The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-04

Il.
ernor Of the Philippines 1t is unusual for
any important Official to write so freely about
his own business as Governor TAFT has done,
and there can be no doubt that President
Roosevelt expressly authorized him to say
what he pleased 1t is much such summary
OF the situation in the Philippines as Gov
ernor Taft might have written for the presi-
dents own information In comparatively
brief space it is the most comprehensive and
lucid exposition of the civil government OF
the Philippines, the condition of the natives
the outlook for the future and the duty OF
the United States. that has yet been put in
type. Ut is a good article for any man to
read who feels that he needs a clear idea
of what has been done and what ought to be
done in the Philippines. The article is so con-
cisely written that it is difficult to make
even long summary of it.
After reviewing what accomplished in
the direction of civil government under mill
tary direction during the administrations of
Generals Otis and Macarthur, the introduce
ton Of the merit system in the civil service
and the works undertaken to supply the
Islands with good roads and harbors. Govern
Or Taft summarized the provisions for general
and local government as follows:
Governmental Organization.
THE municipal law is drawn on the same
general plan as the municipal codes of this
country. and the government is practically
autonomous. The electorate is limited to those
. who speak and write either Spanish Or Eng
lish those who pay tax of fifteen dollars
year, to those who have filled municipal
offices. The provincial government is par
TALLY autonomous. The office Of governor Is
elective. The governor is member OF the
provincial legislative board His colleagues
on this board are the treasurer and super
visor, who are appointed under the civil ser
vice law. The governor and treasurer exer-
else supervision over the municipal officers
OF their province. Thus far they have been
Americans. The other provincial officers are
the prosecuting attorney or fiscal, and the sec
rotary. They have been Filipinos. The secre-
tary Is now selected under the civil service
law. The commission, which Is the 1egisla-
tive body OF the central government since the
LIST OF September. 1901 has five American
members and three Filipino members ap-
pointed by the president
Up to the present thirty-four provincial
governments have been established.
The Schools.
AS to the school system, Governor Taft says
tna' II VII! be at least Ave years before 1t
can safely be pronounced either a success or
Z failure. The American teachers, 1000 in
NUMBER did not arrive in the islands until
august OF last year. Their principal work
Is to teach Filipino teachers English and
methods OF instruction, though at present they
are doing much primary teaching. There are
S'eoo Filipino teachers. Normal and manual
training schools have been oreanized mas
much as the Ftlipinos have no common Ian
6uage, IT Is important to teach English in all
the schools in order to give them such a
language They learn languages easily The
introduction of our language is important in
teacnlng them our institutions. Schools of
secondary INSTRUCTION and probably uni
, sersity, will have to be established Some of
the natives favor compulsory education law,
but there is no necessity for one so long
as the educational facilities are inferior to
the demand, as at present ~
--v The Judiciary.
/, American Judges are in the majority in the
: judiciary The islands are divided into If
teen judicial districts, with general civil
and criminal Jurisdiction. Justices of the
peace are appointed in each town. The SUI
preme court, with appellate jurisdiction. sits
at Manila. Iloilo and Cebu. 1t is made up OF
four Americans and three Filipinos. The
pick of the Filipino lawyers has been Sc
cured for the bench. 70. '-...'
To suppress lauronism the insular police
has been esta bIshed. It comprises 5000 men
not more than 100 to each provinee-under in
Spectors partly American and partly Filipino
So far there have been only three assertions
- In this force. 1t is very efficient, and ladron
ism is gradually disappearing before it. Il
costs the Philippine government only $3.50
year man to keep up this force
The Tariff.
The new tariff taxes Injuries rather thar
necessities. Food stuffs have to stand a dut,
OF about Is per cent ad valorem. The averas,
tariff is rs to 30 per cent A bureau of for
estry has been established, and the post
Office is icing improved. Twenty small sea
going vessels for the mails and to afford
means Of official transportation Throughout
the archipelago are being built. The necessit,
for such means of communication is showl
by the fact that it takes longer to go from
some parts of the Philippines to Manila thai
from San Francisco to New York TIL
health commission and the agricultural blu
reau are doing a very good work Governo
Taft refers to-the great labor Of the civil
commission in preparing the laws
The Civil Code.
lone Of the heaviest labors has been tn
preparation and enactment of a code of civ
procedure The code follows generally tn
codes of the American states The SPANS
code Of procedure full of technicalite
as practically TO deny justice to the Etigan
and the Fil-ino bar were unanimous in
demand for change Judge Ide has drafte
the code, and I believe that American lawyer
who consult it will testify to the excellenc
OF his work. The old Spanish criminal cod
was continued By General Otis. with neces
sa1y notifications. as we'll as the crinins
code of practice. new code Of practice an
OF crimes has now been prepared By Gener;
Wright, and only awaits enactment when tt
three lawyers of,the commission can meet tt
gether again. The commission, under its II
struetions, has not attempted to change tt
. substantive law Of the ISLANDS so far as
affects the correlative rights and duties
/ individuals. 1t is the civil law, and does NJ
differ very materially from the Code Nap
leon. It is "a good system of'law, and the1
| Is no reason to change it,
Governor Taft ably defends the treason an
sediton laws. He says, in part: p.
Treason and sedition Laws.
'sWhen the tariff bill enacted into law b
congress was before the senate, there we
severe criticism Of the commission for pass
ing what were known as the treason ar
sedition laws So far as this criticism II
lated to sections which were taken bodi
from the revised statutes of the United State
and had been in those statutes for 100 year
hardly think it necessary to say anything
section was taken. from the Spanish Law
which, in effect, though not in languag
was like a section Of the United States r.
yised statutes providing for the punishmel
OF conspiracy on the part of two or mo-
persons to deprive another of rights s.
cured to him by the constitution of Il
United States. Another section OF the a
was almost a literal copy Of Tenness
statute denouncing sedtion. Another Sc
tion forbade the organization Of secret polit
cal societies. and another forbade the a.