Omaha daily bee., 1900-02-07
TAFT FOR The PHILIPPINES
Ohio Federal Judge is Appointed Chairman
of the Commission,
MAY LATtR BECOME CIVIL GOVERNOR
when the Commission shall Have Es.
tnbIished Stable Government
He Mas re Placed at
the Head.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6.-The president
has appointed Circuit Judge Taft of Cintiu.
natl chairman Of the Philippine commits.
sion. He will sail from San francisco some
time after March 10. Judge Taft's place in
the Sixth judicial circuit will be filled by
Judge Evans OF Michigan.
II is understood that the other members
Of the committee will be designated within
n very short time and that the special in
structions which will guide them in the
discharge of their duties will be prepared
al as early a day as possible.
The appointment of this commission is
carrying out the suggestions OF the present
Philippine commission, which will shortly
go out of existence. Some OF the members
OF the old commission. it is said, will be
appointed on the new one.
The appointment of Judge Taft marks the
first selection for the Philippine commits
sion. There will be five members on the
commission and all will be civilians. Mr..
Schurman, president of the existing COM
mission, has declined. for business reasons.
to remain on the commission, so Judge Taft
will be president in his place. MIR. DENLY
and Prof. Worcester have been invited to
accept reappointments, but so far have not
signified their intentions. Admiral Dewey
will not go back to Manila and General
Otis will give way like him to a civilian.
Secretary Root said today that no %instruc-
lions had been framed for the new commits
SIGN as yet, but it would be easy to perceive
from the sentiments set out in the presi-
dents. message on the subject what these in
structions would be. Judge Taft called at
the War department today in company with
Judge Day, late secretary of state, and had
a long talk with Secretary Long as to the
plans for the commission.
Taft May ne civil Governor.
AS some surprise has been caused by the
willingness of Judge Taft to surrender a life
position of the dignity and enolument of
the United States circuit judge to join the
commission, it may be said that the prevail
ing impression is that as soon as the com
mission shall have succeeded in replacing the
existing military government in the Philip
pines with a stable civil government Judge
Taft will be named as the first civil gov
ernor general of the archipelago. 1t is not
thought that this change will take place at
once, but the commission is expected to
move steadily TOWARD that object and to set
up local civil governments as fast as the
Filipinos shall demonstrate their WORTH
ness.
CINCINNATI, Feb. 6.-William H. Taft
Is a son of the late Judge Alphonso Taft,
who was attorney general under Grant, and
a brother of eX-Congressman Charles p.
Taft. proprietor of the Cincinnati Times
Star. He was born in Cincinnati in 1857.
He graduated at Yale in 1878 and at the
Cincinnati Law school in 1880. He has been
prosecuting attorney, internal revenue col
lector, county solicitor, superior judge in the
state courts, solicitor general of the United
States and judge of the United States court
OF appeals. In 1856 he married Helen n.
Heron, daughter of Former United States
Attorney John w. Heron of this
city.