The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-04
THE PHILIPPINE Problem.
Discussed by WhiteIaw Reid and DIR.
Jacob G. Schurman.

Boston, March 3.-Whitelaw Reid, mem
Der of the late Paris Peace Commission,
and DIR. Jacob G. Schurman, president of
the first commission to the Philippines,
were the guests and the speakers at the
meeting of the Massachusetts Club in
Youngs Hotel this afternoon.
Mr.. Reid said among other things:
"Honored now by another opportunity
to meet with the club, l can do no better
than profit by this example of your ear
lier days. You have asked me to speak
on some phase of the Philippine question.
| would like to concentrate your attention
upon the present and practical pha e; aud
to withdraw it for the time from things
that are past and cannot be changed.
II want TO suggest to those who dislike
the past of the Philippine question that
there is more impo tant work pressing up"
on you at this moment than to cuss the
court You cannot change the past, but
YOU may prevent some threatened Sc
quenoes. which even in your eyes would
be far greater calamities
There is no use bewailing the war with
Spain. Nothing can undo it, and It's re-
suits are upon us. There is no use argu-
ing that Dewey should have abandoned
his conquest. He didn't. There is no use
regretting the Peace of Paris. For good
of the land. There is no use bregruding
the twenty millions. They are paid. There
is no use depreciating the islands, East or
West They are the property of the Unit
ed States, by an immutable title, which,
whatever some of our own people say, the
whole civilized world recognizes and re-
spects. There is no use talking about get
ting rid of them-giving them back to
Spain, or turning them over to Aguinaldo,
or simply running away from them
Whoever thinks that any one OF these
things could be done, or is etill open to
profitable debate, takes his observations
will you pardon me the liberty OF saying
it?-takes his Observations too c.osely
within the horizon of Boston bay to know
the American people,"
Mr. Reid then went into a discussion of
the Philippine problem as 1t now stands
and the work in that connection that
confronts the country.
DR.. Schurman spoke at some length
upon the subject of THE Philippine
Question, from the Filipino Point of
View" and outlined, in manner SINH
lar to that discussed in his report to the
President he sys em of government
v ch the commiss on p opposed for the is
lands. Continuing, he said
II went out 10 the Phi lippines with a
the ry of go, er ment cf my own. l left
It there. 1t did not harmonic with the
facts l had formulated it upon the basis
Of what Great Britain had done in the
Ma ay pen nsula and the Ind es. 1t seemed
to me that this sys en- was admirably
adapted to the Philippines. but ] found
that the very first condition necessary
for the oD- rat N of such a government
in the p ippines, so far as Luzon and
Wis ava were concerned. was absolutely
wanti e. Not single individual remain
Cd as a ruler or representative OF the peo-
pie and &C nsequently the scheme of gov
eminent which we had formulated was
absolutely iuapplicahle"
MIR. thurman sad he scheme OF gov
eminent prc posed by the Phil ppine com
mission emtod ed the sugeos ne Of
rumb Tllipinos. including Palermo
snd Areltno.