The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-07-03
THE PHILIPPINE SITUATION
TOUR OF UTHERN ISLANDS BY
 COMMISSIONER SCHURMIN.
An Entirely Hopeful View Taken of General ConditiOns--Intci1iS and Substantial Citizens Desire can Ameri- Can Frotectornte-Masses Awaiting Settlement of War in LuzOEv

Ah"it4''t uuiy A'~o'Ao r. lH~-I IoleSSol
 J. G. Schurman of the United States
 advisory committee for the Philippines returned to Manila to-day from three weeks tour of the southern islands. He
 takes an entirely hopeful view of the
 gent and substantial citizens desire an
 American protectorate. The masses are
 awaiting the settlement of the war in
 the island of Luzon before declaring
 themselves. They are chiefly anxious
 to be undisturbed. The president of
 the town of Santo Nicolas, in the island
 of Cebu, said to MT. Schurman: we
 want peace, food and prosperity. We
 do not wish to fight. We would be neutral" The president of the com mittee thinks that this declaration fair ly expresses the sentiments of the peo- pie in the southern islands of the archi- pelago. Many of the towns there are in thethe hands of small bands of Tagalos and the people fear to endorse Ameri- can rule until they are certain that Az uinaldo must be beaten. Let them once be convinced of this and the allegiance of the southern islands, MT. Schurman thinks, can be secured by diplomacy
 In the Visayun Group.
 The United States gunboat Benning- ton took MT. Schurman to Mindanao and the islands of the Sula and Visayan group. He travelled through the island of Negros with Colonel Smith and party of natives. In several of the principal towns he was tendered ban quests, and he had an hours conference with the young sultan of Sulu, who re- ceived him in the royal audience cham Der, surrounded by a body-guard of stalwart, fierce-looking Moros. MT. Schurman told the sultan that the Unit ed States had acquired the sovereignty of the Philippines from Spain, but had no wish to subjugate the population nor to interfere with their customs or re- ligion. On the contrary, the great de- sire of the American government was to help the people of the islands to de- velop their country. The sultan replied that he earnestly desired peace and was anxious to continue the existing trea- ties. On the return voyage the presl" dent of the commission visited the town of Borneo, capital of British North Bor- neo where he was cordially received by the British officials, who afforded him every facility in his study of the local and the customs of the peo- pie The population he found much +t ,f 1a ands. The government is at present in a rather elementary state, but more organization is being developed as rapidly as Is practicable.
 In the Towns of Cavitr.
 Yesterday General Lawton and Pro- lessor Worcester of the commission Vis- ited the principal towns in the province of Cavte, out of which the natives were driven. Their chief purpose was to direct the elections of the presi- dents of linus, Bacoor, Paranaque and Las pinas. Under the municipal sys- tenn thus inaugurated the presidents or the mayors of the towns are empowered to appoint minor officials and to levy taxes, which are to be expended solely In public improvements. Before acting General Lawton and MT. Worcester had consulted with the leading men in each town and selected candidates whose honesty and friendlness to Amer can rule were beyond question. Wher- ever they went the Americans were cheered by the people.
 schools to Open In Mnni1n.
 Tomorrow the public schools in Ma nila will open, and it is expected that there will be five thousand children in attendance. The teachers include Amer | cans, Spaniards and Fflipinos. One of | he instructors is the widow of the Fil- | pino patriot pr. Rizal, who prepared | he statutes of the Philippine league, md who, when about to board a steam er at Barcelona in the autumn of 1S9b, was arrested by the Spanish authorities | md sent to Manila, where he was tried | 1y court -martial on the charge of hav- | ng organized the uprising in the Phil ppines, sentenced to death and shot on | December 20 of that year. After her husbands execution Mrs Rizal, who is he stepdaughter of retired Hong Kong man, went to linus and was chos- n captain of a company Of insurgents. Gnglish will be taught in the schools ne hour each day. The prescribed hol- days include the twenty church days bserved in Manila, Washington's birth lay and the Fourth of July.
 Missionaries by Every steamer.
 Almost every steamer brings mission ries. The arrival of one in Cebu made 10 little trouble, as the reports spread apidly among the ignorant classes that he Americans intended to compel them o give up their churches The Ameri- an authorities, in the interest of har- 7orv, rac1reete6 him to withdraw and e complied. Senor Llorente, who is onsdered the most influential native I Cebu, said to MT. Schurman: q like he American idea of the separation of hurch and state, but I think it would Q unwise to introduce Professionalism 1hile conditions are so unsettled" He as since arrived in Manila and taken is seat on the bench of the supreme ourt.
 Rain for Nine Days. The rain has fallen almost continu- usly for nine days. It has been tre- lendous downpour and the whole coun- ( " is flooded. The trenches at San Fer : ando are ditches of water, and the mud 1 knee deep in the temporary camps at everal of the outlying towns. Some of le permanent camps have been made 1 1irly comfortable by the erection of amboo shelters, roofed and fioored.