New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-09-14
SCIIURMAN'S VOICE HEARD.
FULL STATEMENT on THE CONDITIONS
IN THE PHILIPPINES.
RESPONSIBILITY ASSUMED BY THE UNITED
sTATEs-THE ISLANDS MUST BE
HELD AND GOOD GOVERN
MENT PROVIDED
MENT PROVIDED

HELD AND GODD NOF fN.N-
MENT PROVIDED.
Ithaca y Y. Sept l3-Presidcnt schurman
returned to-day to his office at Cornell Univer-
sity. He gave out the following statement on
Philippine affairs:
II IS very important that the public should
Know the actual facts Of the situation. Ihlnss
are what they are, and the American pubic
should understand them, whether they agree
with or run counter to the pdbc's wishes.
First-lt requires some effort to realize the
Nastness Of the archipelago. which extends IN
triangular form from Formosa to Borneo ana
the Celebes Sea, through sixteen degrees or @ iae,
tude. Never going out into the Paclhc ocean
on the east nor the China Sea on the west
made a circuit Of two thousand miles all sou'"
Of Manila. This gives some idea Of the diiilculty
of maintaining an effective blockade, as the
coast line of all the islands embraced IN the
archipelago is many more thousands of mics
SecOnd-The multiplicity and heterogeneous
nature Of the tribes Is something ASTOUNDING
over sixty different languages are spoken IN
the archipelago. and. though the majority Of the
tloes are small, there are at least hair dozen
each having over a quarter If million mem
bers. The languages Of these people are az
distinct from one another as French ana span
lsh, or Italian, SO that the speech or any one
tribe rs unntelgihle TO its nclghhOfs. These
tribes are all civilized and Christanized, hut
snail uncvilzod tribes among whom the
lgorrotes seem best known in America, inhaDlt
the mountains I'm LuZon and form n large pdft
OF the population of Mndanao. In this island
also there IS a large Mahometan population.
which is independent Of the Mahometans IN
the neighboring Sulu Archipelago.
TAGALOGs THE FIGHTING TRIBE.
Third-It Is the Tagalogs that inhablt some Of
the provinces about Manila who are resisting
the authority Of the United States. other civil
lied fIIlpinos are neutral, except where they
are cOerccd by armed bands of Tagalogs who
soiz,d upon their governments during the max
Ing and the ratification of our treaty of peace
with Spain. IL would he Incorrect 10 assume,
h.tHa. trff.
They are not. Indeed. they are not without sus
picion Of the white race. of which they have
had experience only through Spain But they
are men Of Intelligence and property. and the
masses. when not stirred up by the Tagalogs.
recognize the advantage 20 them ~ American
Sovereignty, and so remain Tassively neutral.
although rObber bands from time 10 time de-
scend from the mountains to plunder and burn
the estates of the peaceful inhabitants on the
plains
Fourth-The fnsurrection though serous
enough. as experience has proved Is not Il ma
tOnal uprising Indeed. there is no Philippine
nation. As have already said. there IS a null
tfarious collection Of tribes haylng only this I'm
common. that they belong to the Malayan race.
The inhabitants " the archipelago no more con-
stitute nation than the Inhabitants Of the
Continent of Europe do.
Ffth-The United states, having assumed,
by Il treaty 0f peace with Spain sovereignty
over the archipelago. became responsible for the
maintenance Of peace and order, the adminis-
tratiOn Of Justice. the security Of life and prop
ertv among all tho tribes ~ the archipelago.
This IS an obligation which intelligent Fil'pinos.
not less than foreign nations. expect Ms to full
nj. Nor will the National honor permit us 10
turn back In taking the Philippine Islands we
annexed great responsibility. The fact that the
responsibility is heavier than most people sup
posed Il would be is no excuse for failure to dis
charge #. T repeat that the Philippine ques-
ton is essentially a question OF National honor
and cNliFatior.
ACTION BY CONGRESS SUGGESTED.
IN reply to the question whether anything
was now left but 10 fight it out President
schurman said:
IN my opinion, much good would be done by
a declaration on the part OF Congress Of the
form If government 10 be established In the
Philippine Islands. or better still, let Congress
establish 4 government for the Philippine ISL
auds and have II put In force In all parts and
among all tribes hostile 70 the United states
This would serve several purposes. II would
distinguish between our friends and our enc
mics and treat the former according to their
deserts II would also give 10 our enemies an
ocular demonstration OF free government on the
American plan, a very important point when II
IS remembered that the Tagalogs claim 10 be
fighting for their liberty. And had better call
attention to the fact that the Government which
is well adapted TO one tribe may need consld-
erablo modification 10 be available for another.
When asked about the capacity Of the people
70 govern themselves President Schurman
Piled that they had had no experience in self
government except I'm municipal affairs and
even these were subject 70 the control of the
Spanish authorities He thought, however, that
each tribe might. subject 10 the supervision Of
a wise general government manage I'm the main
ifs own municipal and provincial affairs. super
vision from Manila would vary with the posi-
ton which the different tribes occupied in the
scale NJ civilization.
President schurman sccmed finn IN the con-
vlction that some form Of home rule for each
II the tribes and under tho watchful super
vision Of the general Government at Manila
was rho solution Of the governmental problem in
the Philippines.
CONFIDENCE ~ TIE FTTIplNOs.
81 have great conndcn,e In the people Of the
pan,npine Islands" he added, and much SYM
ratbv for their aspirations a race should be
Judged bv its best products. and an educated
Fnipino of whatever tribe (and each city has
its educated mem VIII bear comparison with
an educated man Of any other race. Among the
masses one often finds consciousness Of ieno-
rance and strong desire for education. The
archipelago viii not be revolutonized I'm a gen
Grafton. rs Japan has been in some respects. nut
then Japan had thousands or years OF hduohai
civilization behind her recent traasformaton
Nevertheless considering the marked intel
lectual capacity Of the Filipinos and their ad-
mira bile domestic and personal virtues, lmaBl-
nation cannot easily set the limits 70 their pro.
,~roseive achievements under the inspiration Of
American civilization. and while American SOY
oreipntv means this blessing 10 the Fllipnos II
90 Te,crd All doubt the one thing which can
save the archipelago from division and appro-
priation hv the great nations Of Europe The
United states VIII hold IL together and with
tb American democratic ideas. train and Gle
vate the people to an ever increasing measure Of
self government"
"K4NGlROO RIT' FOR SALE.