The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-12-04

| pursued the purpose so declared, employ
/ ing the civil arm as we'll toward the ac-
| complishment of pacification and the in.
stitution of local governments within
the lines of authority and law.
| Progress in the hoped for direction has
| been favorable. Our forces have success
| fully controlled the greater part of the
islands, overcoming the organized forces
| of the insurgents and carrying order and
administrative 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
i the conferment upon them of the fuller
measures of local self government, of
education, and of industrial and agrcul-
| tural development which we stand ready
| to give to them.
| INSTRUCTION TO THE CIVIL COMMITS
SION.
BY the spring of this year the effective
/
authority of the United States was vir-
tually ended, thus opening the door for
the extension of stable administration
over much of the territory of the archi-
| pelago Desiring to bring this about,
appointed in March last a civil commits
sion composed of the Hon. William H..
Taft, of Ohio; Prof. Dean G. Worcester,
of Michigan; the Hon. Luke l. Wright, of
Tennessee; the Hon. Henry G. Ide, OF Yer
mont, and Prof. Bernard Moses. of Cali
fornia. The aims of their mission and the
| scope of their authority are clearly set
| forth in my instructions of April q, 1900,
| addressed to the Secretary of War to be
| transmitted to them.
| In the message transmitted to the Con-
| gress on the 5th of December, 1899, said,
| speaking of the Philippine Islands: AS
| long as the instruction continues the
| military arm must necessarily be SUI
preme But there is no reason why steps
/ should not be taken from time to time
| to inaugurate governments essentially
| popular in their form as fast as territory
| is held and controlled by our troops TO
| this end I am considering the advisability
of the return of the commission, or such
of the members thereof as can be secured,
to aid the existing authorities and facili-
| tate this work throughout the island.
ITO give effect to the intention thus ex-
| pressed, | have appointed Hon. William
| Il. Taft. of Ohio; Prof. Dean c. Worcester
| If Michigan: Hon. Luke l. Wright, of Ten
| ncssee; Hon Henry G. Ide, of Vermont
| md Prof. Bernard Moses, of California
| commissioners to the Philippine Islands
| o continue and perfect the work or or
| sanizing and establishing civil govern
| nent already commenced by the military
authorities, subject in all respects to any
avs which Congress may hereafter enact
| THE Commissioners named will meet
and act as board, and the Hon. William
| Il. Taft is designated as president of the
| BOARD 1t is probable that the transfer
| if authority from military commanders to
| eivil officers will be gradual and will oc-
eupy considerable period. Its success
| full accomplishment and the maintenance
| Of reace and order in the meantime viii
| require the most perfect cooperation be-
| tween the civil and military authorities
| n the island, and both should be directed
| Turing the transition period by the same
| Executive Department. The commission
| will therefore report TO the Secretary OF
| War and all their action will be subject
/ % your approval anu COuLIUt
| you will instruct the commission to
/ proceed to the city of Manila, where they
| will make their principal office, and to
| communicate 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
| performance of their duties. Without
hampering them by too specific instruc-
/ tions, they should in general be enjoined,
/ after making themselves familiar with
| the conditions and needs of the country,
| to devote their attention in the first in
stance to the establishment of municipal
| governments, in which the natives of the
| islands, both in the cities and in the ru-
| raj communities. shall be afforded the
| opportunity to manage their own local
affairs to the fullest extent of which they
are capable and subject to the least de-
| gree of supervision and control which a
careful study of their capacities and OBJ
servation of the workings of native con-
troll show to be consistent with the main
tenance of law order and loyalty,
1.-THE next subject in order of impor-
lance should be the organization of gov
| eminent in the larger administrative di-
| visions corresponding to counties, depart
| mentS or provinces, in which the COM
mon interests of many or several mu-
| inequalities falling within the same tribal
/ lines, or the same natural geographical
/ limits. may best be subserved by COM
/ mon administration. Whenever the Com
/ mission is of the opinion that the c0ndi-
| ton of affairs in the islands is such
/ that the central administration may safe
| ly 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 es-
tablished for the purpose of taking over
| the control.
Beginning with the 1st day of Septem-
Der, 1900, the authority to exercise, sub
iect to my approval, through the Secre-
tary of War, that part of the power of
| government in the Philippine Islands
which is of legislative nature is to be