The Mena weekly star., 1906-11-01
ID REDEEM HIS PROMISE
The President Getting Ready to Give the Philippine People
 a Parliament.
TAFT TO WITNESS THE INSTALLATION
Secretary of War to Wait the Ia lands Next spring-Fflipinoa
 Showing signs of Agitation as Election Time Draws Near-FOr- mer Gov. Ide on Philippine Needs


 Washington, Oct. 31.--The presi- dent Is preparing to redeem his prom ise made to the Philippine people through Secretary Taft that they shall have a parliament of their own, con ditioned upon their good behavior for a term of two years. and it Is under stood that Secretary Taft himself will proceed to the Philippines next spring to witness the installation of the new form of representatives gov ernment. March 27. 1905, the Philip pine census was published and con sequently two years from that date March 27, 1907, under the terms of the act of congress the president will direct the Philippine commission to call general election for the choice of delegates to what will be known as the Philippine assembly This body Is to take over all legislative powers heretofore exercised by the Philip pine commission in all parts of the archipelago not inhabited by Moors or non-Christian tribes
 As this date draws near the Philip pine people are showing signs of agi- talon and to the officials here 1t is evident that they are expecting some benefits that cannot at once be real ized For instance the assembly of provisional governors recently In ses- sion in Manila with the view to ar ranging the preliminaries for the meeting of the Philippine assembly Is reported to have recommended that suffrage be widely extended. It is pointed out here that this Is not pos sible for the reason that the act of congress under which the assembly will be convened expressly states the qualifications of voters. These In brief are that the voters must be at least 23 years of age (which was the Spanish requiroment);; must be able to read and write either Spanish or English; or must own certain small amount of property or must have been in the past an officer under the Span ish government
 These qualifications were framed upon the old Spanish practice and no Philippine assembly can change them. The new assembly or legislature will consist of two houses to be known as the Philippine commission and the Philippine assembly, the latter to con- sist of not less than 30 nor more than 100 members. It is probable that the present commission will be merged in the upper house.
 San Francisco. Oct 31.--Henry Clay Ide. late governor general of the Phil- ippine islands arrived here Monday on the liner Hong Kong Mart. actom- panied by his daughter. Miss Marjorie Ide. He has come home after moro than five years service in the far enst to attend he marriage of his daughter to Bourke Cochran. The wedding will take place at the Ide home In St. Johnsbury. Vermont. shortly afte; Gov. Ide's arrival. Speaking of con ditions in the islands Gov. 1de said
 "The Philippines are today in bet ter shape than they ever were under Spanish rule. The labor question Is no longer problem. What ho Phil- Ippines do need. however, Is . square deal in the matter Of the tariff. By annexation we killed the Spanish mar ket for the sugar and tobacco of the Philippines and by our tariff we barred these products from the United States Both industries are today in a state of prostration. The policing of the lands Is almost entirely in tho hands of the natives, and except in L2yte and Samar where hill ribes makes war on the low flanders all Is peace in the Philippines"