The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-01-26
TAFT ON THE
PHILIPPINES
Report Submitted by Presi-
dent to Congress.
FRIARS ARE,
NOT UPHELD
Islands Again Proclaimed to Be
Paeified, Except

Washington, Jan. 25-The president to-
day transmitted 10 the senate a report of
the secretary of war enclosing the report
Of the Taft Philippine commission. In
his message OF transmittal, the president
says the report includes not only the re-
port of the Commission but its act of
legislation ami other important informa-
ton relating TO the wants of the Philip
pines.
Concluding, the president says.
Il earnestly recommend legislation I'M
der which the government of the islands
may have authority to assist in their
peaceful Industrial development in the
directions indicated by the secretary Of
war.
Secretary Roots letter of .transmittal,
dated Jan. q, addressed to the president.
says.
"A personal letter received by me from
Judge Taft. dated Dec. Il, 1862 says
" Since writing you about $1,000 in
| surgents in Ilocos Norte have surrendered
and 1900 persons who were not well af-
fected toward Us in Panay have taken the
oeth of allegiance. have already re
celVed two papers from native priests,
eighteen In number, and l am told that
there viii be a great many other papers
signed by great many more native
priests, rendering their allegiance 10 the
United States and promising fidelity with
out mental reserve THE native priests
are those who have held out longest in
/ FAVOR of the insurgents and against the
Americans. and l deem this action as of
small but hard knocks against the insur-
gents everywhere. Since the election
/ there has been a great falling off in the
activity of the insurgents ia aggressive
ness.
Ask Passage of Spooner Bill.
on Jan. :, the committee as body
reinforced the views contained in their
report by the following dispatch from
root. Secretary of War. Washing
ton; II you approve, ask transmission to
proper senators and representatives of
IolioWing; Passage of Spooner bill at
present session greatly needed to secure
best result from Improving conditions
Until Its passage, no purely central civil
government can be established; no public
franchises Of any kind granted. and no
substantial investment OF private capital
IN internal Improvements possible. All
are needed as most important step in
complete paCification. Strong peace par
" organized with defined purpose of Sc
curing civil government under United
states and reasonably expect civil gov
eminent and relief from inevitable but
annoying restraints of military rule long
before subject can be taken up by new
congress Time near at hand in our opin-
ION when disturbances existing can bet
ter be suppressed by native police of a
civil government with an army as auxiI-
lary force than by continuance of com
pete ulltlLdTN control Power to make
cnange should be put in hands of presi-
dent to act promptly when time arrives
TO give Filipino people an object lesson /
IN advantages of peace. Quasi-civil gov
eminent under Wdy-p0Wer. most restrict
ed and unsatisfSing- Commission embar-
raSsed in securlns good material for ju- /
visiOnal charter OF military government (
and uncertainty of tenure.
American Miners on Ground.
g Sale of public lands and allowance of /
mining claims impossible until Spoouer /
ground awaiting law to perfect claims
More coming. Good element in pacifica-
ton. Urgently recommend amendment
SpOOner bill so that its operation be not
postponed until complete suppression of
all instruction. but only until in presi- !
dents jnFgment civil government may be
safely established Conditions rapidly
Improving to point where civil govern /
ment, with aid of army, will be more e. 1
hcient to secure peace than military con- /
(S5igned) COMMISSION, /
, "A dispatch from Judge Taft dated |
'-The section OF the report on the liquor
traffic in-Manila indicates that the pow
ers of the commission are ample to deal /
with that subject, andSthe success which /
they have attained Will compare faVOra- /
by with the results in this country
Answering the question, are houses OF /
prostitution licensed, protected, OF in any I
way encouraged by authorities the 1
NO. but true that in November. 1898. |
spread OF veneral diseases among soldiers /
led military authorities. in order to NAM /
tain effectiveness of army, 10 subject 4
known prostitutes 10 ceruhed eSamlna- 4
ton and confinement of diseased IN spe- 4
cial hospital expense OF which paid from
fund IN custody of army Oncer secured 4
solely from fees charged for examination I
OF 50 cents to 81, according TO place Of /
examination
Limited Suffrage Favored.
The commission says that examinations /
Of many witnesses as to the form of gov
eminent best adapted to these islands 4
and satisfactory TO the people show that I
the masses of the people are. ignorant. I
creduloUs and chiid-iike. and that under I
any government the electoral franchise 4
must be limited, because the large ma /
iority will not. tor long time, be capa- !
bic OF intelligentiy exercising II.
From all the Information we can get
it seems clear that a great majority OF .
the people long Tor peace ana are entire 4
~ willing to accept the establishment OF /
a government under the supremacy OF 4
the United states. They are, however, /
restrained by fear from taking any action /
to assist in the suppression OF the lnsur-
In southern Iuzon the conditions have /
improved in the provinces of CaVtte, Ba-
tangas and Laguna during the IaSt
month The province OF Iayaoas is /
peaceful. IN the Camarines and AIpay
the conditions are not so satisfactory, out
and MiudanaO the conditions are much /
the same as reported Aug q, except that
in Leyte much Improvement mas been
made.
The report adds -.
since the result of the American etec-
ton was announced there mas been a
great decrease in insurgent activity.
Friars Are Discussed.
one of the longest chapters in the re-
port concerns the friars in the Philip
pines. 1t gives the history of the eXput-
sion of these friars from their places by
the rebe4s. and declares that the burning
question agitating the Fflipinos Is WheIh-
er they shah be permitted TO return. Ihe
commission listened to all sides, including
the Archbishop OF Manila, himself a
friar. and the churchmen brought for
ward bv him. The commission says that
thority. governmental as we'll as reilg-
f,i,g In his locality. and not single
function Of government could be per
formed without his assistance and par
tfcfps ton As TO the mOOted question or !.
the immortality of the friars, the commits
sion saws that the evidence on this point
is So strong that il seems to establish
clearly that there were enough insIdIlSgs
in each province to give considerable
rro4fn3 for the general report That Such
immortality should exist among the trlsra,
IL saws is however. not strange IN view
If the fact that many of them came from
The Ignorant peasantry Of Andalusla anu
were not BIZ training fitted TO resist tht
terontaffon But immortality on the part /
81 the friars. it is said, was not the prln-
ctua 10 o. or tHe nOst-iity toward them
Of the people
The commission says.
at did not shock the common people OF !
q rouse their indignation to see their cur
ate establish illicit relations with Woih-
an and have children by her. The woman
did not lose caste on that account buL