The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-12-28

4
pendent" for the current week Will con-
tain an article by Jacob G. Schurman'
! President of Cornell University, Chair
man of the United States Commission
| to the Philippines, entitled Our DUTY
| to the Philippines" He says:
Missionaries are needed in the ISL
ands, and hope they will be sent there
| in large numbers. There is plenty OF
work for them to do and hope they
will go with a complete understanding
of the situation to accomplish good.
They must realize that they are con-
| tending with Catholic educated pop
ulation, that knows nothing about the
| fine differences between Protestant
sects and denominations. Therefore IL
would be highly impolitic to send mis-
sionaries of different denominations TO
confuse the minds of the people. do
hope that when we do send the mis-
sionaries we will decide beforehand on
one form of Protestant Christianity.
Send only one type of missionaries The
Filipinos will then have Catholic Chris
tianity and Protestant Christianity pre-
scented to them, so they can take their
| choice.
1--WE have no adequate idea how con-
| fusing to the minds of uncivilized peo-
| pie the different kinds of our Protestant
| faith appears. The Chinese, who are
more intelligent than the Filipinos, re-
gard our different denominations as so
many different religions.
1.-THE influence of the Catholic Church
! has not been extended to Mindanao,
| and the simple natives would readily
| accept the type of faith which the
Americans would teach them. 1t is pos
sible that it would be dangerous to send
| missionaries to the interior Of the ISL
| and at present, but as conditions be-
| come more settled, and the Americans
are looked upon with a more friendly
| feeling, this place will be rich field
| for the American missionary
II do not say that all of the insurgent
| leaders are dishonest. I believe that
many of those who fought against the
Americans We're animated by the high
est idea of loyalty to independence. I
think probably Aguinaldo is one of this
class, and that he is an honest man.
zone reason for the stubborn opposi-
ton to our occupation of the islands is
a legacy of suspicion and hatred for the
white man which Spain bequeathed to
us. The Filipino knows the white race
only by one specimen. This distrust Of
llic Willie race 10 Ollt VI lHt DTODlctliS
that will require years of labor to
overcome. You cannot overcome 1t
with words 1t must be dissipated by
actual works; they must have ocular
demonstration that the word of the
Americans can be relied upon. Not
until then will they begin to believe
us. Consequently, 1 have urged it on
Congress and the President to set up
civil government in the Philippines just
as soon as the military conditions war;
rant it.
81 regret that the Americans allowed
the saloon to get a foothold on the
islands. That has hurt the Americans
more than anything else. and the spec
tacle of Americans drunk awakens dis
trust in the Filipinos. We suppressed
the cock fight there. and permitted the
taverns to flourish. One emphasized the
Filipino frailty, and the other the
American vice. I have never seen
Filipino drunkard
I'm Manila, which is really cos
mopoltan city, as well as in Ilolo and
other cities, we find educated Filipinos
who are bright and pleasing to meet
socially. 1t is a good thing that we
have such nucleus Of education to be-
gin with. The great masses OF course,
are ignorant, but one good thing in
their favor is that they thirst for knew
ledge. With good American schools on
the islands, the leaven OF general edu-
cation will produce results for the
masses that will develop the race
rapidly The Filipinos have many other
good characteristics. They are honest
by nature, and show it in their deaf
ings, although suspicious Of the white
man.
'"They need roads out there, and their
construction is the first necessity when
peace is restored to the islands Then
after that should come the schools. Let
these be established, and the missionar-
les admitted to every province, and sue
cess will be assured.
But one thing I wish to emphasize
more than any other point that I have
dwelt upon. We must make an honest
civil service a permanent institution on
the islands. Spain established the spoils
system, and the corruption which has
followed from it has made three CEN
turtles of evil government for the people
and finally resulted in her own over
throw. The best man in the United
States is none too good to go to the
Philippines as Governor General He
must mete out justice to ALL and teach
the Filipinos by his decisions and ex-
ample that he is their friend. BY send
ing out such a man we will succeed, but
if we send an ordinary political APP
pointee we shall fail. I am confident
that the right man will be sent, and
then our experiment will be a national
c11oooee