Omaha daily bee., 1906-10-31
1t will Exercise All Legislative Powers
Now Vested in Commission.
TAFT WILL OPEN FIRST SESSION
Secretary Of War to Witness InStallment
Of New Government
NATIVES HAVE SOME MISTAKEN IDEAS
Suffrage Wiu ne Based ON spanish
Precedent, Not ManhOOd-Former
Governor Ide Talks of
Islands.

WASHINGTON, oct 3O.-1H% 'sident
is preparing to redeem his proeZ y, 'ade
10 the Philippine people, through n =. "
Taft that they shall have a ParllaL q,
their own, conditioned upon their goo, =. "
havior for a term OF two years. and iOct
understood that Secretary Taft himself VIII
proceed TO the Philippines next spring to
witness the installation Of the new form OF
representative government. March 21' 1870,
the Philippine census was published, and
consequently two years from that date
March a. 1907 under the terms Of the act
Of congress, the president will direct the
Philippine commission to call a 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 Phillip
I. pine commission In that part Of the archi-
pelago not inhabited by Moros or non
Christian tribes.
AS this date draws near the Philippine
people are showing signs OF agitation, and
TO the oGicisls here It is evident that they
are expecting some benefits that cannot
AZ once be realized. For instance, the as
semhly OF provisional governors recently
IN ssssion I'm Manila, with the view to ar
ranging the preliminaries for the meeting
~ the Philippine assembly. is reported to
widely extended,
Basis Of Suffrage.
Il ie pointed out here that this is not pos
sible. for the reason that the act Of con-
gress, under which the assembly viii be
convened, expressly states the qualihca-
tions Of voters. These, in brief. are that
the voter must be at least % years old
(Which was the Spanish requirement); must
be able 10 read and write either Spanish
or English. or must own a certain small
amount Of property, or must have been in
The past an once holder 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 con.
sist of two houses TO be known as the
Philippine commission or assembly. the
hitter to consist of not less than fifty nor
more tfiau 100 members. 1t is probable that
flreepreseut. ,ecrTlssion Win be merged In
the upper house.
Islanders need Square Deal.
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. S0-TIenry Clay
Ide. late governor of the Philippine lsiauds,
arrived here yesterday on the liner Hong
Kong NIaru. accompanied by his daughter.
Miss Marjorie Ide. He has come home
after more than five years service in the
far cast TO attend the marriage of his
daughter to BOurke Cochran. The we'd
ding will take place at the Ide home in st.
Johnsbury, VT, shortly after Governor
Ides arrival.
Speaking of conditions in the islands,
Governor Ide said:
Tile Philippines are today in better shape
than they ever were under Spanish or
American rule. The labor question is no
longer a problem.
what the Filipinos do need, however,
is a square deal in tho matter of the tarift.
BY annexation VIC killed the Spanish mar
ket for the sugar and tobacco of the Phil
ippines and by our tarin we barred these
products from the United States. Both In
dustries today are in a state Of prostration.
The policing of the islands is almost en-
tirely IN the hands OF the natives, and. ex-
cept in Leyte and samar where hill tribes
make war on the lowlanders, all is peace
in the Philippines"