Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1900-09-22

and enthusiastic army. No alternative was
left to US except ignominious retreat.
Had to Remain.
"It is not to be conceived Of that any
! American would have sanctioned the sur
i render of Manila to the insurgents. Our OBJ
Iligations to other nations and to the friendly
i Filipinos and to ourselves and our flag de-
i manded that force should be met with force.
i 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.
1.-THE commission Is of ythe opinion that
4 there has been no time since the destruction
of the Spanish squadron by Admiral Dewey
! when it 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-
Piles of the archipelago the Commission re-
ported, among other things:
"Their lack of education and political ex-
/ perience, combined with their racial and
/ linguistic diversities, disqualify them, In
| spite of their mental gifts and domestic yir-
tues, to undertake the task of governing the
archipelago at the present time. The most
that can be expected of them is to cooper
ate with the Americans in the administra-
ton of general affairs, from Manila as a
! center, and to undertake, subject to Amer
| lean control or guidance Gas may be found
necessary the administration of provincial
and municipal affairs. =
Would Invite Anarchy.
Should our power by any fatality be
withdrawn, the commission believes that the
oP+ bo
lily lapse into anarchy, which would excuse,
if it 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, selfgoyerning and united Philip
pine commonwealth at all conceivable. =
Thus the welfare of the Filipnos coin
cides with the dictates of national honor in
forbidding our abandonment of the archi-
pelago 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-
Torrance of our national duty will prove
the greatest blessing to the people of the
Philippine Islands,
Satisfied that nothing further could be ac-
complished in pursuance Of their mission
until the rebellion was suppressed, and de-
string to place before the Congress the re-
suit of their observations, requested the
commission to return to the United States
Their most intelligent and comprehensive
report, was submitted to Congress.
Duties of the Commission.
In March, 1900, believing that the insur
rection was practically ended and earnestly
desiring TO promote the establishment Of
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 instruc-
lions to them contained the following:
'You (the Secretary of War; will instruct
the commission . to devote their at
tention in the first instance to the establish
ment of municipal governments, il which
the natives of the islands, both in the cities
and in the rural communities, shall be af-
forded the opportunity to manage their own
local affairs to the fullest extent Of which
they are capable and subject to the least de-
gree of supervision and control which a care
full 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. y
Awaits the Report.
'Wheney er the commission is of the opin-
ion that the condition of affairs in the isl
ands is such that the central administration
may safely be transferred from military to
civil control they will report that conclu-
sion to you (the Secretary of War, with |
their personal recommendations as to the
fern of central government to be estab- |
lfshed for the purpose Of taking over the
control
Beginning with the LIST day of Septem
Der, 1900, the authority to exercise, subject
to my approval through the Secretary OF
War, that part Of the power of government
in the Philippine Islands which is Of Il leg |
islative nature is to be transferred from the !
military governor of the islands to this com
mission, to be thereafter exercised by them
in the place and stead of the military gov |
ernor, under such rules and regulations as
you (the Secretary of War;, shall prescribe, |
until the establishment of the civil central
the last foregoing paragraph or until Con-
gress shall otherwise provide.
Legislative Authority.
Exercise of this Legislative authority will
include the making OF rules and orders hav-
ing the effect of law for the raising Of reye-
nue. by taxes, customs duties and imposts;
the appropriation and expenditure Of the
public funds of the Islands; the establish |
ment of an educational system throughout |
the islands; the establishment of a system |
to secure an efficient civil service: the or
ganization and establishment of courts; the |
organization and establishment of municipal |
and departmental governments, and all /
other matters of civil nature of which the
military governor is now competent to pro- |
vide by rules or orders of legislative char |
acter. The commission will also have |
power during the same period to appoint to |
Office such officers under the judicial edu- |
cational and civil service systems and in the
municipal and departmental governments as
shall be provided
Rules for the Interim.
Until Congress shall take action directed
that:
Upon every division and branch of the
government of the Philippines must be inn |
posed these inviolable rules: That no per
son shall be deprived of life, liberty or prop
erty without due process of law; that pri- /
vate property shall not be taken for public |
use without just compensation; that In all |
criminal prosecutions the accused shall en- /
joy the right to speedy and public trial, to /
be Informed of the nature and cause of the /
accusation, to be confronted with the wit |
nesses against him, to have compulsory /
process for obtaining witnesses in his favor |
and to have the assistance of counsel for his /
defense; that excessive bail shall not be re- /
quired, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel
and unusual punishment inflicted; that no /
person shall be put twice in jeopardy for the