The Savannah morning news., 1901-01-27
CIVIL GOVERNMENT FOR THE PHIL
IPPINES


The report Of the Taft Commission. sent
to the Senate on Friday, has made an
! extra session of the next Congress prob
able. The commission wants legislation
that will provide for the establishment
OF civil! government In the Philippines at
once Such legislation cannot be had dur
ing the remaining weeks Of the present
Congress. There are bills pressing Tor
consideration that cannot very we'll be
put over until next winter. Besides. any
measure providing for civil government Ia
the Philippines is certain to be productive
OF a long debate.
1t seems that the desire OF the Presi-
dent for such legislation as the Taft Com
mission advises Is somewhat of a sur
prise to Congress. 1t was supposed that
be had no serious objection to exercising
almost absolute power in the islands as
long as Congress was wiling he should
DO so. His present attitude, however, In
dicates that he is ready to adopt any
course that promises a speedy settlement
of the Philippine trouble
The commission is of the opinion that
the establishment OF civil government
would go a long way toward bringing
peace to the islands. In its opinion the
great majority of the Fnlpinos are anx-
ious for peace, and would willingly SUBJ
nit to the authority of the United States
If it were not for the fact that they are
terrorized by those who are still carrying
on war. II is said that assassination is
the most common means employed to pre-
vent the people from accepting American
rule. There appears to be an organlza-
ton something like the Malta throughout
the islands. 1t works in the dark. Those
believed 10 be assisting in establishing the
authority of the United States are in dan
ger of being killed secretly. 1t is not
to be wondered at that. under such cir
cumstances. It Is difficult to get people
known to be friedly TO American rule to
openly avow their allegiance to the
American flag.
1t is the opinion OF the Taft Commits
sion that it would bs a mistake to put
off the establishment of civil government
until every vestige of the instruction
had disappeared, as provided for in the
pending Spooner bill for the reason that
native police could deal with existing dis
order to better advantage than the mill
tary can. From this 1t would appear that
the instruction Is practically at an end
and tnat only Disseminated factions and
individuals in different parts of the ISL
ands remain actively hostile, II this is
the case. 1t would seem as If the request
OF the commission for civil government
ought to be complied with.
The commission is composed OF able
men. If the government has confidence in
1t there ought not to be delay in care
fully considering its recommendations. If
it has no confidence In it, then the com
mission should be recalled. If 1t be true
that native police force would be
better means of dealing with the disturb
ing elements than the soldiery then
force of that kind should be organized at
once, assuming that there is nothing IN
the way OF using such force.
It is intimated that Senator Spooner
is about to propose that a joint com
mittee Of Congress visit the Philippines
with the view of seeing exactly what the
situation is. 1t is doubtful If much good
would result. The committee would have
TO get information from the sources from
which Gen. Macarthur gets 1t. 1t is not
probable that 1t would make a tour Of
the islands 1t would get some impress
sions, OF course. f. ON its observations In
Manila, but. after all, would it know very
much more after its return than it is able
to get through the sources which the gov
eminent has at its disposal? 1t is doubt
full.
The civil government plan appears TO
be a good one. The probabi.i is that
a change to that kind of government
would make a favorable impression on
the Filipinos. In that case the insurrec-
ton would be still further weakened
Would It not be advisable to give civil
government a trial?