The San Francisco call., 1899-07-12
EDUCATIONAL POLICY
OF NEW POSSESSIONS
Ideas Suggested by United
States Commissioner Of
Education Harris.

LOS ANGELES. July 1.-THE evening
session was as largely attended as had
been the one in the afternoon. In addi-
ton TO the Woman's Orchestra. the Ace
dean Club. under the direction of Mrs.
G.. B. Parsons. supervisor of music in the
public schools enlivened the proceedings
by the very happy rendering of several
selections.
DR.. W. T. Harris, United States Com
missioner of Education. delivered a most
appropriate and decidedly interesting ad-
dress on the subject of AN Educational
Policy for Our New Possessions" One
remarkable statement that apparently
passed unheeded was that We took it for
granted that both Cuba and Porto Rico
would be under United States armed con-
troll for several years. The States Of
modern Europe all seek to obtain a reve-
nue. from their new possessions. This is
all right so far as the ends OF Just gov
ernment are subserved. Up TO certain
point there is an altruStiC effort on the
part of these modern nations to upint
these new peoples. From the United
States one looks for a new step more all
truiSuc. 1t is a strong dash OF this idea
that has created the party Of anti-eXpan-
sion. They believe that none should be
admitted to the rights of citizenship who
are unable to govern themselves. The
admission of peoples unable to be ad-
mitted to citizenship seems to be a de
parture and to threaten some of our
cherished institutions. Expansion in
some form is seen, however. to be un-
avoidable. In view of the fact that other
nations are dividing up the world, some
people think it our duty to show what
we can do. In concluding, he said:
The United States uplft whole nations;
Is not this better than 10 build a Chinese wall
about our liberties? 1t is absurd to say that
We will tyrannze over those incapable OF self
government. We must accept the charge OF such
colonies as come to US ana give them the pehe-
fits. OF civilization. But it Is asked what right
ia ia f-a 7, nt5ar words is ours a high civil
iZation and what is the highest form? A people
is civilized when it has formed institutions
which enable each individual 10 benefit and
prosper by the thoughts and deeds or all ms
fellows and in turn benefit them. Clylizatlon
enables man to conquer nature and make 1t ms
servant There is no tribal civilization on the
face of the earth and never was that compares
far advanced in its control of the forces of
nature and get the benefit of past experience
and yet give those benefits only to the teW- Inc
highest Ideal OF a civilization is that which
is constantly lifting lower peoples to higher
plane and increasing the lndiyldual eHectlFe-
ness and that cannot be said to exist IN a
tribal form or even in some far advanced ma
tionaities II we cannot come into contact
with lower nations without eXterminating them
we are still far from the goal. We must take
them from the civilization Of tradition and
force upon them the civilization of the printed
page and make them capable Of local self-goV-
ernment and able to master nature and its
forces In its ability to do this our civilization
proves itself superior and the question is
answered. In our possessions all must
be educated not only in letters, but industrial
arts For Cuba and Porto Rico good school
SUPERVISORS should be appointed. instruction
in English should be carefully and slowly in
cuIcated but without the evident desire to
force the constant use of English the knowl-
a5ge If eI,ch desire always preventing its
acceptance by new peoples In this way new
benefits will be given them, they will become
masters of the forces of nature and become
fully conscious of the meaning of the brother
hood O. man.
Mrs Emma L. Dillingham; was to have
dealt with the Hawaiian school question
to some extent by giving an address re-
viewing the history of the existing schools
in the Islands. Owing to her unavoidable
absence this phase Of the subject had to
be foregone, but Henry S. Townsend, in
spector general Of schools Of Hawaii.
made thoughtfully conceived address
upon the subject Of The EducauonaI
Problem in Hawaii. He said that minds
in general develop in accordance with GER
tain fixed and ascertainable laws, yet the
first principles of the science imply that
no two men think, or feel, or Will, or de-
velop alike, since no two have the same
temper and environment. In like man
ner he continued. it follows that different
races and peoples develop differently and
hence have their own educational PROB
lens, which are but notifications Of the
worlds great educational problem. Con-
Guiding DR.. Townsend said:
The environment and the temper Of the
children of Hawaii especially diversified,
paratively homogeneous This is due largely
to the diversity Of races with all that that i'm
and no one race is predominant in numbers.
Present indications are that the generation
persons and Hawaiians in almost equal num-
bers. and Of still large numbers of Asiatics.
These latter will not be assimilated with the
other elements Of future population so as
to form one people, though It is possible that
the whites and the Hawaiians will thus unite,
IN spite OF radical racial differences One prob
lem involves at least two races of men in
nearly equal numbers living side by side within
our narrow boundaries without uniting. Poly
nesians and Asiatics cannot be made to think
and feel as AnBlo-SaXons by the simple process
of teaching them the English language, or by
any other process which does not involve evolu-
tion through nations. Yet in the meantime
must live together. What, then is this
great race problem in Hawaii? It IS this: To
develop a truly Christian civilization, a CIV
ilization which like the love of Christ is broad
enough TO embrace all peoples-so broad that all
the races may find prosperity under it's benign
sway. Our Hawaiian civilization should be
based upon broad charity and universal good
will
developed and in which it has been trained
based upon assumption of universal selfish
ness, has precipitated struggle in which the
passive race is at great disadvantage It is
a melancholy fact that the influence of the
the aboriginal races is generally the influence
of the fable of the upas tree. From the ,me
of the ancient Hebrews who shut from the
blessings of their civilization practically ali
other peoples, down to the time OF the Amer
leans, who have not yet developed civilizn-
ton sufficiently broad and sufficiently Chris
tan to bless the white man and the red, comes
the same monotonous story. Here the native
Hawaiians were born and here they will die.
They call for more than liberation Who are
people to whom God gave those fair isles fresh
from his creative hand and who for nearly
fifty generations have known other homer
They are now Americans ip spite Of them