The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-02-03


LIBERTIES WOULD BE ENLARGED.
From the outset, however, the commits
sion believes it safe and desirable to extend
to the Filipinos larger liberties OF self-gov-
eminent than Jefferson approved for the
inhabitants of Louisiana. Assuming that
in the Zulu archipelago and in such por-
tions of other islands as are occupied by
tribes of Indians the government will be
conducted through the agency of their
sultans or chiefs, the commission believes
the people of the remainder of the islands
should be permitted to elect at least MEM
bers of the lower branch Of the territorial
legislature and that at least half the MEM
bers of the upper house should be appoint
ed by the President. With such safe
guards in American hands and a qualified
veto power for the governor general, in
Guiding the right to suspend the law for
a year even after its passage by a vote of
two-thirds of the legislature over his veto.
this plan of government, which Is on the
lines of the constitution prepared for the
commission by those Filipinos who sought
to adjust the claims of the insurgent lead
ers to the rights of American sovereignty,
would probably DE adequate for the pur-
poses of good government. This is espe-
cially true the commission says, since Con-
gress may and should retain the right to
veto territorial legislation. Nearly all the
offices will, under this form of government
be filled by Filipinos themselves, and the
merit system must be adopted and lived
up to.
The patronage or spoils system. the COM
mission says would prove fatal TO good
government in the Philippines The COM
mission suggests that a civil-service board
to ascertain, by competitive examination
of practical character, the qualifications
of Filipinos seeking office should be insti-
tuted, and there should be promotions for
merit and tenure during efficiency and goot
behavior. The small number of America
| officials needed would include, in the first
group, governor, secretary, attorney gen.
| eral, certain judges and other officials of
the territorial government, and in the sec
ond group heads of postal customs ana
other departments. The officers of the first
group should be appointed by the Pres
| ident and of the second transferred from
| the. home service. In neither case should
there be examination.
The commission cites the case of British
| India, with area of 800. 600 square miles
| and a population of 30O,0OO,O0O. where the
executive and judicial work is performed
| by a thousand British officials. to show
that only small number of Americans
would be needed as the directing brain of
| the civil administration. The commission,
while not undertaking the difficulty of gov
erning the Philippines, is disposed to be-
lieve the task easier than is generally sup
| posed. The Fflipinos. they say, are of I'M
| usually promising material, possessing ad-
mirable personal and domestic virtues and
| being naturally peaceful. docile and defer
4 entail to constituted authority. The edu-
| Gated among them, constituting a minority,
| they say, are far more numerous than is
generally supposed, and the commission
| bears strong testimony to their high range
| of Intelligence and social refnements. These
| picked Filipinos will be of infinite value to
| the United States in the work OIL establish
| ing and maintaining civil government
| throughout the archipelago In connection
| with the subject of government the COM
| mittee reaches the following conclusions:
| "First-The United States cannot with
/ ba W
! and duty bids remain. There is no
| escape from responsibility to the Fill
pinos and to mankind for the government
| CT the archipelago and the amelioration of
! the condition of its inhabitants.
| "Second-The Fiipinos are wholly I'M
| prepared for independence and if indie
| pendence were given them they could not
maintain it
Third-Under the third head Is included
| a copy of Admiral Dewey's letter to Sem
| ator Lodge. which was read in the Senate
the other day. denying. Aguinaldo's claim
| that he promised independence.
| "Fourth-There being no Philippine ma
| ton, but only a collection of different peo-
pies, there is no general public opinion in
| the archipelago: but the men of property
and education. who alone interest them
| selves in public affairs in general, recog-
| nize indispensable American authority
/ guidance and protection.
| "Fifth-CongresS should. at the earliest
| practicable time, provide for the Philippines
| the form of government herein recommend
! ed or another equally liberal and beneficent.
| notwithstanding any action on the part of
| Congress. the commission recommends that
| the President put in operation this scheme
| of civil government in such parts of the
| archipelago at peace.
'Seventh-So far as the finances of the
| Philippines permit, public education should
| be promptly established, and when estab-
| lished made free to all.
| "Eighth-The greatest care should be
| taken in the selection of officials for adj
| ministration. They should be men Of the
| highest character and fitness and partisan
politics should be entirely separated from
the government of the Philippines
The commission is unable to find any
means of assimilating the tariff of the
Philippines with that of the United States.
saying that the differences fundamental
| and irreconcilable and that long as the
| existing chasm remains between the eco
| nomic and social conditions of the Philip
| pines and those of the United States so
| long 1T remains impracticabe to identify
their tariff They therefore recommend
that for the present. at least, no attempt
be made to readjust the tariff to our basis.