The times., 1899-10-03
schurmnn on Expansion.

contribution has been made by President
Schurman, of Cornell University, in his ad-
dress to the undergraduate body of that
institution on the opening of the academic
year. MIR. SehuTman, as everybody knows,
is but recently returned from the Philip
pine Islands, where he spent some time
as one Of Mr. McKinley's missionaries of
peace to the FiIipinos. 1t is important, In
considering his present views on the colon
ial question, to remember that, year ago.
he was openly and aggressively opposed to
the acquisition of SPANS Pacific posses
sions and was appointed on the Peace
Commission, with Prof. Worcester and Mr..
Denby, as one representing the obstructive
element in this country. For all precticai
purposes. Mr. Schurman may be classed
as a convert to the gospel of expansion. As
he explains his position, referring to MS
former attitude, his opinions did not COM
mend themselves to the public; indeed,
whila they elicited no note of approval II
any quarter. they brought upeu me no lit
tie condemnation Whether they were
sound or rot the rapid march of events
renders il unnecessary to consider"
The trestyinaking power of the United States,
hacked | admit BY an overwhelming public oFlh-
ion which was irrespective Of party TOOK the
Philippine Islands from Spain. And now the
QUESTION Is having taken the archipelago, how
shan we fulfill obligations to Its lnhanitanls'
10 ourselves. ard to the civIllzed Wcrldt
Some pnaple are still discussing the thsoretic
exurdieacv Of expansion. This has net been an
/ open question s-nce last winter Inc aeI anu
fact cf expansion MAS complete when the treaty
- De-. mae sod Anrl
academic matter. discuss the dosi-abIify OF con-
traction. But towering over and overshadoWlhg
al merely speculative issues - the mighty q
had almost said the agfu1 fact OF our actua4
sovereignty over and responsibility for the Phil
ippine Is.arsdz Ycu escape the consequences
Of some deeds by undaing them. But treaties
canrot be made ard upnlsde at viii, nor inter
/ rational obligations laid down because they are
! burdeasoTe. 1t does not matter what were your
views on the previous question of annexation; the
( only QUESTION today open Is this: The United
s-atfs having taken the Philippine Islands from
I Spain. what shall we do with themg
This grave ISSUE" Mr.. Schurman says,
must be decided by the President and
Congress of the United States,'' and he
( thinks we may leave it with them 'in
the confident expectation that a wise So
luton will be reached" Continuing, he
refers to the saying that "the history of
the~ United States presents a picture of
expansion on the grandest scale the world
has ever seen" and proceeds to discuss
the subject at large in the light of Ameri-
can and ether experience. Our expansion
[ has besnz mostly into practically unpeopled
( territories. rapidly Transforming them into
locally independent States Of the Union.
! So that now, "ohio and California are as
organically and vitality part Of the United
I States as Massachusetts or New York.
This is nos the case with Canada and Aus
tFalia which today are quasi-iBdependent COM
inonwezlths Great Britain and her colonies may
form what Is called an Empire; but In that
Empire the mother country and the daughter
! elRHnonweaiths each maintain their owH sepa-
rate place and support their own individual in
/ dustTy; they are not organized into a single
whole. But the United States has not only an
nexed continental territories; il has organized
them into self governing States. which at
I the same time equal sTarers in the life Of the
! great Republic. Political organization has kept
| pace with teTrItcrial expansion.
In the problem of governing the Phil
! ippsne archipelago we are confronted with
entirely new conditions. The islands are
already wei populated by races adjusted
to their environment by long residence.
and not too favoTably disposed TO the DOM
4 mating presence of the Caucasian. Mr..
SchurTsan says: There is nothing in our
/ national experience to guide US in deal
1 ing with the Filipinos but II our
own history furnishes no light on the sub
ject. much instruction and still more ad-
mention may be derived from an exam
I ination of the history of the colonial ex-
! pansion of several of the nations of Eu-
rope" What are these lessons?
! The most obvious. but also the most funda-
: mental, Is a warning Let no ruling race ever
treat rs colonies or dependencies As ITS posses
| sicns. In earlier and more barbdF84iS ages sub
| iecs States regarded as the property or the
! conqacrors. This was the view Of the ancient
Romans, and you uIay read in the Old Testa-
1 rneat how the ancient Hebrews put II in cruel
I practice. Bat this conception Is an outrage upon
THAI ida Of humanity which has now happily
! become a part Of the common. consciousness Of
/ mankind II was he'd msTe On less unconscious
1 Iy however. IN The seventeenth and eighieenth
centuries when the coonizing powers all, in great
er or less degree. thought Of their colonies
/ tates 10 he faTmed ior the benefit OF their Euro
I Beau proprctors. This theory cost England her
irEt colonial eIapire in America; then she aban-
d0Ised II. srd noSF her colonies are her glory
] and her uride. Spain could not surrender the
medieval fElFssion haffarous as ii IS and her col
onial empire fsas perished Of dry rot
ssThe next lesson ] draw from the history
OF colonization is cognate to the first" OBJ
lseryes President schurman The govern
ment Of colonies or dependencies is not a
money making enterprise for the sover-
eign power or its citizens
Let nation seek 70 enrich itself or its citizens
| at the expense Of its eolonists and it iInpoyer-
ishes all Bgt let nation in al its dealings
with its colonies take as its sole criterion OF
| Judgment and standard of conduct the welfare
| Of the coloniSfs, and il viii result as history
| everywhere demonstrates, that the enriched de-
] faftl
with the ruling country. Take India and Egypt a.
examples You snow that India conquered
and till the reign Of Queen Victoria held by a
trading company. Was England enriched by theil
| eNrloiztfcny Why, We have the evidence OF
McCuiloch that in ISL the trade between Eng.
land and India was utterly insignificant Of LITTLE
| more importance than that between England and
the Isle Of Man. In 1S5S the Government Of lndia
/ was transferred 10 the Crown and in her proc.
lauafion thgzqDeen said: we hold ouFselve.
bound 10 the natives OF Indian territories by
| the same obligations OF duty which bind us to ali
] our etfscr sIbiccfs." And what is BOw the coz
England sefsds of her exports to India thar
20 any other country except TO the unitee
States and sile imports more from India thar
! frorn aBy other country except the United State,
| snd France What a splendid economic compen
szfion 10 England for single hearted devotion Il
, 4 the welfare Of her great dependency and serupu
, lous impartisliiy in administering The trust o
gOyernmsHt- In the same way. while English ruI,
IN EgyTg-wifh an open door and no fayoFs-
has m0re than doubled the consuming and pur
chasing pover Of the Egyptians. England get
trec -ffths ot ali Egyptian exports and furnishe
tEo-ffths Of all Egyptian imports.
We are afraid that while the Commits
sioner- Presidents views on the fait ae
; eonpii OF expansion will be pleasing t,
the Administration. his ideas OF justic1
; and unselishaess in the organization an,
admin fsrr-ffrxs nf rur s.afauiaS .rffl ha -aI