No falser, meaner, more utterly contemptible statement was ever made, and when I read it the temptation rose hot within me to make public Blount's personal Philippine record, but after the first heat of anger had passed I remembered what the good old Colonel would have wished me to do in such a case, and forbore.
The second Philippine commission, hereinafter referred to as "the commission," received its instructions on April 7, 1900.
They covered a most delicate and complicated subject, namely, the gradual transfer of control from military to civil authority in a country extensive regions of which were still in open rebellion.
In the opinion of President McKinley there was no reason why steps should not be taken, from time to time, to inaugurate governments essentially popular in their form as fast as territory came under the permanent control of our troops, and indeed, as we have seen, this had already been done by the army.

It was provided that we should continue and perfect the work of organizing and establishing civil governments already commenced by the military authorities.

In doing this we were to act as a board of which Mr.Taft was designated president.

It was contemplated that the transfer of authority from military commanders to civil officers would be gradual, and full and complete cooeperation between these authorities was enjoined.

Having familiarized ourselves with the conditions then prevailing in the islands, we were to devote our attention first to the establishment of municipal governments, in which the natives should be given the opportunity to manage their local affairs to the fullest extent and with the least supervision and control found to be practicable.