The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-05
Incapability of the People to Accep-
tabIy Govern Themselves Adj
mitted i'm Effect by the Envoy.
HOPE LIES IN AMERICAN RULE
ONLY THUS CAN THE NATIVES WORK
OUT THEIR DESTINY.
Some Recent Insurgent Activities
Soldiers Lured to an Ambush
by Music and Slain.

BUFFALO, n. Y, Nov. 4.-Prof. Jacob
Gould Schurmann, who passed through this
city this afternoon, Ell route from the West
to Ithaca, handed the Associated Press the
following reply to an open letter addressed
to him by Mr.. Sixto Lopez:
Mr.. Sixto Lopez's open letter of the sd
inst, addressed to me, although have not
yet seen it except in the newspapers, Is
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
sibiities i'm the Philippines, and of the ad-
mirable character of the educated Filipinos,
few though they are, who may be taken as
a type and promise of the future. Nor does
Mr. Lopez deny that the masses of the in
habitants of the Philippine islands, of all
tribes and races, are uneducated and very
ignorant. Furthermore. by silent acquies-
cence in the report of our commission, Mr..
Lopez acknowledged that the majority of
the Filipinos either desire American SOW
ereignty, as is the case with the men of
education and property, or acquiesce in ii,
or are Indifferent to it, and that the de-
mand for independence originated with the
ambitious Tagalog insurgent leaders, who
have diffused ii with fire and sword, aided
by atrocious misrepresentation of the aims
and purposes of the United States. Lastly,
Mr.. Lopez does not question the finding of
our commission that the inhabitants of the
Philippine islands are marked by great
racial and tribal differences, by immense
varieties of social conditions, which range
all the way from the civilization of Manila
down through all phases of barbarism to
the naked savages of Mindanao and north
ern Luzon; by bewildering multiplicity of
languages, which are mutually unintel-
ligible; by dense ignorance on the part of
the masses Of the people; by the absence
of union and concert and the utter lack of
the idea and sentiment of nationality, and
by the absolute inexperience of all classes
in the affairs of government, which Spain
always kept in Spanish hands.
"And the consequent deduction to be
drawn from all this is equally indisputable;
nor does Mr.. Lopez seek to dispute it,
namely-that the various and diversified
peoples of the philippine islands are at the
present time incapable of being considered
as a nation; they are utterly unfit to accept
sovereignty over the archipelago, even if
the American eople wished to invest them
with it; nor have they any hope of ever be-
coming a free and self-governing nation,
except in the continuance of American SOW
ereignty over them and in the peace, pros
perity and ever-increasing liberty of self
government which the American flag guar
antees them.
Pull down our flag and you leave the
Philippines a prey to internal feuds and do
nestle instructions which would quickly
beget anarchy. This would necessitate the
| Intervention of foreign powers for the pro-
lection of the lives and property of their
| subjects. OF course, the islands would
T. eventually be divided up among them and
| the Filipinos would exchange the free in
| stitutions and home rule which the Amer
lean people desire as soon as possible, and
| in the largest degree practicable, to bestow
| upon them for the genuine imperialism of
| old-world emporors, kings and czars. 1t is
| the mission of our republic to save the Fill
| pinos, who in general are most promising,
estimable and even lovable peoples, from
| that cruel fate al TO train them up to the
| use of free institutions and the noble work
| of self-governmcnt, just as quickly and as
| generously as they any portion of them
| can be induced 10 exercise a civic function
| so arduous and so unaccustomed"