New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-24
FILIPINO GOVERNMENT.
SCHURMAN SAYS 1T WILL BE WHAT
JEFFERSON OUTLINED FOR THE
LOUISIANA PURCHASE.
TBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rR1RuNE.I

Chicago. Feb. 23.-Two Of the strongest
props Of the anti expansionists were felled to-
day in the course of eloquent and inspiring
address by President Jacob G. Schurman Of
Cornell University and late Commissioner TO
the Philippines before the faculty and students
of Armour Institute of Technology.
President Schurman, in forecasting the report
and recommendations Of the Commission. to be
published soon, made a statement in reference to
the form of government to be offered to the
Philippines which has not before had pub
licity and which DR.. Gunsauus, in dismissing
the audience characterized as the strongest and
most Illuminating statement that has yet been
made in regard to the question OF government
for the islands
This statement was not in President Schur-
mans Auditorium address yesterday, he ex-
planned, because he did not deem 1t in keeping
with the celebration of the anniversary of
Washington's Birthday, inasmuch as the govern
mental policy of Thomas Jefferson was involved
in its exposition.
He said that the Philippine Commission.
which is preparing its report for publication, has
recommended to President Mckinley a govern
ment and constitution identically the
that framed by educated Filipinos. which is
practically the governmental policy outlined by
Thomas Jefferson for the government Of the
vast territory acquired by the Louisiana Pur-
chase
Furthermore, President Schurman said he was
happy to state that President Mckinley had ac-
cepted the recommendations Of the Commission
and was sending out a second Commission to
put this government into operation
ITO avoid any mistakes on the subject said
the speaker the constitution drawn up by
Pedro A. Paterno, Aguinaldo's prime minister
in1S9S will be published alongside Of the con-
stitution adopted by the Commission, so that
II may be seen that the two are Identical, with
only slight elaboration in the American form
This constitution also agrees with the requests
that leading Filipinos have been making to us
day after day.
The newspapers have not given publicity to
the fact that we are TO give the Fipinos the
very government they themselves ask. but our
Government is now striking off fifteen thousand
copies of the report that it may inform those
who have been so solicitous in regard TO the
kind of government their friends, the Filipinos
would obtain from
Continuing the speaker said that after a care
full study of the island tribes he became con-
vinced that the plan of Great Britain in her
government Of the Malays-signing peace pacts
with the individual chiefs of the tribes-was the
most satisfactory one The results upheld his
opinion, for in the southern row of islands where
this policy was followed not n gun had been
fired and the American flag had been held an
honored emblem. This policy was not adopted
in regard to the middle islands. which are in
habited by the visayan tribe. the largest In the
group of Islands, because of the fact that there
are no native rulers with whom 10 deal The
people, however, are ready for American govern
m