The record-union., 1899-09-29
President Sehurman of the CommlS-
sion Sent to the Islands
EXPRESSES His Views on the Subject Of
Governmental the Archipelago
The Success of Our Administration
in the Islands Will Depend
Upon the Man Sent to Conduct
Tt Much More Than Upon the
Acts of Congress or ANY Other
Circumstance.

ITHACA, Sept. 2S.-President Jacob
Schurman, in his address at the open
ing of the scholastic year of Cornell
University, spoke at considerable
length on national expansion.
Mr.. Schurman was President of the
commission sent to the Philippines to
investigate the subject of the civil gov
ernment of the archipelago. At the
outset, Mr.. Schurman referred to his
address of last year, when he answered
negatively the question "Shall we take
the Philippine Islands from SPAIN?
His opinions, he said, brought upon
him no little condemnation, but the
rapid march of events rendered 1T un-
necessary to consider whether these
opinions We're sound or not. The only
question to-day open was this: The
United States having taken the Philip
pine Islands from Spain, what shall be
done with them?"
This grave issue must be decided by
the President and Congress. With
them he thought it could be left in the
confident expectation that a wise So
luton could be reached. He invited
attention to some observations on the
ground subject of national expansion.
Our assumption of sovereignty over the
Philippines was altogether unlike the
previous phases of our national expan-
sion.
He pointed out that whereas in the
development of the United States from
the Atlantic to the Pacific practically
uninhabited territories were found, the
Philippine Islands were already peo-
pied with Malayans, who had long
made it their home, who resented the
intrusion of other races, and to whom
the physical environment was far bet
ter adapted than it was to white men.
There are those who speak of the
PHILIPPINE Islands as our possessions,
and calmly conclude that we may do
what we like with them. This was too
barbarous to be taken seriously. 1t
was not callousness of heart; it was
only muddle-headedness The terms
ownership and possession were
barbarous survival when applied to any
relation between one people and an
other. The sovereign power owned
nothing but there was something it
owed. 1t was charged with the respor-
sibility of government. Our relations
with the Philippines would be misrep-
resented so long as we retained that
fatal confusion of government and
property.
Mr.. Schurman said: 1--WE simply
possess, in virtue of the treaty of Paris,
the right TO govern, or aid in govern
ing. the people of the Philippine ISL
ands. Unhappily. we have not yet got
beyond the first function of the Gov
ernment-the suppression of insurrec-
tion and the establishment Of peace
and order
There was, said he, no instance in
history Of the successful government
of a colony where profit to the parent
State or its citizens had been a leading
consideration. On the other hand.
there We're many examples of disas-
ters and rebellions from such unworthy
greed and exploitation"
Continuing, he said: ST was often
asked in the Philippines if our civil
service was better than that of Spain.
Here is a point where the Filipinos
suspect US. We must allay their anx-
iety and suspicion by a splendid Phil
ippine civil service. 1 believe we shall.
1t is absolute necessary. But there
viii be no harder task in connection
with our government of the archipel-
ago. The success of our administra-
tion in the Philippines will depend up
on the man we send to conduct it much
more than upon acts of Congress or
any other circumstance"
In conclusion, Mr.. Schurman said:
What is the end of colonization?
Why should we extend our sovereignty
over remote countries and alien peo-
pies? / answer that the only justifi-
able object of such expansion is the
establishment of good government in