The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-02-10
SELECTS JUDGE TAFT.
PresidentNames the Ohioan for Chair
man of the Philippine Islands
COmmiSSiOn.

Washington. Feb. 1.-THE president
Tuesday appointed Judge William II.
Taft, of Cincinnati, and United States
judge OF the Sixth judicial circuit, to
be president of the new Philippine
commission. Judge Taft's place on
the bench will be filled by the appoint
ment of Judge Henry +. Severens, of
Grand Rapids, Mich. These announce
ments we're made at the close of the
cabinet meeting.
On leaving the white house Judge
Taft stated that the commission of
which he had been appointed president
would sail for the Philippines soon
after March IS, and it's special mission
would be the establishment of a civil
government for the islands. Further
than that he was not at liberty to
speak. 1t is understood that the other
members of the committee will be
designated within very short time
and that the special instructions which
will guide them in the discharge of
their duties will be prepared at as
early 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 new
Philippine commission. There will
be five members of the commission,
and all of them will be civilians. Mr..
Schurman. president of the existing
commission, has declined, for business
reasons, to remain on the commits
sion. so Judge Taft will be president
in his place. Mr.. DENLY and Prof.
Worcester have been invited to &C.
cept reappointments, but so far have
not signitied their intentions. Adj
miral Dewey will not go back to Ma
Mia, and Gen. Otis will give way, like
him. to a civilian. Secretary Root
said that no instructions had been
framed for the new commission, as yet,
but it would be easy to per-
ceive from the sentiments set out
in the presidents message on the SUBJ
ject what these instructions would be.
AS some surprise has been caused
by the willingness of Judge Taft to
surrender life position of the dig
nifty and emolument of United States
circuit judge to join the commission,
it may be said that the prevalent i'm
preston is that as soon as the COM
mission shall have succeeded in replac-
ing the existing military government
in the Philippines with stable civil
government, Judge Taft will be named
as the first civil governor 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 demon
strate their worthiness.
William H. Taft is son of the late Judpe
Alphonso Taft, who was attorney general
under Grant, and brother of ex-Congress-
man Charles p. Taft. proprietor of the Gin
cinnati Times-Star. He was born in Gin
cinnati in 1857. He graduated at Yale in
1873 and at the Cincinnati law school in
1881 He had been prosecuting attorney, in
ternal revenue collector. county solicitor,
superior judge in the state courts, solicitor
general of the United States and Judge of
the United States court of appeals In 1886
he married Helen N. Heron, daughter of
former United States District Attorney
John w. Heron, of Cincinnau1