The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1900-11-09
SCHURMANN'S REPLY.
A Vivid Pen Picture of Conditions
in the Philippines.
ANSWER TO LOPEz'S OPEN LETTER.
Admirable Qualities of the FiIipinOa
The TagaIOE Insurgent Leaders
American Occupation and Re-
suit of Abandonment.

Buffalo, n. Y, Nov. 5.-Prof. Jacob
Gould Schurmann, who passed through
this city yesterday afternoon, Ell
route from the west to Ithaca, hand
ed 10 the press the following reply TO
an open letter addressed to him by
Mr.. SixtO Lopez:
MIR. Sixto LOpez's open letter of tn.
Sd inst, addressed TO me. although |
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 L 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 inhabi-
tants of the Philippine islands of all
tribes and races are uneducated and
very ignorant.
Furthermore, by silent acquies
cence in the report of our committee,
Mr.. Lopez acknowledges that the ma
jority of the Filipinos either desire
American sovereignty, as is the case
with the men of education and prop
erty, or acquiesce in it. or are indif-
ferent to it, and that The demand for
independence originated with the am
bilious Tagalog insurgent leaders, who
have diffused 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 im-
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
LuzOH, by a bewildeTing multiplicity
OF languages which are mutually un-
intelligible, by dense ignorance on the
part of the masses and the utter lack
of the idea and sentiment of national
fly and by the absolute ineNperience
of all classes in the affairs of govern
ment which Spain always kept IL
Spanish hands. And the sequence to
be drawn from all this is equally indis-
putable. nor does Mr.. Lopez seek to
dispute it. namely, that the various
and diversified peoples of the Philip
pines islands are at the present time
incapa bic of being considered as a nG-
tiOn; they are utterly unfit TO accept
sovereignty over the archipelago, even
If the American people wished 20 in
vest them with it; nor have they any
Eope of ever becoming free and self
governing nation, except in the con-
tinuance of American sovereignty over
them, and in the peace, prosperity,
and ever-inCreaSing liberty 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 necessitate the
intervention of foreign powers for
the protection of the lives and prop
erty 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 as possible, and |
in the largest degree practicable. to |
hes.uw upon them, 1or the genuine |
Imperialism of old world empcrOrs, |
Kings and czarS. 1t is the mission Ct |
our republic to save the Filipinos. who |
in general are mos promising, es-
timable and even lOvable peoples, |
frCm the cruel fate, and to train them |
up TO the use of free institutions and /
the noble work of self-goveTnmentl |
Just as quickly and aS generously as
they or any portion of them can be !
induced TO exercise 4 civic function |
80 GrLuOuS and so unaccustOmad.'