| taken for public without just com
pensation that in all criminal prosecutions
QRRl1Gpn ne 10Th fn
| speedy and public trial, to be informed
of the nature and cause of the accusation,
| to be confronted with the witnesses against
| him, to have compulsory process for OBJ
| tanning witnesses in his favor, and to have
| the assistance of counsel for his defense;
that excessive bail shall not be required,
nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and
| unusual punishment inflicted; that no per-
son shall be put twice in jeopardy for the
| same offense, or be compelled in any GRIM
| inal case to be witness against himself;
| that the right to be secure against unrea-
sonable searches and seizures shall not be
| violated; that neither slavery nor involun-
! tary servitude shall exist except as a pun
| ishment for crime; that no bill of attain
! der or ex post facto law shall be passed;
that no law shall be passed abridging the
| freedom of speech or of the press or the
! rights of the people to peaceably assemble
| and petition the government for a redress
| of grievances; that no law shall be made
| respecting an establishment of religion or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof, and
| that the free exercise and enjoyment of
| religious profession and worship without
discrimination or preference shall forever
be allowed.
Encouraging Reports.
Later reports from the commission show
yet more encouraging advance toward
| insuring the benefits of liberty and good
| government to the Filipinos, in the inter
est of humanity and with the aim of
| building up an enduring, self-Supporting
and administering community in
those far eastern seas. I would impress
upon the congress that whatever legisla-
tion may be enacted in respect to the Phil
ippine islands should be along these gen.
erous lines. The fortune of war has
thrown upon this nation an unsought
/ trust which should be unSelfishIy dis
charged, and devolved upon this. govern
ment moral as well as material respon-
sibility toward these millions whom we
have freed from an oppressive yoke.
wards of the Nation"
have upon another occasion called the
Filipinos the wards of the nation" Our
obligation as guardian was not lightly
assumed; il must not be otherwise than
Honestly fulfilled, aiming first of all to
| fostering care. 1t is our duty so to treat
them that our flag may be no less be-
loved in the mountains, of Luzon and the
fertile zones Of Mindanao and Negroes
than it is at home, that there as here it
shall be the revered symbol of liberty,
enlightenment and progress in every av-
enue of Development.
The Filipinos are a race quick,sto learn
and to pront by knowledge. He would
|
temporaneous history in view, would fix
a limit to the degree of culture and adj
vancement yet within the reach of those
people if our duty toward them be faith
fully performed
Porto Rico.
The civil government of Porto Rico pro-
vided for by the act of the congress, APP
proved April u, 1900, is in successful OPP
Grafton. The courts have been ,estab-
| lished The governor and his associates,
working intelligently and harmoniously,
On the 9Th of November a general cleo
ton was held in the island for members
Of the legislature. and the body elected
has been called to convene en- the first
Monday of December.
I recommend that legislation be enact
ed by the congress conferrlng upon the
the public lands in Porto Rico, and that
he be directed to ascertain the location
and quantity of lands the title to which
remained in the crown.' OF Spain at ythe
date of cession of Porto Rico to the
United States, and that appropriations
necessary for surveys be made, and that
the methods of the disposition of such
lands be- prescribed. by law.
DeaIiP gs with Cuba.
The present conditions in Cuba are re-
ferred to, citing the call for the"election
| of delegates to a constitutional conven-
ton and the meeting of Sthe convention
which is now in session, and closes this
part of his message with the following:
When the convention concludes its Ia
Dor / will transmit to the congress the
| constitution as framed by the conven-
ton for its consideration and for such
action as il may deem advisable.
The Army.
| An increase in the regular army is
| recommended, and the need of soldiers
shown. After saying that we need at
least $4,000 troops at home to care for
our expensive Notifications and ordnance,
he continues:
We have in Cuba between 5000 and 5000
troops For the present our troops in that
island cannot be withdrawn or materially
diminished, and certainly not until the con-
cluSion of the laborS of the constitutional
convention now in session and a govern
ment provided by the new constitution
shall have been established and its stability
assured.
In Porto Rico we have reduced the gar
risons to 1885, which include S96 native
troops. There is no room for further re-
duction here. We will be required to
keep a considerable force in the Philip
pine islands for some time to come. From
the best information obtainable we shall
need there for the immediate future from
$4,000 to 60. 000aTpen 1 am sure the num-
Der may be reduced as the insurgents
shall come to Acknowledge the author
ity of the United States, of which there
are assuring Indications
1t may be apparent that we will re-
4 quire an army aOf about $4,000, and that
| during DreSent conditions in (si1ba and