The Washington herald., 1907-06-02
PHILIPPINES POLITICS
Election to Be Held July 80,
This Year.
LEGISLATORS WILL BE CHOSEN
Regular Elections Every Two Years
Herenfter-New Law, Despite De-
fects, Is Welcomed by Fiiipinos.
AguinaIdo, Now IA Farmer, Taking
Only Incidental Interest In Politics.

| AguinaIdo, Now IA Farmer, Taking
Only Incidental Interest In Politics.
/ The most important act passed by the
Philippine commission during recent
months is the election law which became
operative on January Is. says David j.
[ Doherty, in a letter from Manila to the
Springfield Republican. It's Importance
lies in what it did and what il omitted
/ to do. Positively viewed, il is an en-
abllng act To carry out the provisions Of
the act of Congress Of July !. 1902 CThe
eo-called Philippine bill Of rights which
among other things. provides for the cleo
ton of an assembly. The new act intro
duces the Australian system and covers
not only election for the assembly. but all
elections Of whatsoever kind. Viewed
negatively, it fails to correct a few anom-
allies that have existed here from the
beginning and one Of which at least af-
fects the fundamental rights Of the Fill
pino people
The spirit Of the commission was just.
though not over liberal The act received
long and careful study and was reviewed
and discussed I'm a tiresome series of pub
/ lie meetings, which were well attended.
A number of amendments were submitted.
the most notable being one o. omit the
qualification OF residence by the delegate
/ iu the district. This was wisely rejected
under the terms OF the act # Congress.
and thus the essential principle Of home
rule was insured As originally proposed.
the term OF office for governors and mu-
nie.pal officers was fixed at four years.
and reelection for immediate succession
was prohibited The commission wisely
yielded 90 the public feeling IN this point
and decided that governors and mayors
tcallod presidentesJ should hold office fJr
two years and should not De eligible for
any other office than the one actually
held, that is, such officials must resign IL
they wish 10 become caudid8rcs for other
offices
Curious Defect Incurred.
I was anxious 10 have the suffrage
wideueI "a little So as 90 include Fill
p.los who could read aaC write their
own language. such "a modest extension
would also heal "A curious defect which
has always existed. Tins defect is that
a voter must. among other qualifications.
know how TO speak. read and write
English or Spanish whilst am official
must among other qualifications speak.
read and write English or Spanish or the
local idiom II was the evident iutcn-
tiou of the author Of the law 90 make
the qualifications Of an official narrower
than those of FL voter, hlt hv using tE-
word or instead of and he did tho very
opposite I have suspected that there
was "a clerical error lH tHr old law. but
the original draft could not be found
My amendment was not accepted and I
was informed that the qualdca tons Of
voters had been fixed bv the act oi Com
grcss. but that Congress had been asked
or would be- asked tu confer jurisdiction
ou the assembly I'm This matter I have
looked the matter up further and find
that Congress simply says "Ths guauaea-
t.lus of electors in such elections for the
assembly, shall ba tH. same as is now
provided by law in case of electors in
municipal elections a reference 90 act
50 municipal sgdol reveals the contra
dicti0u above noted, and further search
shows that the articles iu question iu act
30 were taken bodily from general orr
dgrs, 80. 4r issued hv Gen Otis. on
March -. lt.H Thus p5I0ablc error.
if not injustice, originating in The hot
days ot War, las been passed alo0s 20
cur days
New Law Generally Popular.
However, The new election law is vel
coined by everybody because f. means the
assembly and "a share iE "a,I the laE.sfa-
tive power heretofore conferred on the
Philippine commission" by the Congress
The President, and Providence The pro-
visions Of the law are as follows. ]. Sne-
cial election on July 30. 1907. 10 elect dele
gates TO the assembly and theuceforward.
beginning with the first Tuesday after the
first Monday Of November. 1900. regular
elections every TWO years. At the regular
November elections. beginning 1ql-. the
governor and third member Of provinces. /
and the prusidentes and vice presfdentas
Of an municipalities shall be elected. But
municipal councilmen shall be elected half
at successive regular elections So that
these hold office for four years. and an
other officials for two years O. A plurality
OF votes shall elect g. There shall be
eishty-one delegates, or one 20 every
9oea) Of population. and one for every
major fraction thereof g. There cannot
be more than l00 delegates. = Delegates
shall be privileged from arrest, save for
4H. g u
onv is explained to mean any crime pun
lshable 10y death or by imprisonment FOR
four years or more In the Philippines.
too many offenses get over four years
6. No delegate can be appointed 20
any office during the two years for
which elected and no person holding any
Office under the Philippine government
can be a delegate. Z. Delegates shall re-
ceive 20 pesos a day for actual service /
and also actual travelling expenses. s. 1
Thirty thousand pesos are allotted for
clerical expenses. stationery. &c. of first
session. Then follow a number Of pro
visions for election machinery i'm accord
ance with the Australian system. No
cock fight can be held on election day.
and "a building belonging 10 or inhabited
by a candidate cannot be used as a poll
ins place.
Qualifications of Delegates.
The qualifications Of dclegates-deter-
mined by the act Of Congress. are that
they he at least twenty-five years of age. /
owe allegiance to the United States, and
be qualified electors of the election dis
rict for which they stand. To be d quail
ifed clcctor one must be a male, twenty
subject Of any foreign power and have a
legal residence for six months immediate
ly preceding the election in the munich
paHty where he votes. That sounds like
universal suffrage. but it is not for the