New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-03
RULE OF PHILIPPINES.
COMMISSIONS REPORT SEM
TO CONGRESS.
TERRITORIAL FORM OF GOVERNMENT
WITH 4 LARGE MEASURE OF
HOME RULE RECON-
MENDED.

Washington. Feb. 2--The FresueA' 'ou@'
-ra,ernitted to Congress the 1rst Volulile Oh inc
rsnort of the philippine Commission. II con-
act -aas including the appendix, and is
), 1,-ofessor schurman. Admiral Dewey,
-(ro~s7 Danbv and Professor worcester
IT,, r-inci-,aI subject dealt with Is the plan OF
,,o,.errn,ent proposed by the Commission winch
t.,,aee q discussion of the spanish govern
,,ent existing before the war the various re-
- aasirAd bv the Filipinos and the constitu-
,iore ,roposed by them, together with the con-
cIreions and plans suggested by the Commission
7-,o ronort covers many other matters connected
NTH the social administration of the islands.
racial characteristics education, secular and re-
Ieiors orders the Chinese in the islands, the
rublic health. currency, etc, well as the con-
dition and needs of the United States in the
PbiIippines from a naval and maritime point OF
view
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
centres in the plan of government proposed by
the Commission. The Commission announces it
self unquaufedly in favor of a government OF
the philippines analogous 10 that of Territory
bv the President The Commissioners say It is
desirable that the inhabitants Of the archipelago
should have a large measure Of home rule in
local affairs, their towns to enjoy substantially
the rights and privileges of towns in Territory.
PROVINCES WITH COUNTY FUNCTIONS.
The provinces should be vested with substan-
tally the functions of county in a Territory.
This system might be applied to Luzon and the
hao- ,,i,,orv ,icyIt
be made on the coast Of Mindanao The Sulu
Archipelago calling for special arrangements
with the Sultan the Commission says, need not
b. considered in connection with this subject.
The Fiipinos could manage their own town and
county affairs through their own officers, whom
they could elect, with help from American
officials except such as would be involved in con-
trolling the local government at Manila. The
suffrage should be restricted by educational or
property qualifications. both. This system
would call for a small body OF American officials
Of great ability and integrity and of patience
and tact in dealing with other races, and this
account the Commission recommends that they
should receive high salaries. They could be
called advisers or commissioners, and one for
every 10000 natives should suffice 1t would
be the duty of such commissioners to report on
their work to the central government at Ma
town and county councils in the discharge of
their duties and to watch the collection of reVe-
nue. and its expenditure.
The government Of the Philippines, the Com
mission insists, must be adapted to the Fill
pinos.
The Commission discusses the system Of gov
eminent by protectorate established over
the Malayan Peninsula by Great Britain, deem
ing such a protectorate inadvisable, 1t having
been instituted because England had no sover-
eighty there. The United States. which pos
sesses sovereignty over the Philippines need not
concern Itself with such a scheme.
A PROTECTORATE NOT ADVISABLE.
The mass Of the people, except in the Sulu
group and some portions OF Mindanao and Papa
wan, which without chieftains rulers,
without distinction Of birth rank; in other
words, are pure democracy. The kind of pro-
tectorate which the insurgent leaders desired,
the Commission says is by which the United
States would assume all responsibility for pro-
tecting the Philippine Government against for
eign aggression while their officials would
collect revenues. On this point 1t is said:
Under the chimerical scheme of protection
cherished by Aguinaldo If a foreigner lost his
life property through a miscarriage of justice
in a Philippine court, or in consequence of
Governors failure TO suppress riot, then the
United States would be responsible for indem-
nifty 10 the foreigners Government, without pos
Sessng the power Of Furnishing the offenders
Of preventing such maladministration, or of
protecting itself against similar occurrences IN
the future. Nor could the liability to foreign
nations be reduced without permitting them d.
recty TO seek redress and such course would,
II is TO be feared, speedily lead to the appropra
ton Of the Philippine Islands by the great
Powers, who would not need to seek far for pre-
fences for Intervention
Undoubtedly, the raising of the American flag
In the Philippine Islands has entailed great re-
sponsibilities upon US; but TO guarantee external
is no way Of escaping from them. On the con-
rary, while you pull down the flag you only pile
up difficulties.
The example Of Great Britain which, the
Commission says, has been brilliantly successful
in governing dependent people, has suggested a
colonial form of government and this plan
seems to have won greater favor with the gen
eral public than any other The Commission
therefore goes with some care into the different
Kinds Of British colonies and corresponding
types Of colonial government. The report says:
Ihere is no analogy between the relation of
the selt-goVerning colony of Australia or of
Caidua 10 Great Britain and the Philippine Isl
anus 10 me United States Instead OF com
munity OF blood, races and language there "a
Inc greatest diversity; and instead of a COM
mon political experience, the one has already
breathed the air Of freedom, the other has been
- eo9Su ly uespoIlsI Clearly, the plan of a
seli-SoVerning colony is a misft to the Philip
pines. amp
ARGUMENT FOR TERRITORIAL GOVERN
MENT
The Commission then discusses the other two
types Of British colony-crown colonies and col
onleS having representative institutions hr+ no.