Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1901-04-09
Civil Government I'm the
Philippines Will Soon Be
Established.
PLANS BEING PERFECTED
1t Is Expected That the New Gov
ernment Will Be Established
Before July 4.
Interesting Conjectures As To Who
Will Be At the Head
0f the Same.

Washington. April 9-The news
from Manila regarding the establish
ment OF civil government is in accord
with Information already made public
here that the new Philippine govern.
ment VIII ue established about July /
Immediately upon the passage of the
army appropriation bill the entire
Spooner amendment was cabled to the
TART commission and the commission
was directed to prepare plan for the
government or the Islands in accord
ance with the law. This plan has not
yet been completed, but IL il expected
to be- about the time for the return
OF the commission To Manila, and Ii
VIII be cabled here for approval or
amendment. The civil government
proposed will not be very elaborate
but sufficient 10 meet the present re
quests. one of the most interesting
features Is as 10 who Will be in the
supreme authority under the presi-
dent
The law says that all military, civil
and judicial powers necessary To gov
crn the Philippine islands shall be
vested in such person and persons as
the president shall direct" The Ian
guage has been weighed very care
fully and the designation person fol
lowed by persons" IL taken to mean
that the president shall name some one
10 have supreme authority under his
own directions, and that the persons
shall be those acting under that
command. Judge Tart. Ii is under
stood, il to be the governor of the
island. but 1t will be necessary TO have
some one in Washington TO act as the
medium OF communication between
the president and governor There
viii be great deal OF business with
which the president cannot burden
himself and some cabinet officer will |
be selected To have charge of the Phil |
ippines well as other insular af-
fairs.
Authority over the islands probably |
will be exercised by the. president |
through Secretary Root as the sec
retary already is familiar with the
governmental machinery of the is
lands. More than this, the law spec
ideally asserts that the military as
Well as civil and judicial powers shall
be exercised in the islands, and IL il
NOT believed Feasible to divide the re.
sponsihiiity. for many years to
come there must be joint and harmo- |
NOUS action by the civil and military
There already has grown
up in the war department since the
Spanish war division of insular af
fairs which has had i'll charge all mat
ters pertaining To the civil operations.
|
Cuba At present Lieutenant Colonel
Edwards is in charge of this division.
and his familiarity with conditions In
the Philippines. lie having spent a
great deal of time there. makes him
a valuable official. 1t is probable that
IL the Philippines he administered
the war department, Colonel
Edwards viii continue in charge of the
division.
The fact that the actual condition
of the island will remain in the war
does not mean that GOV
eruor Taft will have his power curtail
ed. Necessarily the president will re-
main the court of last resort for ey
erything relating To the islands, but
the governor and his counsel will ex
ercise the hroadeSt authority and much
that heretofore has been submitted TO
Washington for determination by the
military governor general and Taft
il expected To be settled
by the governors council and eNecu
tive assembly. should one be thought
necessary. The general belief express
ed here is that the governor and couu
ell will I've about all the government
necessary