The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1900-02-09
ISLAND GOVERNMENT
philippine Commission Has
Filed It's Final Report.
Ideas of the Members As TO the
Character of Government
to Establish.


! to Establish.
Washington, Feb. 2.-The president
today transmitted to congress the first
volume OF the report of the Philippine
ommlsslon. 1t Is a volume of 264
pages, including the appendix, and is
| signed by Professor Schurman. Admiral
| Dewey, Colonel Denby and Professor
worcester. The principal subject dealt
| Win Is the plan OF the government pro-
! posed Oy the commission, which includes
Qlscussl0n OF the Spanish government
existing prior to the war, the various
reforms desired by the FilipnOs and the
! constitutions proposed by them, to-
| gether with the conclusions and pIans
suggested by the commission. The re-
| port also covers many other matters
connected with the social administra-
tiOn OF the island, racial characteristics
education, secular and religious orders,
the Chinese in the islands, public health.
| currency, etc, as well as to the cOndi-
ton and needs of the United States in
the Philippines from a naval and mari
time standpoint. The second volume of
the report, which will not be ready for
UbJdllbu
scrIptlOn of the climate and natural re-
sources OF the islands. The chief interest
IN the report naturally centers in the
plan OF government proposed by the
commission. The commission announces
itself unqualifiedly in favor of a govern
ment of the Philippines analogous to
that OF territory OF the United States
with a governor appointed by the presi-
dent. They say it is desirable that the
inhabitants OF the archipelago should
enjoy large measure Of home rule in
local affairs, their towns to eDiov sub
stantialIy the rights and privileges OF
towns in a territory.
Plan of Government.
The PROVINCES should be vested with
substantially the functions of a county
IN a territory; this system might be ap-
piled to LuzOn and the Viscayan islands
at once and beginning might be made
on the coast of Mndanao. The Sulu
archipelago calling for special arrange
ments with the sultan, the commission
says need not be considered in this con
nectiOn. The FilipinOs could manage
their own town and county affairs
through their own officers, whom they
officials except such as would be involved
IN control from the central government
at Manila. Suffrage should be restricted
by educational or property quahfca-
tiOns or both. This system would ne
cessltate a small body Of American Of
ticlals OF ability and integrity and OF
patience and tact in dealing with other
races and on this account the commission
recommends they should command high
salaries. The commission says they
could be called advisors and commits
siOners and that one for every $50 ma
tives should suffice. 1t would be the
duty OF such commissioners to report on
their work to the central government at
Manila. 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
expenditure. Our government of the
Philippines, the commission insists, must
be adapted to the FilipinOs.
The com mission discusses the system
Of government by a protectOrate and
board over the Malaban peninsula by
Great Britain, deeming such a prOtectO-
rate inadvisable, it having been insti-
tuted for the reason that England had
no sovereignty there. The United States,
which possesses sovereignty over the
Philippines, need not concern itself with
such scheme.
AguinaldO's Scheme Futile.
The mass OF the people, except in the
Sulu group and some portions OF Min
danao and PalawaD, which are without
chieftains or rulers, are without distinc-
tipD 0f hirth roDE. in "a bor
a pure democracy. The kind of a pro-
tectOrate, which the insurgent leaders
desired, the commission SAYS, is one
under which the United States would
assume all responsibility for protecting
the Philippine government against for
eign aggression while their own officials
would collect revenues.
"Under the chimerical scheme of pro-
lection cherished by AguinaldO, if a
foreigner lost his life or property
through a miscarriage of justice in a
Philippine court or in consequence of O
governors failure to suppress a riot
then the United States would be respOn-
sible for indemnity to the foreign gov
ernment without possessing the power
of Furnishing the offenders or of prevent
ing such maladministr6tion or of pro-
tecting itself against similar occurrences
in the future. Nor could the liability to
foreign nations be reduced without per-
mittiDg them directly to seek redress
and such a course would it is to be
feared, speedily lead to the appropria-
tiOn OF the Philippine islands by the
great powers who would not need to
seek far for pretenses for Intervention.
"UndOubtedly the raising OF the
American flag in the Philippine islands
has entailed great responsibilities on us,
but to guarantee external protection
while renOuncing internal dominion, is
in no way escaping from them. On the
contrary, while you pull down the flag
you only pile up difficulties"
England's Colonies.
The example of Great Britain. which
the commission says has been brilliantly
successful in governing dependent people,
las suggested a colonial form of govern
ment and this plan seems to have won
greater favor with the general public
than any other.
Therefore, the commission with some
care goes into the different kind of Brit
ish colonies and corresponding types OF
colonial governments.
"Thera is no analogy" says the CON-
mission, ''between the relations OF the
self-governing colony of Australia or of
Canada to Great Britain and that OF the
Nsv1ns II y -