Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1900-06-11
PROBLEM FACES TAFT
Conditions Almost Stagger His
Commission.
MANY CALLERS WITH PLANS
The Utterapces of the Chairman Epdi-
Gated coneiliatory Policy Toward the
Natives Army onieers Urged Larger
Army TO Suppress Rebellion.

manila, June II Judge William H
Taft ard his colleagues of the Philip
pine civil commission were beset during
their first week III Manila by multi
tude OF callers Of all nationalities. pro
fessions aud interests, who. presented a
bewildering assortmen of recommends.
tons touching military and civil poll
cies. The commissioners maintained
the attitude Of unprejndiced listeners
They admitted that, while they an
ticipated an enormous task, the com.
plexity and difficulty of the problems
and conditions were well nigh stagger.
ing They were determined. however.
with the cooperation of the army. ID
pacifying as we'll as fighting, to make
the Philippines d peaceful and honestly
governed country before departing
They found General Macarthur adj
ministering civil and military affairs in
way that was universally popular
The Filipino party, embracing promi-
nent insurrectIonists who accepted
American rule through force of circum.
stances, has been making overtures for
the discussion of a scheme of perma.
nent government, practically revivlng
the old proposition Of autonomy under
an American proteetorate.
There were, OF course, some Flliplnos
who believed that Judge Taft would
bring the millennium in his vest pocket,
and these professed to be disappointed
because sweeping changes We're not
made Immediately. Judge Taft's utter
ances Indicated conciliatory policy to-
ward the natives He had conferred
with the high army officers, some of
whom strongly urged that a larger
army was necessary to suppress the in
surrection. believing that civil govern
ment would be impossible until the
rampant rebellion in the southern dis.
tricts of Luzon, in the extreme northern
provinces of the island and in the Wis
ayas, except Negros, was crushed.
One of the foremost questions is how
and from what materials to organize
civil force with which gradually to SUI.
persede the army as a governing ma
chine Spain S auxiliary, the church,
is necessarily barred from considera.
ton. American experience with the
natives discouraged the hope of honest
government through them until gen
GRAFTON or moro of training shall have
eradicated the results of Spain ) tutel.
age A iarge proportion of the provin-
cial officials already installed have
proven treaeherous, while the native po-
lice and officials here III Manila were
living on Il scale of luxury suspicieusly
disproportionately to their salaries.
Charges against native judges of failing
to account for thousands of dollars re.
eeived III fines are under investigation.
General Otis plan of municipal gov
ernments was being inaugurated in the
principal towns of Central Luzon and
in parts of the Visayas, but the Fill
pinos persisted i'll thinking that the
question whether the United States
would retain the Philippines was still
open, and some local leaders asked that
municipal elections be postponed until
after the presidential election Many
people objected to taking the oath of
allegiance to the United States govern
ment, which was the first qualification
for voting for municipal candidates.
The commissioners also found that
the future state of the church in the
Philippines was a leading question in the
minds of many, although most of those
who had talked with Judge Taft and
his colleagues drew the inference that
the commissioners were opposed to the
reinstatement of the friars. Archbishop
Chappelle took strong stand in sup
porting the request of the friars to be-
established in their old position.
As a result of last week S scouting
more than 200 Filipinos We're killed and
100 captured. while 40 rifles, with am
munition and stores, We're secured.
The American loss was nine killed.
including a captain and lieutenant.
two captains and 81 privates wounded
and one captain taken prisoner by the
Fihpinos.