to the traditions of guerrilla warfare, which,
while ineffective to alter the general control now established, are
still sufficient to beget insecurity among the populations that have
felt the good results of our control and thus delay the conferment upon
them of the fuller measures of local self-government, of education, and
of industrial and agricultural development which we stand ready to give
to them.

By the spring of this year the effective opposition of the dissatisfied
Tagals to the authority of the United States was virtually ended, thus
opening the door for the extension of a stable administration over much
of the territory of the Archipelago. Desiring to bring this about, I
appointed in March last a civil Commission composed of the Hon. William
H. Taft, of Ohio; Prof. Dean C. Worcester, of Michigan; the Hon. Luke I.
Wright, of Tennessee; the Hon. Henry C. Ide, of Vermont, and Prof.
Bernard Moses, of California. The aims of their mission and the scope of
their authority are clearly set forth in my instructions of April 7,
1900, addressed to the Secretary of War to be transmitted to them:

In the message transmitted to the Congress on the 5th of December, 1899,
I said, speaking of the Philippine Islands: "As long as the insurrection
continues the military arm must necessarily be supreme. But there is no
reason why steps should not be taken from time to time to inaugurate
governments essentially popular in their form as fast as territory is
held and controlled by our troops. To this end I am considering the
advisability of the return of the Commission, or such of the members
thereof as can be secured, to aid the existing authorities and
facilitate this work throughout the islands."

To give effect to the intention thus expressed, I have appointed Hon.
William H. Taft, of Ohio; Prof. Dean C. Worcester, of Michigan; Hon.
Luke I. Wright, of Tennessee; Hon. Henry C. Ide, of Vermont, and Prof.
Bernard Moses, of California, Commissioners to the Philippine Islands
to continue and perfect the work of organizing and establishing civil
government already commenced by the military authorities, subject in
all respects to any laws which Congress may hereafter enact.

The Commissioners named will meet and act as a board, and the Hon.
William H. Taft is designated as president of the board. It is probable
that the transfer of authority from military commanders to civil
officers will