The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-11-17
MORE LIGHT on THE PHILIPPINE
QUESTION.

Worcester, at Chicago. was a valuable con-
tribution to current discussion regarding the
Philippines question. 1t differed from much
that has been said and written on the sub
ject in that it was the result Of thorough in
vestigation and dispassionate consideration
OF the facts and principles involved and the
rights, interests and duties of the United
States. Professor Worcester is neither
partisan nor a politician. He is an educator
and representative patriotic American. No
other American living has spent so much
time in the Philippines or knows the country
and people well as he. The public knows
him as member of the Philippines commits
sion appointed by President Mckinley to
ascertain and report conditions there. This,
however, was not his first acquaintance
with the Philippines. AS a professor in the
University in Michigan he visited the
islands twice, spending the years 1SS7-ss and
1898 in making natural history collections
there, during which he saw much of the
people. OF course, these visits were several
years before our war with Spain, and Pro-
fessor Worcester had access to all classes
OF society and every part Of the islands.
In 1898 he published a work entitled THE
Philippine Islands and Their People," which
was regarded as the best work on the sub
ject up to that date. If, therefore, there is
an American outside of politics qualified to
speak intelligently and authoritatively re-
garding the Philippines situation it is Pro-
fessor Worcester. The fact that from pre-
vious friendly acquaintance with the Fill
pinos he would be inclined to sympathize
with them as far as circumstances would
permit adds weight to his testimony.
To sum up Professor Worcester's address
in a few words it was complete vindicat ton
of the policy of the administration towards
the Philippines and an unanswerable as
sertion of the rights and duty of the United
States to maintain it's authority there and
give the people stable and good government
Remembering that Professor Worcester
spent three years before the war studying
the islands and the people and has spent
the last nine months studying the present
situation. great weight should attach to
the fact that he thinks it the duty of the
United States to establish and maintain
civil government in the islands, and that
a majority of the Inhabitants earnestly de-
sire it to do so. One after another he de-
molished every argument advanced by the
shadow of a case. He showed that the
Filipinos' owe their release from Spanish
rule entirely to the Americans; that they
never had any assurance or offer Of indie
pendence from any American in authority
that Aguinaldo rejected General Otis's peace
Overtures and deliberately inaugurated war;
that the so-caled Filipino government is
"a fake;'' that Aguinaldo himself is unfit
to rule; that majority of the inhabitants
are favorable to American rule and that the
continued presence of our troops is abso-
lutely necessary to their protection. 81 be-
lieve that the war we are waging to de-
liver the Filipino people from their Taga-
log masters" said Professor Worcester, us
just as truly war in the interests of hu-
manity as was the one which drove the
Spaniards out of Cuba.y Concerning the
friendly feeling of the people toward Ameri-
cans, when they not terrorzed, Pro-
fessor Worcester said:
1t has been said that we have man.
aged 10 turn virtually the whole populati ton,
who at first greeted with childllke trust
as their beloved deiverers into deadly
enemies. If these statements are true, then
i know absolutely nothing of the condi-
tiOnS which exist in the Philippine islands.
/ denounce them as utterly false. We have
many good and true friend to-day among
The leading FilipinoS of Manila. Even in
the provinces which have been laid waste
by war the better element, which has all
along been secretly in sympathy with us,
Is coming out and declaring openly for US.
The people in our newly organized towns
never wearied of talking to about the
wonderful difference between the Spaniards
and the Americans We are more popular
in the great island of Negroes to-day than
the SpanfardS ever were, and We have done
In the Sulu islands what the SpanardS fall
ed to do in more than three centuries.
Wherever our troops have come in contact
with the natives public sentiment has grad
ually but steadily changed. Be it remem-
bered that we have accomplished all this in
the face of almost insurmountable obsta-
cies, and when / look back over the past
nine months / wonder that we have made
so much progress in gaining the good will
of the people.
The conclusion reached by Professor Wor-
cester is that humanity as well as national
honor and duty require the United States
to establish its sovereignty over the Phil
ippines and to see that the people are al
lowed to share in their own government as
fast and as far as they shall show them
selves fit to do so. This must be the con-
clusion of all who heard or read his ad-
dress