The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-04-15
TAFT'S DEFENCE
OF POLICY OF THE PHILIPPINE
COMMISSION.
MAJOR GARDENERS REPORT
Not Suppressed, but Only Withheld
for investigation and Opportunity
for Those Charged With Wrong
doing to Reply Before Being Made
I Action of the Commission in Pros
ecutinS n Newspaper Under the Sc
ditiOn Law.

ditiOn Law.
Cincinnati, o., April 12.-The Times
Star today publishes the following:
Governor General Taft of the Philip
pines was today shown a copy of a let
ter written by Rev. David Philipson,
published this morning. After reading
DR.. Philipson's letter, Governor Taft
said:
"Dr. Philipson assumed that the pros
ecution of the editor of Freedom is bas
ed on a criticism of the policy adopted
by the commission. In this 1 know
that he is entirely in error. The prose-
cution of The Freedom, as may per-
haps be gathered from the dispatches
and as 1 know from previous history,
is for charging that the members of
the commission or some of them, with
out naming any one, enjoy what is Tul-
carly known as graft" that is that
they corruptly received money for her
action as commissioners. Prosecution
has been begun, it is said, under the
sedition law, against the editor of The
Freedom. in which he will have full
opportunity to show as a defense that
such corruption exists, If it does eX-
ist. The action is begun under tne
sedition law because it could not be
prosecuted successfully under the libel
law. Under law of libel a charge that
a public body or that member Of
public body is guilty of corruption IS
not a charge upon which a suit by any
particular member, not named, can be
founded.
Under the sedition law a charge OF
that kind against a governmental body
can be prosecuted and the defendant
given an opportunity to show that il
is true. 1t does not aid the discussion,
nor is it material whether 1t be called
sedition or criminal libel or les ma
jeste. The question presented is sim
ply whether a newspaper shall be per
mitted day after day to charge the
highest governmental body in the land
as corruptly using their power to MAKE
money, without any opportunity to any
member of the body, or the body as 4
whole, to take action by suit, before
a ~ auFt regularly constituted, to Dur
ish such malicious missatements. if
| they are malicious, or to give the per-
son making them the opportunity of
showing that they are true.
THE Freedom is a newspaper which
| has devoted it's columns always to the
| denunciation of the Filipinos, to hold
| ing them UP to the scorn of America MS;
! advocates with intensity the turning
over of the government from
the civil to the military and advocates
| the utmost severity of measures against
the Filipinos. 1t attacks the commits
sion daily, for appointing Filipinos to
| office. 1t seeks to stir up America n
| prejudices against the Filipinos, and,
| on the other hand, it's unjust attacks
upon Filipinos have a tendency to de-
stroy the confidence of Filipinos in he
friendly interest of Americans.
| 'The second, referred to by Dr.. Phil
| ipson is the Tayabas report of Major
Gardner as civil governor of that pro-
vince. DR.. Philipson says that the re-
| port was suppressed by the govern
mental authorities. How suppressed :
|
the commission 1 volunteered without
| suggestion from the commission to pre-
sent to it certain reports to rebut the
| charge that there was no tranquility in
provinces said to be pacified and wefe
admitted to be in a state of insurrec-
tion. There was no obligation on my
part. therefore. TO present any report
in regard to Tayabas, for l was nor
asked to do so. Before the time whef
/ presented the reports, had submitted
the Tayabas report to the secretary O
war for investigation.
THE Tayabas report needs investiea
ton before it shall be accepted. ajo1
Gardner as governor of Tayabas, wa:
called upon for a report as to the con
ditions in Tayabas. and in this reu0r
he gives his opinion as to the charac
ter of warfare carried on in Batangos
Laguna and Samar, wholly outside o
Tayabas. and the general attitude o
the highest military authorities towar'
the civil government of the islands. =
TO which he could have only the sam
general information that any one Il
J Manila could have had.
Before a report thus written shou,,
be given to the public it was. / submit,
entirely fair that he. as governor shout
be called upon to make specification
and that those charged with the seriou
offenses should be given an opportuni
ty to reply"
Neglect Mean. Hanger