Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1902-07-05
|ALL FILIPINOS ARE
GRANTED AMNESTY
Political Prisoners in the
Islands to Be Given
Liberty.
WILL BE FREED JULY a
President and Cabinet Agree on the
Question, But Il 10 Contingent
on Passage OF the Phil
ippine Bill

Washington, June 30.-For the first
time in lightweight years a regular
session OF the cabinet was held yester-
day outside the White house. When
President Roosevelt arrived from New
London, Conn, yesterday, he was
driven to the temporary executive
mansion in Lafayette square. senator
Kean of New Jersey was the nrst IN
official life to visit the new nome OF the
president. A number of others also
called at various times throughout the
day for no other purpose than W III
spect the premises.
At the meeting of the cabinet the
terms of an amnesty proclamation 10
the Filipinos, which 1t is
70 issue on the Fourth OF July, were
agreed upon.
The war department for some tune
past has had under consideration me
draft of a proclamation, and has found
II necessary to make a numper VI
changes in it's text. In It's modlhea
state is was agreed to by The caolnet,
and Secretary Root will cable II 10
Acting Governor Wright for his nspec
ton. II II meets the latters approval
nothing Will remain but Tor the presI-
dent. If the Philippine civil government
bin is a law on tina day, as is now ex-
petced it will be, to issue on
cnce day n formal proclamation settlng
forth terms of amnesty for all politlcal
Offenders in the islands. including Agui-
naldo and those held at Guam.
The proclamation is based or the
general object OF the gov
ernmcnt bill, namely, to restore peace
in the archipelago and substitute a
civil for q military administrator.
That bill is now in conference, n the
will not be issued until
the Philippine government measure mas
been agreed upon by both houses ana
the president has affixed his signature
to it. The proclamation Will declare
that a state Of peace now exists in the
Philippine islands save in the parts or
the archipelago where the Mindanao
or pagan tribes are giving the United
States q great mount of trouble, n
will declare in effect that with the
transfer of the government OF n
archipelago from n military to q civil
status all those arrested and held FOR
political offenses shall be restored their
liberty, granted full amnesty n al
lowed to participate In the civil govern
ment that is to be inaugurated in the
islands.
While the proclamation Is subject to
changes In text, the general language
of the document is pretty well mapped
out. There was a general discussion
today of the treatment that should be
accorded the polltlcal prisoners OF the
islands. There is no intention, 1t Is
stated, to release those prisoners con-
victed Of other than political ~offenses,
the benefits of the amnesty being linn
tied 10 those In custody as a result Of
breaches OF military law, leaving GRIM
inal offenders to the action of the prop
err authorities under the coming civil
government.
The purpose is to demonstrate that
motives Of humanity n generosity
dictate our course toward the Filipinos.
When the islands are turned over to
the civil authorities they will not be
left without adequate military protec-
ton, as no more troops will be ordered
home for the present, and every pre-
caution will be taken for the military
safeguarding Of the islands under the
new civil administration.
Another subject under consideration
at the cabinet meeting yesterday was
the negotiations for the purchase Of the
frier lands in the Philippines. Secretary
Root took with him to the meeting all
of the correspondence which has passed
between himself and Governor Taft
while the latter has been carrying on
his negotiations at Rome. 1t is under
stood that Secretary Root feels great
confidence in q successful outcome of
Governor Taft's efforts.