Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-03-22
READY FOR ELECTION,
Secretary Taft Has His Eye on Phil
 ippine Island Movements.

Washington, D. C.. March %
 Arrangements have been perfected
 for the election of members of the
 Philippine assembly, which. in ac-
 cordance with an act of congress. is
 to be held on the 30th of next July.
 The machinery of the voting will be
 modern In every respect and around
 It Will be thrown every restriction known to the most advanced Ameri-
 can city.
 Secretary Taft is in receipt of q copy of the act of the Philippine
 commission providing regulations for
 the holding of the elections The act ana regulations are a long step to-
 ward the self government of the Fili-
 pinos. Following the elections. See
 retary Taft will visit the Philippines,
 so timing his trip as to enable him.
 10 be present at the opening of the
 first Philippine assembly. which is
 to convene next September.
 Under the regulations of the Philip
 pine commission, the delegates
 shall hold office as members of the
 assembly for two years, or until their successors shall have been elected and qualified After the election this year, the assembly elections will be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each odd-numbered year. and the members election at such time shall take of flee on the first day of the following January. Other provincial officers are to be elected at the same time. They will assume the duties of their office on the first of January imme- diately succeeding their election and continue in office two years. The mu- nicipal councillors are an exception. They will be elected with the other officers, but will hold office four years. Vacancies that may occur in offices will be filled by ap- pointment of the provincial boards 1 and vacancies in provincial offices 1 will be filled by appointment of the governor general.
 It is provided that voters at any election must be twenty-three years ,ld, residents of the municipality :n which they offer their votes and not subjects of any foreign power. They must either be able to read. speak md write the English or Spanish anguage: or must own real property If the value of 800 pesos or pay thir- y pesos. taxes: or must have held 'ffice under the Spanish government 'rior to August 13. 1898. Certain disqualification provisions are con. aimed in the act of the commission.
 Voters in any precinct or munici- ality are required 10 be registered y the inspectors of elections. Thc australian ballot system will be Fol- owed in the elections. both as to the rinting and casting of the ballots. Q preserve the purity of the cleo ons. penalties are provided for those of corruption. The act and egulatlons have met the approval the Filipinos. who are looking for ard with eagerness to this arrange lent for a government of their own. The Philippine assembly under the 1 w. will consist of S1 members, at 1 resent. and provision is made for it's crease from time to time. to not : ore than one hundred members. nch laws as it may pass will he . lbiect to the approval of the Phil pine commission. Without that ap- I oval. the acts of the assembly will 1 't become laws. This system was lopted as check to any radicalism | at might manifest itself in the as- f mhly. 2 Information received here indicates at some of the best informed and !. chly equipped Filipinos in the isl ' ids will he chosen as members of | Q assembly. Already the campaign [
 exciting interest and Secretary h lift is of the opinion that the assem- e y will be composed generally of I gh grade men. who will labor car h stly and sincerely for the promo 7. m of the best interests of the isl /. ds.