The Oskaloosa herald., 1900-12-06

T. y
by the same executive department. The
commission viii therefore report to the
secretary Of war, and all their action will
be subject to your approval and control.
You Will instruct the commission to pro-
coed to the city of Manila, where they viii
make their principal Office, and to COM
municate with the military governor OF the
Philippine islands, whom you will at the
same time direct to render to them every
assistance within his power In the per-
Torrance of their duties. Without ham,
perins them by too specific instructions,
they should in general be enjoined, after
making themselves familiar with the con-
ditions and needs of the country. to devote
their attention In the first instance TO the
establishment of municipal governments,
in which the natives of the Islands, both in
the cities and in the rural communities,
shall be afforded the opportunity to man
age their own local AFFAIRS to the fullest
extent of which they are capable and sub
ject to the least degree of supervision and
control which a careful study of their ca
Of native control show to be consistent
with the maintenance OF law, order and
loyalty.
To Organize a Government.
The next subject in order of Importance
should be the organization of government
in the larger administrative divisions cor
responding to counties, departments, or
provinces, in which the common interests
of many or several municipalities falling
within the same tribal lines, or the same
natural geographical limits, may best be
subserved by a common administration.
Whenever the commission is of the opinion
that the condition of affairs in the islands
is such that the central administration may
safely be transferred from military to civil
control they will report that conclusion to
you, with their recommendations as to the
form of central government TO be estab-
lished for the purpose of taking over the
control.
Beginning with the first day of septem-
Der, 1900, the authority to exercise, subject
to my approval, through the secretary of
war that part of the power of government
in the Philippine Islands which is of
the military governor of the islands TO
this commission, TO be thereafter exer-
cised by them in the place and stead of
the military governor under such rules
and regulations as you shall prescribe, un-
til the establishment of the civil central
government for the Islands contemplated
congress shall otherwise provide. Exer-
else of this legislative authority will in
clude the making of rules and orders.
having the effect of law, for the raising of
revenue by taxes, customs duties and i'm
posts; the appropriation and expenditure
of public funds of the islands; the estab-
lishment of an educational system through
out the islands; the establishment Of a
system to secure an efficient civil service;
the organization and establishment of
courts; the organization and establishment
of municipal and departmental govern
ments, and all other matters of a civil
nature for which the military governor is
now competent 10 provide by rules or
ders of legislative character.
Macarthur the Chief Executive.
The commission will also have power
during the same period to appoint to
office such officers under the judicial,
educational and civil service systems and
ernments as shall be provided. for I'm
til the complete transfer of control the
military governor Will remain the chief
executive head of the government in 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-
ferre6 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
control will be confined within the mar
rowest limits consistent with the require
ments that the powers of government in
the, municipalities and departments shall
be honestly and effectively exercised and
that law and order and individual free
com 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 govern
ments are constituted under the direction
or the commission such military posts,
garrisons and forces will be continued
for the suppression of insurrection and
brigandage and the maintenance Of law
shall demand requisite, and the military
forces shall be at all times subject, un-
der his orders, to the call of the civil
authorities for the maintenance Of law
and order and the enforcement of their
authority.
Basis of Commissions Work.
In the establishment of municipal gov
ernments the commission will take as the
basis of their work the governments es-
tablished by the military governor under
his order of August 8, 1889, and under the
report of the board constitutes by the
military governor by his order OF January
20, 1900, to formulate and report plan OF
municipal government, of which his hon
or, Cayetano Arellano, president of the
audiencia, was chairman, and they VIII
give to the conclusions of that board the
weight and consideration which the hlgh
character and distinguished abilities of
In the constitution of departmental or
provincial governments they. will give
especial attention to the existing gov
ernment of the island OF Negroes, consl.
tuted, with the approval of the people OF
that island, under the order OF the mil
itary governor of July p, 1899, and after
the reports of the successful working of
that government they will be guided by
the experience thus acquired so far as 1t
ing in other portions of the Philippines:
They will avail themselves, to the fullest
degree practicable, of the conclusions
reached by the previous commission to
the Philippines.
To Favor Home Rule.
In the distribution of powers among the
organized by the commission,
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 government shall be
vested in that government, and all the
powers of q more general character which
can be exercised by the departmental gov
eminent shall be vested in that govern
ment, and so that in the governmental
system, which is the result of the process
the central government of the islands, fol-
lowing 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 purely general concern, and
shall have only such supervision and con-
troll over local governments as may be
and efficient administration by local off,
GERS.
The many different degrees of civilization
among the people of the different islands
preclude very definite instruction as to
the part which the people shall take in
.hese general rules are to be observed:
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 ex-
tended jurisdiction are to be selected in
any way, natives of the islands are to be
preferred, and, II they can be found COM
petent and willing to perform the duties,
they are to receive the offices in preference
10 any others.
American OmciaIs at Present.
1t will be necessary to fill some offices
for the present with Americans, which,
after time, may well be filled by ma
tiyes of the islands AS soon as prac-
ticable a system for ascertaining the
merit and fitness of candidates for civil
office should be put In force. An indis-