The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1899-10-08
SCHURMAN TALKS
OK EXPANSION
Hdds Policy Of America ia Taking
philippines from Spain.
COMPARISON WITH ENGLAND.
We Possess Philippines by Our
Right to Govern or Aid In Gov
erhing Alien Territories.

ITHACA. n. Y. Oct z.-Presidsnl
Jacob c. sehgrrnaS. In his address a
the opening q the scholastic year d
Cornell UniyeFsity today. spoke a con-
siderable length on the subject OF ma.
tional expansion. Mr.. schurrnAn was
president q the oonmissiou sent 10 the
Philippines 70 investigate the Eublec;
of the elyn government q the arehi-
pelago.
Al the outset Mr.. sehurnan referred
70 hls address of last year. when be
answered negatively the iHquiry.
Shall we take the Phinppins islands
from spainT' HIS opinion be said.
broagh upon him no little eondenna-
iioB. bat the rapid march of events
rendered q, unnecessary TO consider
whether these opinions were sound or
not.
The trssty-naking power ot the Uni
ted States. backed. he admitted. By an
overwhelming public opinion. irrespec-
tive of party. took the Philippine ISL
ands from Spain. Some psople were
Btill discussing the theoredc expe-
dlency Of expansion. This had not
been an open question since last win
ter
TIE only question today open is this:
The United States having taken the
Philippine islands from Spain, what
shall we do with themg"
This grave issue must BE- decided By
the president and congress. With them
he thought It could Be left in confident
expectation that wise solution would
be reached He invited attention tol
some observations on the general sub
Jeci Of national expansion.
"A difference be.Eeen the expansion
Of the United States and that Of Great
Britain came prominently into view
when our new states were compared
With indepsndencies Ike India. The
population Of the United States was
homogeneous; that Of India indescrib-
ably heterogeneous The Americans
ruled themselves, whether in New York
or Oregon. The allen and multitude
nous races Of India could BE- held 10.
gether only by strong and foreign
hand.
America had grown from within
outward. England had enlarged herself
BY accretion. our assumption Of soy
ereignty over the Philippine islands
was altogether unlike the previous
phases Of our national expansion"
lie pointed out that, whereas. in the
development OF the United States from
Atlantic 70 Pacific. practically unln-
hablted territories we're found, the
Philippine Islands were already well
Deopled With Malayans, who had long
made it their home, who resented tie
Intrusion Of other races. and TO whom
The physical environment was far bet
Yer adapted than II was TO white men.
There are those who speak Of the
islands as our POSSESSIONS.
md calmly conclude we may do what
we like with them. This was too bar
Darious to be takeoa seriously. Il was
mol callousness Df heaft, It was only
uddle-hcadedness. The terms own
srship and possession" were a bar
barous survival when applied to any
relation between one people and an
other. The sovereign power owned
nothing, but there was something II
owed. It was charged with the re-
sponslbillty Of government
Our relations With the Philippines
would be misrepresented 80 long as we
retained that fatal confusion Of gov
ernment and property
Continuing, Mr.. schurman said: we
simply possess, In virtue Of the treaty
Of Paris, the right 10 govern or aid
In governing the people Of the Philip
pine Islands. UnhaDplly we have not
yet got beyond the first function Of
government--the suppression Of the In
surrectlon and the establishment Of
peace and order"
There was, said President schurman,
no Instance In history Of the success
ful government Of a colony where prof
It IN the parent state or It's citizens
had been a leading consideration. On
the other hand. there were many ez-
amples Of disasters and rebellIons from