He was succeeded for the brief period of five and a half months by Judge Henry C. Ide, vice-governor and secretary of finance and justice, who had performed his duties while he was on leave.  Judge Ide was a republican, from Vermont.  He resigned on September 19, 1906.

He was succeeded by General James F. Smith, a democrat from California, who had come to the islands as a colonel of volunteers, and had won promotion because of his valuable services in the Visayas, and more especially in the island of Negros, where he had earned the good will of the Filipinos by his tact and kindness.  Later he had served, unwillingly, as head of the Manila custom house.

He was subsequently made a justice of the supreme court of the Philippines.  A lawyer by profession, he had resigned this position with regret to accept appointment, on January 1, 1903, as secretary of public instruction.  He did not desire the governor-generalship and made a strong but unsuccessful effort to avoid accepting the position, which he finally took from a sense of duty.  He was a good lawyer, with a big heart, and a keen insight into human nature.  He thoroughly understood the Filipinos, and he made an excellent governor-general.  It was during his term of office that the Philippine Legislature, composed of an upper appointive house, the Philippine Commission, and a lower elective house, the Philippine Assembly, met for the first time on October 16, 1907.

I devote a separate chapter [478] to the Philippine Legislature and its work, so need not discuss it here.  Suffice it to say that such success as attended the work of this body during its inaugural, first and special sessions, was very largely due to the tactful influence of Governor-General Smith, who gave the speaker of the assembly much valuable, friendly counsel, and kept the two houses working in comparative harmony.  Having struggled through one session of the legislature, Governor-General Smith felt at liberty to resign.  He greatly desired to leave the Philippine government service and return to the practice of his profession.  His resignation was reluctantly accepted, about a year after he had tendered it, and he left the service on November 10, 1909.

He was succeeded by Vice-Governor W. Cameron Forbes, a republican from Massachusetts, who had accepted appointment as secretary of commerce and police on June 15, 1904.  A man of independent means, Mr. Forbes entered the public service only because of the opportunity for greater usefulness which was thus afforded him.  He brought to bear on the problems which confronted him as secretary of commerce and police intelligence and ability of a very high order.  Wide practical experience in the management of large business interests had admirably fitted him to improve the organization and increase the efficiency of the insular police force, and to mature and carry out plans for bettering means of communication and otherwise facilitating and stimulating the normal, healthful commercial development of the islands.  I have devoted several chapters to the discussion of the results accomplished along these lines, [479] and will not attempt here to enumerate them.