The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1900-11-09
Quite PROMISING.
But as yet the Filipinos are Iguo.
rant and Incapable.
NEED AMERICAN SOVEREIGNTY
II Is Their Only Hope of Freedom and
Observation-Disclosures Given by
Prof. sehurmann, of the Philippine
Commission.


Prof. Schurmann, of the Philippine
Commission.
Buffalo, Nov. 5.-Prof. Jacob Gould
Bchurmann, who passed through this
city Sunday afternoon en- route from
the west to Ithaca, handed to The As.
sociatod Press the following reply to
an open letter addressed to him by Mr..
Sixto Lopez,
"Mr. SiXto Lopezs open letter of the
third instant addressed to me although
l have not yet seen it except in the
newspapers, is a 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.
sibilities in the Philippines and of the
admirable 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 inhabit.
ants of the Philippine islands of all
tribes and races are uneducated and
very ignorant. Furthermore, by silent
acQuiescence in the report OF our com
mission, Mr.. Lopez acknowledges that
the majority OF the Filipinos either de.
sire American sovereignty as is the
case with men of education and prop.
erty or acquiesce in 1t, or are indiffer.
ent to it and that the demand for indie.
pendence originated with the ambi.
tious Tagalo insurgent leaders, who
have diffused it with fire and sword,
aided by atrocious misrepresentation
Of the aims and purposes Of the United
States.
'l.Gitly, Mr.. Lopez does not question
the ~ Qg of our commission that the
inhabit-utS of the Philippine islands
are ma ked by great racial and tribal
different e., by immense varieties OF
social coaJition which range all the
way from the civilization of Manila
down through all phases of barbarism
to the naked savage of Mindanao and
northern LuZon, by bewildering mul
tiplicity Of languages which are mutu
ally unintelligible by dense ignorance
on the part of the masses of the peo
pie, by the absence of union and con
cert 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
consequence 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 pres
ent time incapable of being considered
as a nation they are utterly unfit to
accept sovereignty over the archipel
ago even if the American people wish
ed to invest them with it; nor have
they any hope of ever becoming a free
and self-governing nation, except in
the continuance of American sover
eighty over them and in the peace
prosperity, education and ever-increas
ing liberty Of selfgovernment which
the American flag guarantees them.
"Pull down our flag and you leave
the Philippines a prey to internal
feuds and domestic instructions
which would quickly beget anarchy
This would necessitate the interven
ton Of foreign powers for the protec
ton of the lives and property of those
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 as
possible and in the largest degree
practicable, to bestow upon them fol
the genuine Imperialism of Old World
emperors, kings and czars. 1t is the
mission of our republic to save the
Filipinos who in general are most
promising, estimable and even lovable
peoples, from the cruel fate, and tc
train them up to the use of free insti
tutions and the noble work OF self-gov
eminent just as quickly and as gen
erously as they or any portion of them
can be induced to exercise a civic
function so arduous and so unaccus
toned"