Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1900-11-08
SCHUR MANN'S REPLY.
A Vivid Pen Picture of Conditions
in the Philippines.
ANSWER TO LOPEz'S OPEN LETTER.
Qualities of the FiiipinOS
The TnEnIog InsurEent Lenders
American Occupation and Re
suit of Abandonment.

Buffalo, y. Y, Nov. Prof. Jacob
Gould Schurmann, who passed through
this city yesterday afternoon, en-
route from the west to Ithaca, hand
ed to the press the following reply to
an open letter addressed to him by
MIR. SiNto Lopez:
MIR. SiXto Lopezs open letter of tha
Sd inst, addressed to me, although
have not yet seen it except i'm the
newspapers, is n gratifying proof of
the correctness of the report Of the
Philippine commission. Mr.. Lopez, by
his declarations, confirms all / have
said of the promising educational pos
sibilties in the Philippines and of the
admirable character of the educated
Filipinos, few though they are, who
may be taken as Il type and promise
of the future. Nor does Mr.. Lopez
deny that the masses of the inhab-
tants of the Philippine islands of all
tribes and races are uneducated and
very ignorant.
Furthermore, by silent acquics
ccnce in the report Of our committee,
Mr.. Lopez acknowledges that the ma
iurity of the Filipinrs either desire
American sovereignty, as is The cast
with the men of education and prop
crty, or acquiesce in it, or are indif-
fcrent to it, and that The demand for
independence originated with the ann
bilious Tagalog insurgcnt leaders, who
nave diifused il with fire and sword,
aided by atrocious misrepresentation
of the aims and purposes of the Unit
ed States. Lastly. Mr.. Lopez does not
question the finding of our commits
sion that the inhabitants of the Phil
ippine islands are marked by great
racial and tribal differences, by inn
mense varieties of social conditions,
which range all the way frcm the
civilization of Manila down through
all phases of barbarism of the naked
savage of Mindanao and northern
Lu2on, by a bewildering multiplicity
of languages which are mutually un-
ineligible. by dense ignorance on the
part Of the masses and the utter lack
of the idea and sentiment of national
ity and by the absolute ineNperiencc
of all classes in the affairs of govern
ment which Spain always kept III
Spanish hands. And the sequence TO
be drawn from all this is equally indis-
putable, nor does MIR. Lopez seek to
dispute it, namely, that the various
and diversified peoples of the Philip
pines islands are at the present time
incapable of being considered rs ne
ton; they are utterly unfit to accept
sovereignty oven the archipelago, even
if the American people wished 20 in
vest them with it; nor have they any
hope of ever becoming free and self
governing nation, except in the con-
tinuance of American sovereignty over
them, and in the peace, prosperity,
and cver-increasing iiberty of self
government which the American flag
guarantees them. Pull down our flag
and you leave the Philippines a prey
to internal feuds and domestic insur-
rections which would quickly beget
anarchy. This would neccssitate the
Intervention of foreign powers for
the protection of the lives and prop
rrty of their subjects. OF course the
islands would eventually be divided
up among them and the Filipinos
would exchange the free institutions
and home rule which the American.
people desire, as soon rs possible, and
i'm the largest degree practicable, to
bes.Ow upon them, 1or the genuine
imperialism of old world empcrors,
kings and cars. 1t is the mission Ct
our republic to save the Filipinos. who
in general are mos. promising, es-
timablc and even lovGble peoples,
frcm the cruel fate, and to train them
up to the use of free Institutions and |
the noble work of Self-government,l
just as quickly and rs generously as
they or any portion of them can be
induced to exercise Il civic function |
so Grduous and so unaccustomed."
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