The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-09-10

our nag demaf,d ed that force should be
P Phi pp nescs may be- there & no Course
open to US now now e55es2t 5hs gE2ssfgt ion
duced to submission The commission
is of the opinion that there has been no
time since the destruction of the Spanish
squadron by Admiral Dewey when 1t was
| pQss BILE to withdraw our forces from the
i islands, eith9F With honor, to ourselves
A TsA Ct s5etB most & {bofags sgay IT,
people of the archipelago the commission
reported, among other things:
Their lack of education and political
experience combined with their racial
and linguistic diversities, disqualify them,
in spite of their mental gifts and do
nestle virtues, to undertake the task of
! governing the archipelago at the present
! time. The most that can be expected Of
them is to cooperate with the Americans
in the administration of general affairs,
from Manila as a center, and to under
take subject to American control or
guidance (as may be found necessary,
| the administration of provincial and mu-
nicipal affairs.
Should our power by any fatality be
withdrawn, the commission believes that
the government of the Philippines would
speedily lapse into anarchy, which would
excuse, If it did not neceSSitate the inter-
vention of other powers, and the eventual
/ division of the islands among them. Only
! through American occupat ton, therefore,
Is the idea of a free, self-governed and
| conceivable.
THUS the welfare of the Filipinos COIN
| ctdes with the dictates of national honor
! in forb:dding our abandonment of the
archipelago We cannot from any point
of view escape the responsibilities of
government which our sovereignty en-
! tails and the commission is strongly per-
suaded that the performance of our ma
! tional duty will prove the greatest bless
ing to the people of the Philippine ISL
ands.'
Satisfied that nothing further could
be accomplished in pursuance of their
mission until the rebellion was sup
pressed, and desiring to place before the
congress the result of their observations,
requested the commission to return to
the United States. Their most intelli-
gent and comprehensive report was SUBJ
mitted to congress.
SECOND COMMISSION.
In March, 1900, believing that the in
surrection was practically ended, and
earnestly desiring to promote the estab-
lishment of a stable government in the
archipelago, l appointed the following
civil commission:
Hon. William H. Taft of Ohio Prof
Luke |. Wright, of Tennessee; Hon. Hen
ry c. Ide, Of Vermont, and Hon. Bernard
Moses, of California. My Instructions to
them contained the following:
I You (the secretary of war; Will instruct
the commission 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 manage their
own local affairs to the fullest extent of
which they are capable, and subject to
| the least degree of supervision and con-
! troll which careful study of their capaci-
! ties and observation of the workings of
native control show to be consistent with
ma f6l1la
! Whenever the commission is of the opin-'
/ Ion that the condition or affairs in the
/ islands is such that the central adminis-
tration may safely be transferred, from
! military to civil control they will report
/ that conclusion to you (the secretary of
! war;, with their recommendations as to
| the form of central government to be
| established for the purpose of taking over
! the control.
POWER TO LEGISLATE.
Beginning with the first day of Sep
TENDER, 1900. the authority to exercise,
4 subject to my approval, through the sec
rotary of war, that part of the power of
! government in the; Philippine islands
| which is of a legislative nature is to be
| transferred from the military governor of
the islands to this commission, to be
! thereafter exercised by them in the place
and stead of the military governor, UNI
! der such rules and regulations as you
/ (the secretary of war; shall prescribe, I'M
! til the establishment of the civil central
! government for the islands contemplated
/ in the last foregoing paragraph or until
t congress shall otherwise provide. Exer-
/ else of this. legislative authority will in
! clude the making of rules and orders hav-
ing the effect of law for the raising of
revenue by taxes, customs duties and i'm
posts; the appropriation and expenditure
| of the public funds of the islands; the;
| establishment of a system TO secure an
! efficient civil service; the organization
! and establishment offcourts; the organi-
I eaton and establishment of municipal
and departmental governments, and all
| over matters of civil nature for which
! the military governor is now competent
| tive character. The commission will also
/ have power during the same period to ap-
point to office such officers under the ju-
! dicial, educational and civil service sys-
/ TENS and in the municipal departmental
! governments as shall be provided for
Until congress shall take action I di-s
rected that:
Upon every division and branch of the
! government of the Philippines must be
imposed these inviolable rules:
That no person shall be deprived of
! life, liberty or property without due
process of law; that private properly shall
not be taken for public use without just
| compensation; that in all criminal pros
ecutions the accused shall enjoy the right
to speedy and public trial, to be in
! formed of the nature and cause of the
accusation, to be confronted with the
witnesses against him. to nave compul-
sorry process for obtaining 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 bun-
| iShment inflicted; that no person shall
! be put twice in Jeopardy for the same
| offense, or be compelled in any criminal
case to be a witness against himself; that
| the right to be secure against unreason-
! able searches and seizures. shall not be
violated; that neither slavery nor in
voluntary Servitude shall exist except as
a punishment for crime; that no bill of
| attainder, or eX-pOSt factO to 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
peaceab1y assemble and petition the gov
ment for a redress of grievances; that
no law shall be made respecting the es-
| Enlistment of religion, or prohibiting the
| free exercise thereof, and that the free
| exercise and enjoyment of religious pro-
! fession and worship without discrimina-
ton or preference shall forever be al
| lowed.
''It will be the duty of the commission
to promote and extend, and, as they find
| occasion, to improve the system of edu-
| cation already inaugurated by the mill
tary authorities. In doing this they
should regard as Of first Importance the
extension of a system of primary educa-
ton which shall be free to ALL and which
shall tend to fit the people for the duties
OF Citizenship, and for the ordinary. avo--
Especial attention should be at once Civ
en- to affording full opportunity to all the
people of the islands to acquire the use
of the English language.
Upon all officers and employees of the
United States, both civil and military,
should be impressed d sense Of the duty
to observe, not merely the material, but
the personal and social rights of the peo-
pie of the islands, and to treat them with
the same courtesy and respect for their
personal dignity which the people of the
United States are accustomed to require
from each other
1.-THE articles of capitulation of the eity