The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1900-02-09
SENT TO CONGRESS.
President Transmits Report of Phil
!ppine Commission.
The Home Rule Principle, with as
Few Americans in Office as Pos
sibIe, Strongly Favored by
Commission.


Washington. Feb. s.-The president FRI
day transmitted to congress the first vol
ume of the report of the Philippine COM
mission. 1t is volume of 264 pages, in
Guiding the appendix, and is signed by Prof.
Schurman, Admiral Dewey Col. DENLY
and Prof. Worcester. The principal sub
ject dealt with is the plan of government
proposed by the commission, which in
cludes discussion of the Spanish govern
ment existing prior to the war. the various
reforms desired by the Filipinos and the
constitutions proposed by them, together
with the conclusions and plans suggested
by the commission. The report also covers
many other matters connected with the
social administration of the island; racial
characteristics, education, secular and re-
ligious orders, the Chinese in the islands,
public health, currency, etc., as well as the
condition and needs of the United States
in the Philippines from q naval and mari
time standpoint. The second volume of the
report, which will not be ready for several
weeks, will contain detailed description
of the climate and natural resources of the
islands. The chief interest in the report
naturally centers in the plan of government
proposed by the commission.
Favor Home Rule.
The commission announces itself unqual-
1nedly in favor of government of the Phil
1pplneS analogous to that of territory
of the United States, with governor APP
pointed by the president. They say it is
desirable that the inhabitants of the archi-
pelago should enjoy large measure OF
home rule in local affairs. their towns to
enjoy substantially the rights and. prlVi-
leges of towns in a territory.
The provinces should be vested with SUBJ
stantially the functions of a county in
territory; this system might be applied to
Luzon and the Viscayan islands at once,
and beginning might be made on the
OF Of ind he Kill q
calling for special arrangements with the
sultan, the commission says, need not be
considered in this connection.
Filipino Officers.
The Fqlipinos could manage their own
town and county affairs through their own
officers, whom they could elect with no
help from American officials except such
as would be involved in control from the
central government at Manila. The sur
frage should be restricted by educational
or property qualifications, or both. ms
system would necessitate small body OF
American officials of great ability and IN
tegrity and Of patience and tact IN deailng
with other races, and on this ACCOUNTING
commission recommends that they should
be paid high salaries. The commission says
they could be called advisers or commits
sioners. and that one for every 25O,OOO ma
tives should suffice. 1t would be the duty
of such commissioners to report upon their
work to the central government at Mania.
Their main function would be to advise
town and county councils in the discharge
of their duties and to watch the collection
of revenue and it's expenditures. Our gov
eminent of the Philippines, the commission
insists, must be adapted to the F1l1pinos
Basis for the Government.
A territorial government, it concludes, is
a desideratum The commission takes as a
basis for the government proposed the ter
ritorial organiza ton of Louisiana. The act
is set forth in full. 1t provides for gov
ernor and secretary of the treasury, and
vests the legislative power in council APP
pointed annually by the president. Courts
are also provided for. This scheme of
Government" says the commission, pos
sesses, besides its intrinsic merits, the his
torical interest attaching to origination
with the author of the declaration of in
dependence"
Thinks Task Would BE Easy.
The commission, while not undertaking
the difficulty of governing the Philippines,
is disposed to believe the task easier than
is generally supposed. The Filipinos, they
say, are of unusually promising material,
possessing admirable personal and do
nestle virtues and being naturally peace
full, docile and deferential to constituted
authority. The educated among them,
though constituting a minority, they say,
are far more numerous than is generally
supposed, and the commission bears strong
testimony to their high range of intelli-
gence and social refinements.
These picked Filipinos will be of infinite
value to the United States in the work of
establishing and maintaining civil gov
eminent throughout the archipelago.
Conclusions Reached.
In connection with the subject of govern
ment the commission reaches the following
conclusions:
81 The United States cannot withdraw
from the Philippines. We are there and
duty bids US remain. There is no escape
from our responsibility to the Filipinos
and to mankind for the government of the
archipelago and the amelioration of the
condition of its inhabitants.
"2. The Filipinos are wholly unprepared
for independence, and if independence
were given to them they could not main
tain it,
Under the third head is included copy
of Admiral Deweys letter to Senator
Lodge, which was read in the senate the
other day, denying Aguinaldo's claim that
he was promised independence.
"a. There being no Philippine nation, but
only a collection of different peoples, there
is no general public opinion in the archi-
pelago; but the men of property and edu-
cation, who alone interest themselves in
public affairs, in general recognize as in
dispensable American authority. guidance
and protection.
IS. Congress should, at the earliest prac-
ticable time, provide for the Philippines
the form of government herein recon-
mended or another equally liberal and
beneficept.
''6. Pending 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 as are at peace.
''7 So far as the finances of the Philip
pines permit public education should be
promptly established, and when established
made free to all.
49, The greatest care should be taken in
the selection of officials for administrati ton.
They should be men of the highest char
acter and fitness and partisan politics
should be entirely separted from the gov
eminent of The Philippines"
Passed Away.
Stockholm, Feb. 3.-The archbishop
of Sweden, Most Rev. Anton Sund-
berg. who was believed to have recov-
cred from appendicitis, is dead.
Two Perish by Fire.
st. Louis. Feb. 1.-Two lives were lost