Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-09-14
THE PLAIN FACTS
Of Philippine Question Out
lined by Pres. Schurman.
Taken Islands It Is Our Duty
to Care for Them.
Instruction Not General. Tagaiogs Being
0tIy Tribe in Revolt.

| Ithaca, n. Y, Sept. 13.-President
| Schurman returned, today, to his office
in Cornell university. He gave out the
following statement to The Associated
Press on Philippine affairs:
! 1T is very important that the public
should know the actual facts Of the
| situation. Things are what they are,
and the American public should under
stand them, whether they agree with
or run counter to the public wishes.
| First, ii requires some effort to
realize the Vastness of the archipelago,
which extends in triangular form from
| Fornosa to Borneo and Celebes through
l6 degrees Of latitude. Never going out
into the Pacific ocean on the cast nor
the China sea on the west, | made
circuit of 2000 miles all south Of Manila.
This gives some idea Of the difficulty Of
maintaining an effective blockade, as
the coast line Of all the islands cmbrac-
ed in the archipelago is many more
thousands Of miles
Second. the multiplicity and hetero-
geneoUs nature OF the tribes is some
| thing astounding over go different
languages are spoken in the alchipeIa-
GO and, though the majority Of the
tribes are small, there are at least half
| a dozen each having go 0C0 members.
| The languages Of these people are as
distinct from one another as French
and Spanish or Italian, so that the
| speech Of any one tribe is unintcllgible
| To its ncighbOrs. These tribes are all
civilized and christianized but small
uncivilized tribes. among whom the
| IEorotes seem best known in America.
inhabit the mountains in LuZon and
form a large part Of the population OF
| Mindanao. In this island also there is
4 large Mohammcdan population,
which is independent of the Moham-
medans in the nciEhboring Sulu archi-
pcaco.
Third. IT Is the TaSalogs inhabitinG
some Of the provinces about Manila
who are resisting the authority of the
| United States. other civilized Fill
pinos are neutral. except where they
are cocrced by armed bands Of Taga-
| logs who seized upon their govern
mcnts during the making and ratif-
| cation of our treaty of peace with
| Spain. 1t would be incorrect to as
| sumo. however, that these tribes are
allies Of ours. They are not. Indeed,
they are not without suspicion Of the
white race, Of which they have had ex-
pericnCe only through Spain. But
there are men of intelligence and prop
crty. and the masses, when not stirred
UP by the TaGologs. recognize the ad
vantage to them of American sover-
eighty, and SO remain passively neu-
trail. although robber bands from time
to time descend from the mountains to
plumber and burn the estates of the
peaceful inhabitants on the plans.
Fourth. the instruction. though
serious enough. as experience has
proven. is not national uprising. In
deed, there is no Philippine nation. As
| have already said, there is a multi
farious collection of tribes having only
this in common, that they belong to
the Malayan race. The inhabitants Of
the archipelago no more constitute a
nation than the inhabitants of the con
tinent Of Europe do
Fifth. the United States having as
sumed, by a treaty of peace with
Spain with sovereignty over the archi-
| pelagO, became responsible for the
maintenance of peace and order, the
administration Of justice, the security
Of life and property among all the
tribes of the archipelago. This is an
obligation which intelligent Filpinos,
not less than foreign nations. expect
us to fulfill Nor Will the national
honor permit US TO turn back. In TAX
ing the Philippine islands we annexed
greater responsibility. The fact that
the responsibility is heavier than most
people supposed it would be is no ex-
cuse for failure to discharge it. | re-
peat that the Philippine question is
essentially question of national honor
and obligation.
In reply to an inquiry whether any
thing was now left but to fight it out
| President Schurman said:
IN my opinion much good would be
| done by q declaration on the part of
| Congress Of the form of government to
be established in the Philippine islands,
or better still let Congress establish a
government for the Philippine islands,
and have it put in force in all parts and
| among all tribes hostile to the United
States. This would serve several pur-
poses. 1t would distinguish between
our friends and our enemies and treat
| the former according to their deserts
1t would also give to our enemies an
! ocular demonstration of free govern
ment on the American plan, a very
that the Tagalogs claim to be fighting
for their liberty. And | had better call
attention to the fact that the govern
ment which is well adapted to one tribe
may need considerable modification to
be available for another
Asked about the capacity of the
Filipino peoples to govern themselves,
President Schurman replied that they
had had no experience in selfgovern-
ment except in municipal affairs and
even these We're subject to the control
Of the Spanish authorities. He thought.
however. that each tribe might, subject
to the supervision of a wise general
government manage in the main its
own municipal and provincial affairs.
Supervision from Manila would very
with the position which the different
tribes occupied in the scale of civilza-
ton.
President Schurman seemed firm in |
the conviction that some form of home !
rule for each of the tribes, and under |
(Copf;puad an nouo