Evening star., 1900-12-03


carrying capacity for the products Of agri-
| culture and manufacture. which, with the
| increase Of our Navy, mean more work and
wages to our countrymen. as well as a
| safeguard to American interests in every
part Of the world.
| The attention of the Congress is invited
| to the recommendation of the Secretary Of
| the Treasury In his Annual Report for leg
islation in behalf of the Revenue-Cutter
Service. and favorable action is urged
| THE QUESTION OF TRUSTS.
In my last Annual Message to the Con-
gress I called attention to the necessity for
early action to remedy such evils as might
| be found to exist in connection with COM
binations Of capital organized into trusts.
| and again invite attention to my discussion
| Of the subject at that time, which con-
cluded with these words:
1t Is apparent that uniformity Of legis-
lation upon this subject in the several
States is much to be desired. 1t Is to be
| hoped that such uniformity, founded in
wise and just discrimination between what
is Injurious and what Is useful and neces-
sary IN business operations. may be OBJ
| tanned. and that means may be found for
| the Congress, within the Limitation of its
constitutional power, so to supplement an
| effective code of State legislation as to
make complete system of laws through
out the United States adequate to compel
! general observance of the salutary rules
to which 1 have referred.
The whole question Is so important and
1 far-reaching that l am sure no part of it
| will be lightly considered, but every phase
Of 1t will have the studied deliberation of
! the Congress. resulting in wise and judi
ctous action.
| Restraint upon such combinations as are
injurious, and which are within Federal ju-
risdiction, should be promptly applied by
the Congress.
AFFAIRS IN THE PHILIPPINES.
In my last Annual Message 1 Gwelt at
some length upon the condition of affairs
! In the philippines. While seeking to i'm
| press upon you that the grave RESPONSE
| bllity of the future government of those
Islands rests with the Congress of the
United States. abstained from recon-
mending at this time a specific and final
form of government for the territory ac-
| tually held by the United States forces and
| in which as long as insurrection continues
the military arm must necessarily be SUI
preme l stated my purpose until the Con-
gress shall have made known the formal
| expression of its will, to use the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and the
statutes to uphold the sovereignty of the
| United States in those distant islands as in
al! other places where our flag rightfully
| floats, placing, to that end, at the disposal
| OF the Army and Navy all the means which
| the liberality of the Congress and the
| people have provided No contrary express
| sion of the will Of the Congress having
| been made, have steadfastly pursued the
purpose so declared. employing the civil
! arm well toward the accomplishment of
pacification and the institution of local gov
ernments within the lines of authority and
| law.
Progress in the hoped-for direction has
been favorable. Our forces have successfully
controlled the greater part of the islands,
overcoming the organized forces of the in
| surgents and carrying order and edminis-
| trative regularity to all quarters. What
opposition remains is for the most part
scattered. obeying no concerted plan of
strategic action. operating only by the
methods common to the traditions OF guer-
| rilla 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 fuller meas
ures Of local sef-government, 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 extern
sion of a stable administration over much
of the territory of the Archipelago. De-
| string to bring this about, l appointed in
March last civil Commission composed of
the Hon. William H. Taft, of Ohio; Prof.
Dean C. Worcester, Of Michigan; the Hon.
Luke l. Wright, of Tennessee; the Hon.
Henry c. Ide, of Vermont, and Prof. Ber-
nard Moses, of California. The aims of
their mission and the scope of their au-
thority are clearly set forth in my instruc-
tions Of April T. 1900, addressed to the Sec
| retary of War to be transmitted to them:
In the Message transmitted to the Con-
gress on the 9Th of December, 1899, I said.
speaking of the Philippine Islands: LAS
long as the insurrection continues the mill
tary arm must necessarily be supreme. But
there Is no reason why steps should not be
taken from time to time to inaugurate gov
ernments essentially popular In their form
as fast as territory Is held and controlled
by our troops. To this end I am consider
| ing the adv1SaDlllty OF the return OF the
Commission, or such of the members there
OF as can be secured, to aid the existing au-
thorities and facilitate this work through
out the islands"
To give effect to the intention thus ex-
pressed, have appointed Hon. William H.
Taft, Of Ohio; Prof. Dean c. Worcester, of
| Michigan: Hon. Luke I. Wright, of Tennes-
see; Hon. Henry C. Ide, Of Vermont. and
Prof Bernard Moses, Of California, Com
! missioners to the Philippine Islands to con-
tinue and perfect the work of organizing
and establishing civil government already
commenced by the military authorities, sub
ject in all respects to any laws which Con-
gress may hereafter enact.
The Commissioners named will meet and
act as board. and the Hon. William H.
Taft is designated as president OF the
board. 1t is probable that the transfer OF
authority from military commanders to
civil officers will be gradual and will occu-
py considerable period. Its successful
accomplishment and the maintenance OF
peace and order in the meantime will re-
quire the most perfect cooperation be-
tween the civil and military authorities In