New-York tribune., 1901-06-05

lin H1A1 OO->SlDEfSAIlON OF THE
STATUS OF THE PHILIPPINES 1TNnrp
SUPREME COURT DECISIONS
lBY TELEGRAPH THE rRIBuSr,
Washington. June 4.-As toreshadoved g.,
these dispatches, the Cabinet at its rneeting 10
day put stop TO all talk of an extra session
of Congress this summer by issuing the follow
ing positive statement:
The President has determined that existirg
conditions 90 not require warrant calling
Congress tosether during the present summer
or making any change in the policy hitherto pur-
sued and announced in regard to the Philippine
Islands.
While there has never been much excuse for
the widespread predictions of an extra session
still the foregoing statement was not formu-
lated until the Cabinet had been in session more
than TWO hours, with every member except Sec
retary Long present. and after a thorough dis
cussion as to the bearing of the Supreme Courts
recent decisions in the Porto Rican test cases
on the status of the Philippines. The statement
was written by Secretary Root, and was based
on the conclusions of Attorney-General Knox,
founded on careful investigation of the Supreme
Courts decisions. Naturally, no member of the
Cabinet viii discuss in detail or for publication
the analysis of the decisions submitted by Mr..
Knox, although they all unite in declaring that
the new Attorney-General has demonstrated the
a
comprehensive grasp OF the intricate questions
involved not alone in the Supreme Courts ap-
parently contradictory opinions in the De Lima
and Downes cases, which he succeeded in
reconciling TO the satisfaction Of the President
and all the members of the Cabinet. but also
Of the general colonial policy OF the govern
nent.
THE PRESIDENTS POWERS AMPLE
The substance of the Attorney Generals find
ings is that there is nothing either in the De
Lima or the Dcwnes decision which can be con-
strued as even a hint from the Supreme Court
that the President exceeded his authority under
the war power in managing the Philippines out
Of hand up to the date of action by Congress. or
that the special grant of power contained in the
Spooner resolution unduly enlarged the EXecu-
tiye's functions On these deductions the Cahi-
net felt entirely safe in advising the President
n continue his Philippine policy without chang
ing or modifying any Of its features. This does
not necessarily mean that the original pro-
erarnme wholly to supplant the military govern
rnent with civil rule on July will be carried out
nor does it mean that this will not be done. 1t
means simply that il is entirely within the as
crerion of the President to when TINS FORMAL
change shall take place. Ihere - Nouns iI @ ~ ~
Spooner resolution as to the time clNll govern
ment shall be established in the ISLANDS or as
10 the form Of that government Inc PreslaenI
and his advisers merely had hoped to institute
civil rule in the archipelago and make the mill
tary government subordinate thereto on July l.
But If the Taft Commission is not prepared 10
assume full responsibility for the administration
Of the Philippines on the date named OF II tne
conditions in the islands at that time are not
uropitious for the transfer Of authority ana re
sponsibility from the military TO the civil ON
GERS the change will not be made lhe ohlg poliiI
of certainty in this matter is that the change VIII
he made as soon as the situation warrants IT, IN
view of the fact that Acknowledgement Corpln
and other heads OF the army stafr IN Nasnlhs loII
will arrive in the Philippines about the last OF
July and that il will require fully month M LOT
them TO make a satisfactory stuoy OF lne tI Ittii
tary situation it is regarded as not lnpropapgie pg
that the transfer of authority will not be made
for two or three months after the original GATE
tentatively agreed upon
PHILIPPINES STATUS UNCHANGED.
II should be understood that whenever this
change is made the status Of the Philippines VIII
not he affected or modified in the least The
islands will still be administered under the gen
eral slperyision of the War Department and
the Taft Commission will continue TO report TO
the President through the Secretary or war
just as the Military Governor mas e done I'm or
the beginning Thus the President VIII con-
tinue 10 exercise over the islands his war
powers which have never been denied or IN
anv way restricted by a Supreme Court decision
T1Tder these general powers the President, 1t is
c0ntended, proclaim a tarlH scneoule loI
the Philippines which can De appneo eI.hei ,.d 9
an import or an export tax. He can also WIN
hold from the islands the benefits OF the coast
wise trade laws, which in the recent pllotdse
case decision the Supreme Court declared eA-
tended TO Porto Rico and Hawaii and which al
ready had been extended by executive order
Some significance, perhaps attaches 10 the
c,rcuToetance that in the formal announcement
made by the Cabinet that there would be no
evtra session Of Congress Secretary Root was
caref,,i +o saw that the lawmakers would not
be called together during the present sum
gner" This is interpreted as possipy mean Lnedh!Is h
that an extra session may be cailed aIIer the
summer months are passed-say' in October. or
about the time the Supreme Court reconVenes
"a E,ap6s down its decision in the Philippine
test suit Even IT, will probably be the case
The co1rt should uphold the government on every
Material noint in that litigation, there still
might be excellent reasons for the President TO
call the new Congress together oe1ore Ihe reg
amount Of work viii have to be done by the next
Congress and if it does not meet uhtil Decenn-
summer OF 1902. just when new and yltany
+ta ,,,boldinfy of the governments colonial pol
icy. is pressing for attention BY getting the
u av-rnakers here two months ahead OF time, IL
=; +ai..od ont the President would greatly ex-
redite the public business as well as serve the
best interests Of his party