Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1899-12-30
PRIESTS RULED.
Spanish Civil Authority Was but
Secondary in Philippines.
An Archipelago OF Many Tongues
and Diverse Habits - Schurmun
Points Out Problem Our Govern
ment Must SOive-"The Best Man
in the Unit ed States ls None Too
Good to Go to the Philippines as
GOvcrnOr-Gcneral

GOvcrnOr-GcneraI.
New York. DEC. 2S.--The Independent
for the current week contains an article
by Jacob G.. SChurman, entitled Our
Duty to tho Philip ines" Following
is an abstract:
| do not believe that some who ad-
vocate abandoning the Philippine ISL
ands rSalize just what such a policy
would mean. We have put our hands
to the plow, and we must finish the
work. There we must stay and work
out the problem before us. How long u
period that may be | do not pretend to
say. 1t will certainly be IA number of
Years. But we must help the Filipinos
until they are able to govern themselves
and preserve order and civilization on
their islands.
We Eave learned a good deal about the
ISLANDS and geography of the Orient as
il result of the war with Spain and the
Filipinos. We have 40 or SO tribes to
ciVilize, and seven or eight of these
tribes have some 100000 members EACH
On the island of Luzon there is one tribe
OF 100000 people, who speak one lam
guage as totally distinct from the oth her
languages as Spanish is from English
Another tribe on the same island, num-
boring about 100000, is us distinct from
the others in language and character
as they are from the Spaniards them
selves. Then on the island of Mindanpo o
there are many tribes that are entirely
different from each other. In the Sulu
archipelago we come to another class of
natives. These are all Mohammedans
while in luzon they are all Catholic
Christians.
The priests have ruled in Luzon so
long that their influence is widesprt ad
and the natives know of no other form
cf Christianity. The Roman Catholic
church has been established there for
900 years. and the archipelago was really
governed by the priests. and not by the
Spanish civil or military commanders
We must credit the church with having
done q great deal OF good work among
the natives
Missionaries are needed Cn the ISL
and. They must realize that they are
rontending with a Catholic -educa tod
population that knows nothing about
the fine differences between Protestant
sects and denominations. / hope that
whei we send the missionaries we will
decide before hand ON one form OF
Prot, slant Christianity. The Filipinos
will then have Catholic Christianity and
Protestant christianity presented to
them. so they can take their choice. I
think the island of Mindunao is Il more
fal,l
their work in than Luzon. The in
tluence of the Catholic church has not
been extended to Mindanao.
believe the fighting in the Philippines
is nearly over, and our armies now fight
ing in northern LIzon will soon be re-
quired only to keep down the bandits
Most of the leaders of the insurrcction
have been dispersed, or have been won
over to our side. The reasons fer the
revolution and its prolongatiun are not
so difficult If We look al the ques ion
closely. The leaders of the revolution
had laudable ambition to free them
selves from the yoke that had CALLED
them for so long. But in the end the
object of the insurrection was forgotten.
Personal ambition induced the leaders
to forget the good of their country, and
they fought to advance their own cause
| do not believe that more than one
third Of the money collected for the in
surrection ever reached the Filipino
treasury.
Another reason for the stubborn op-
position to our occupation Of the islands
was IL legacy of suspicion and hatred
fn,. I. l,i to txI, l..
queathed to US. The Filipions will not
to-day trust Americans or Spaniards. or
any other Europeans. This dstrdst
of the white race is one of the problems
that will require years Of labor to over
come. 1t must b, dissipatcd by actual
work; they must have ocular demon
stration that the word of the Americans
can be relied upon.
| regret that the Americans allowed
the saloon to get foOthold on the ISL
ands. That mas hurt the Americans
more than anything else and the spec
tacle Of Americans drunk awakens dis
gust in the Philippines. have never
seen Filipino drunkard.
In Manila. lloilO and other cities of
the islands. you will find educated Fill
ipinos. who are bright ana pleasant to
meet socially. 1t is a good thing that
we have such a nucleus of education to
begin with. The great masses are ig-
norant but they thirst for knowledge.
With good American schools on the isl
ands the leaven OF general education
will produce results for the masses that
will develop the race rapidly.
The belief of the best IIativ today
is that If We leave the islands chaos will
reign, and they do not want us to leave.
They ask US to stay until our work is
finished, and we must stay. because
they cannot do without us. Our stay
ing is the only thing that will enable
them to realize their best aspirations
for freedom ana self government.
But one thing I wish to emphasize
more than any ether point that have
dwelt upon. We must make an honest
civil service II permanent institution 1n
the islands.
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 example that he is
their friend. BY sending out such a
man We will succeed. but if we send an
ordinary political appointee we shall
fail. am confident that the right
man will be sent. and then our eX-
pertinent will be a national success.
The vinegar and yeast factory OF
..