Daily Kennebec journal., 1899-09-30
President SchurmY on Expansion.

sion" His position as the head of he
Philippine commission gives his words
much weight, and the ringing words to
which the college boys listened at Ith-
lea are heard all over the land When
he went to the Philippines the "anti
imperialists" gleefully hailed him as
one of their number and declared he
was opposed to the policy of the ad-
minstration. This may have been and
may not have been true-the claims. of
these gentlemen are not wholly reli-
from the Philippines an expansonist
and wholly in accord with the policy of
the administration. If his experience
in the Philippines converted him. his
present attitude is all the more sgnifi-
cant and convincing.
President Schurman referred to his
address of last year when he answered
negatively the inquiry shall we take
! the Philippine Islands from Spain?"
|
no little condemnation but the rapid
march of events rendered it necessary
to consider whether these opinions
were sound or not. The treaty making
power of the United States. backed, he
said, by an overwhelming public opin-
ion, irrespective of party, took the
Philippine Islands from Spain. Some
people are still discussing the theoretic
| expediency of expansion. This has not
been an open question since last winter
| The only question today open is this:
The United States having taken the
Philippine Islands from Spain, what
shall be done with them?" President
Schurman declared that this grave is
sue must be decided by the President
and Congress of the United States.
With them. he thought, it might be
safely left in the confident expectation
that a wise solution will be reached
He objected to the use Of the word
possession" in speaking of the Philip
pines. The most obvious. but also the
| most fundamental lesson drawn from
| the colonial history Of Europe is q
warning: Let no ruling race ever
treat its colonies or dependencies as its
| possessions" In earlier and more bar
| barous ages subject dates We're regard
ed as the property of the conquerors.
| But this conception was an outrage up
on that idea of humanity which had
now happily become part of the COM
mon consciousness Of mankind. This
theory cost England her first colonial
empire in America; then she aban-
doncd it and now her colonies We're her
| glory and her pride Spain could not
| surrender the mediacval illusion. bar
barous as it is; and her colonial en-
pire persisted of dry rot. Continuing
he said: We simply possess, in vir-
tue of the treaty Of Paris, the right to
| govern or aid in governing the people
of the Philippine Islands. Unhappily
| we have not yet got beyond the first
function of Sovernment-the suppress
sion Of insurrecton and the establish
mcnt of peace and order"
! President Schurman urged the I'M
rortance of seeking the highest welfare
Of our new dependencies. and not try
rg to make money out of them: but he
| felt the islands should at least be able
to pay their own way. He said that
the success of our administration in
the Philippines will depend mainly up
on the men sent out to conduct it. No
such men or methods as Spain en-
ployed can be used.
In conclusion Mr. Schurman said:
What is the end Of Colonization?
Why should we extend our sovereignty
over remote countries and alien
peoples? | answer that the only JUS
tifiable object of such expansion is the
establishment of good government in
the territory annexed. the elevation of
its people in civilization. and the train
|
ment with a view to ultimate indie
pendence whether by partnership in, or
separation from the sovereign state
In the Philippine islands our own mis-
sion is to educate and elevate the Fill
pinos ana aid them in governing them
selves. We shall not adopt the policy
of scuttle; nor, although American
sovereignty must be established even
by force shall we ever dream of the
policy Of determination. Not oppression
nor yet abandonment ard desertion:
not, not these. but honest and fraternal
corporation with the Filipinos for the
establishment Of a just and stable gov
crnmcnt in which the natives shall
have ever increasing participation in
proportion TO the development of their
political capacities. the growth of their
political experience, the progress of the
masses in education and civilization,
and the evolution of the idea and SEN