The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-12-28
We Have From Forty to Fiftr Tribes
There to CiviIize.
MISSIONARIES ARE NEEDED.
Fighting is Nearly Over and Our
Armies Now Fighting in Northern
Luzon Will soon be Required
Only TO Keep Down Bandits.
AguinaIdo Is, Probably,
an Honest Mau.

NEW YORK. Dec. 27.-The Independent
for the current week. will contain an
article by jacob G. schurman, president
of Cornell University. chairman OF the
United states Commission to the Philip
pines. entitled "Our duty TO the phii'p
pines"
Following is an abstract:
1--WE have forty TO fifty tribes TO civ
iize and seven or eight Of these tribes
have some 10000 members each. on the
island of Luzon there is one tribe Of
million and a half people who speak one
language as totally distinct from the
other language as Spanish is from Eng
lish. Another tribe on the same island,
numbering about $4,000 is as distinct from
the others in language and character
as they are from the Spaniards them
selves. Then on the great island Of Min
danoa there are many tribes that are
entirely different from each other. IA
the Sulu archipelago We come TO another
class Of natives about whose custom OF
slavery so much has been said recently
These are all Mohemmedms, while in
Luzon the natives are all Catholic Chris
tians
INFLUENCE OF PRIESTS.
''The priests have ruled i'm Luzon 50
long that their influence is widespread.
and the natives know of no other form
of Christianity. The Roman Catholic
church has been established there for 5N
years and the archipelago was really gov
erned by the priests. and not by the Span
ish civil or military commanders. or the
sl8.a00O raised on the island annually
about 81. 10000 was used for the churchs
support Each small church would re-
ceive about 500 for its support and the
priests an allowance of 500. We must
credit the church with having done
great deal OF gOod work among the
natives. we must reckon with those facts
when We send missionaries to The Philip
pines
mi. slonaries are needed i'm the islands
and hope they viii Dec sent there in large
numbers There IS plenty of work for
them to DO and I hope they will 80 Win
a complete understanding Of the situation
to accomplish good. They must realize
that they are contending with Catholic
educated population that knows nothihs
about the fine differences between 'Irotes-
tant sects and denominations. Therefore
a. would be highly impOlitic 10 send mis-
sionarics Of different denominations To con-
fuse TIE minds OF the people. / DO nope
that when We send the missionaries we
viii decf.e beforehand ON one form OF
Protestant Christianity Send one type
Of missionary only The Filipinos VIII
then have Catholic Christianity ard Pro
festan Christianity presented 90 them 50
they can make their choice. We have no
adequate idea how confusing 20 an unciN-
nizod people TIE different forms OF our
Protestant faith appear The Chinese.
who are perhaps more intelligent than the
Fnipjnos regard our different denomina-
lions as so many different religions.
PROMISING FIELD.
Il think the Island of Mindandoa is q
more promising field for missionaries 10
begin thelr work in than Luzon The IN
rueuce of the Catholic church has not
been extended to Mindandoa. and the sim
ple natives would more readily accept the
type Of faith which the Americans would
teach them. IL is possible that IL would
b. dangerous 20 send missionaries 10 the
interior of this islard az present but as
conditions become more settled ana inc
Americans are looked upon with "a more
friendly feeling this place will De q rich
field for the -Ainti ih tll -iii''i'it..-a
owe Il 70 the Filipin0s 90 give them the
tosf in our religion as Wei as I'm Our edu-
cation.
81 believe the fighting I'm the Philip
pines is nearly over and our armies now
lighting n sorthern LuZon Will soon be
required only 90 keep down the BAN
dhs The organized army has oisap-
peareG and with il We might say The
whole insurrection. Most OF ihe leaders
of the insurection have been dispersed
or have been won over 10 oar SIDE.
"l do not sag that an the msurgent
leaders We're dishonest ! believe that
many of those who fought against the
Americans were animated by tho highest
idea Of loyalty 70 independence. /
think probably Aguinaldo is one Of this
class. and that he Is an honest man.
"One reason for the stubborn opposi-
tion 10 our occupation OF the Islands
was a legacy of suspicion and hatred
for the white man which Spain bequ'dth-
ed 10 US The Fiipinos know the white
race only by one specimen Spain to
them represents the whole Of Europeans
the whole white race and her author-
ties made promises repeatedly to them
and broke them They will not to-day
trust Americans or Spaniarcs or any
other Europeans Nor is II strange that
they distrust the promises OF the Ameri-
cans This distrust OF the white race
is one of the problems that viii require
years Of labor TO overcome. You can
not overcome II with words, II must
be dlsspated by actual works they
must have ocular demonstration that the
word of the Americans can be re id
upon. Not until then will they begin
10 believe US.
CIVIL GOVERNMENTS.
Consequently | have urged II on Con-
gress and the President 20 set up civil
government In the Philippines just as
soon as the military condition warrants
g. A civil government Is what Is needed.
and every province should have it %
that they can learn the meaning Of our
promises and intentions. The President
Is in possession OF the fullest informa-
ton about the needs snd conditions of
the Islands and he can Judge better than
we can what is the best thing TO do.
But as soon as province is subdued some
civil government should be set up 30
that its operations before their eyes will
teach them It's bcnents.
Il regret that the Americans allowed