The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-09-16
SATURDAY. SEPTEMBER, 1s. 1899.
INFORMATION ABOUT IHE PHIL
PINES.


yerstv. New York. is one Of the com
missione~s whom the President sent TO
the philippines 10 represent the United
states I'm am attempt 20 effect settle
,,ent with the United states. Mr. schur-
man has been in the islands a consider
able time with the very best Of oppor-
tunities for seeing things as they are ana
learning their true condition. lie returned
10 his place in Cornell University a day
or so back and ne hes given ont for pub
rcation a statement REGARDING the Phil
,pp,nes which should bc carefully read
ty every citizen Of the United States be-
cause # gives authentic information
The most noticeable part of Mr. schur-
mans statement is the fact that he makes
prominent that there IS no philippine ma
ton. The archipelago is am immense eN-
panse Of land and water consisting of
vast numie r Of islands and each island Is
n Sovereignty 10 itself having nothing I'M
common with any other island except
that the inhabitants AN belong 10 The
Malay race. But they are inhabited hoy
innumerable tribes. each having a distinct
language unintenigible 10 the others. and
each being friendly with or inimical 90
other adjunct tribes as the case may be-
There are a number ~ tribes I'm The
island Of Luzon and an Of them are either
friendly to the United states or neutral
except the Tagalos. All the other tribes
in the island o. I.uzon would acqu'esre
I'm an orderly rule % be set mp 10y ms ii
the Tagalos would leave them alone. But
the Tagalos send armed bands amongst
those who wish to be neutral and rob ana
murder them and thus drive many of
them into cooperation with the Tasalos.
our task in the Philippines. therefore. Is
10 suppress one Of the tribes OF the island
OF I.uzon, and when we do this there viii
be- peace and order en- the whole archi-
pelago These are most noteworthy facis
that an the people OF the United states
should be made 20 perfectly comprehend.
In concluding his statement Mr. schur-
man made the following remarks:
The instruction. though serious enough.
a experience has proven, IS NOS national
uprising Indeed there is no philippine
nation As / have already said. there is
"a multifarious collection Of tribes having
only this in common. that they belong 10
the Malay race. The inhabitants oi lne
archipelago no more constitute nation
than the inhabitants of the continent 81
Europe do.
The United States having assum d by
a treaty of peace with Spain. sovereignty
over the archipelago. became responsible
FOR the maintenance of peace and ORDER
the administration Of justice, the security
Of life and property among AN the Tribes
of the archipelago This is ann obligation
which intelligent FihpinOs not less than
foreign nations expect us 90 fudl. Nor
will the national honor permit us 60 turn
back In taking the Philippine islands
we annexed great responsibility. The lact
that the responsibility &. heavier Than
most people supposed 70 would boz is no
excuse Tor failure 20 Discharge H. l re-
peat that the Philippine question is CSC
sentiallv a question OF national honor and
obligation.
We cordially endorse every word Of this.
We have assumed an obligation. and, os
The Times has repeatedly said, we can
not now shirk IL because Il IS more oncr-
Gus than We supposed g. would be our
whole position before the civilized world
IL involved IN the manner On which we
perform our duty IN this matter II We
meet It's requirements ike men the whole
world Will honor ms and be prepared 70
listen with attention 80 whatever We may
have 10 say upon any question. If we
shirk II we shall stand dishouored and
dlscredited before mankind A nauon is
just as much bound 20 maintain So posi-
ton as sefrespeciing. conscientious
entity as an individual u.s. The Individual
who pays no attention 90 his moral obli-
cations loses caste at once and soon falls
into the contemp, OF all those who know
him. and II Is not long thereafter before
his position Is little better than that Of
beast Of the field. The nation that scouts
i,s duty and looks TO expediency and prox
III alone will soon follow the individual
and become the jest and sport Of all other
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