The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-09-14
Congress, He Says, Should Declare the
Form of Government to BE
Given the kilipinos.
VIEWS OF OTHER STATESMEN
MkINLEY'S POLICY ATTACKED BY T.
b. REED AND GOV. sCOFIELD.
Detention of the Overloaded Trans
port Tartar at Hong-Kong Referred
to Ambassadors Choate.

ITHACA, n. Y, Sept. 13.-President
Schurman returned to-day to his Office in
Cornell University. He gave out the fol-
lowing statement to the Associated Press
on Philippine affairs:
1T is very important that the public
should know the actual facts Of the situa-
ton. Things are what they are and the
American public should understand them
whether they agree with or run counter to
the public's wishes.
"First--It requires some effort to realize
the vastness of the archipelago which ex-
tends in triangular form from Formosa to
Borneo and Celebes, through sixteen degrees
of latitude. Never going out into the Pa
cific ocean on the east nor the China sea on
the west. made a circuit of 1000 miles, all
south of Manila. This gives some idea of
the difficulty of maintaining effective
blockade, as the coast line of the islands
embraced in the archipelago is many more
thousands of miles.
"Second-The multiplicity and hetero-
geneous nature of the tribes is something
astounding. Over sixty different languages
are spoken in the archipelago and the ma
jority of the tribes are small, and there
are half a dozen each having over a quar-
ter of a million members. The languages
of these people are as distinct from another
as French, Spanish or Italian, so that the
speech of any one tribe is unintelligible to
its neighbors. These tribes are all civilized
and Christianized, but small unciviized
tribes, among whom the Igorotes seem best
known in America, inhabit the mountains
in Luzon and form large part Of the popu-
lation of Mindanao. In this island also
there is a large Mohammedan population
which is independent of the Mohamedans in
the neighboring Sulu archipelago.
"Third-It is the Tagalos inhabiting some
of the provinces about Manila who are re-
sisting the authorities Of the United States.
Other civilized Filipinos are neutral, ex-
cept where they are coerced by armed
bands of Tagalos, who seized on their gov
ernments during the making and ratification
of our treaty of peace with Spain. 1t would
be incorrect to assume, however, tnat these
tribes are allies of ours. They are not. In
deed. they are not without suspicion Of the
white race. of which they have had expert
ence only through Spain. But there are
men Of intelligene[ and property, and the
masses. when not stirred up by the Tagalos,
recognize the advantage to them Of Amer
lean sovereignty, and SO many remain neu-
trail. although robber bands from time to
time descend from the mountains to plumber
itants on the plains.
NOT A GENERAL UPRISING.
"Fourth-The insurrection, though serious
enough, as experience has proven, is not a
national uprising. Indeed, there is no Phil
ippine nation. AS have already said, there
Is multifarious collection Of tribes having
only this in common, that they belong to
the Malay race. The inhabitants of the
archipelago more constitute a nation
than the inhabitants of the continent of
Europe do.
"Fifth-The United States having as
sumed. by 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 all the
tribes of the archipelago. This is an obli-
cation which intelligent Filipinos not less
than foreign nations, expect us to fulfill.
Nor will the national honor permit us to
turn back. In taking the Philippine islands
We annexed great responsibility. The fact
that the responsibility is heavier than most
people supposed it would be is no excuse for
failure to discharge it, i rereat that the
Philippines question is essentially ques-
ton of national honor and obligation"
In reply to a question whether anything
was now lett out 10 HSnt IL out, PRESIDENT
Schurman said: In my opinion much good
would be done by declaration on the part
of Congress of the form of government to
be established in the islands. or. better still,
let Congress establish 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
purposes. 1t would also give to our enemies
demonstration of free government on the
American plan, a very important point
when II is remembered that the Tagalos
claim TO be fighting for their liberty. And
I had better call attention to the fact that
the government which is we'll adapted to one
tribe may need considerable modification to
be available for another"
Asked about the capacity of the Filipino
peoples to govern themselves, Presiden,
Schurman replied that they had had no ex-
perience in self-government except in
municipal affairs and even these We're SUBJ
ject to the control OF Spanish authorities
He thought however, that each tribe might,
subject to the supervision Of wise general
government. manage in the main its own
municipal and provincial matters. Super
vision from Manila would vary with the
position which the different tribes occupied
in the scale of civilization.
President Schurman seemed firm i'm the
conviction that some form of home rule for
each OF the tribes and under the watchful
supervision OF the general government at
Manila was the solution of the problem. .'I
have great confidence in the people of the
Philippine Islands, he added. land much
sympathy for their aspirations. A race
should be judged by It's best products and
an educated Filipino of whatever tribe. and
each city has its educated men, will bear