Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 January 1902 — TAFT RETURNS HOME. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

TAFT RETURNS HOME.

Civil Governor of the Philippines Says Rebellion Is About Ended. W. H. Taft, civil governor of the Philippine Islands, who arrived at San Francisco on the transport Grant, is quite ill, the Philippine climate and the arduous duties he has performed having told on his constitution. Gov. Taft says the war is confined to the two provinces. Batangas and Samar, and the operations in Batangas occasionally range into the neighboring provinces of Tayabas and Laguna. Gov. Taft says Gen. Wheaton is doing splendid work in the islands and that officer assured him shortly before he sailed that tlie natives of the province of Batangas and its vicinity would all be pacified before the close of next March. The provinces of Cebu and Bohol, until recently disturbed by insurgent operations, have settled down, the fighting men having all surrendered. The Filipinos are very anxious to secure a Legislature as a step toward the permanent establishment of a civil government. The present civil government has been working with great zeal and has far exceeded expectations, the governor says. The chief difficulty at present is the lack of police protection in the provinces. Small bands of robbers still infest the back districts. They terrorize the natives and until the strong arm of the law is able to suppress them absolute peace in the islands will not be obtained. The native Filipino police have proved a success. They were appointed by the civil

government nnd officered by Americans, they do good service. Gov. Taft will remain in the United States about two months.

JUDGE • WILLIAM H • TAFT