Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1900-09-28
M0M!NA T|0NOF THEREPUBLlCANP ARTY, SEPT. 3.

and enthusiastic army. No alternative was
ielt 10 us except ignominious retreat.
Had to Remain.
1t Is not to be conceived of that anv
American would have sanctioned the sur.
render OF Manila to the insurgents Our OBJ.
legations to other nations and to the friendly
Filipinos and to ourselves and our flag de
manded that force should be met with force
Whatever the future Of the Philippines may
be, there Is no course open to us now except
the prosecution OF the war until the insur.
gents are reduced to submission
The commission is OF the opinion that
there has been no time since the destruction
or the Spanish squadron by Admiral Dewey
when IL was possible to Withdraw our forces
from the Islands either with honor to our.
selves or with safety to the Inhabitants"
After the most thorough study OF the peo.
pies OF the archipelago the commission re.
ported, among other things
Ihelr lack OF education and political ex.
perience, combined with their racial and
linguistic diverslties, dlsqualfy them, In
spite OF their mental gifts and domestic vir.
tues, to undertake the task OF governing the
archipelago at the present time The most
mat can be expected OF them is to co oper-
ate with the Americans In the admnistra.
ton of general affairs. from Manila as a
center and to undertake subject to Amer,
'can control or guidance (as may be found
necessary the administration Of provincial
and municipal affairs.
Would Invite Anarchy.
S9ouId our power by any fatality be
"lthoraWn, the commission believes that the
government of the Philippines would speed.
lily lapse into anarchy, which would excuse
II IL did not necessitate, the intervention Of
other powers, and the eventual division Of
the Islands among them. Only through
american occupation therefore, is the idea
OF free, self-governlng and united Philip
pine commonwealth at all conceivable . I.
lhus the welfare of the FilinInos coin
cldes with the dictates OF national honor in
foroidding our Abandonment OF the archl
peIago We cannot from any point of view
escape the responsibilities of government
which our sovereignty entails, and the com.
mission is strongly persuaded that the per-
romance OF our national duty will prove
tne greatest blessing to the people Of the
Philippine Islands"
"aVSHeu tnat nothing further could be ac-
compfshcd In pursuance of their mission
until the rebellion was suppressed, and de
sirlng to place before the Congress the re-
suit OF their observations, | requested the
commission TO return to the United States.
rheir most Intelligent and comprehensive
report, was submitted to Congress.
Duties of the Commission.
In March, 1900. believing that the Insur.
rect'ou was practically ended and earnest ly
desiring 10 promote the establishment of a
stable government In the archipelago, | ap-
pointed the following civil commission
william ii. Taft OF Ohio Professor Dean C.
worcester Of Michigan, Luke |. Wright of
tennessee, Henry c. Ide of Vermont and
Bernard Moses OF California. My lnstruc-
tions to them contained the following:
You the Secretary of War; will instruct
the commission to devote their Mt
tention In the first instance to the establish.
ment OF municipal governments, In which
the natives OF the islands both In the cities
ana In the rural communities, shall be az
torded the opportunity to manage their own
local afalrs to the fullest extent OF which
they are capable and subject to the least de-
gree OF supervision and control which care
ful study OF their capacities and observation
OF the workings Of native control show to be
consistent with the maintenance Of law. or.
der and loyalty.
Awaits the Renart