The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1902-02-11
ROOSEvELT'S MEANING.
observation-disclosures Pretend to Mis-
understand Him on the Phil
ippine Question.

ippine Question.
President Schurman in his reply to
the criticism of Gen. Wheaton said:
President Roosevelt said in his mes
sage to congress that we were to do for
the Filipinos far more than any other ma
ton has done for tropical people. and
that we were to fit them for self-govern-
ment after the fashion of the really free
nations. l am with President Roosevelt
and against Glen. Wheaton. And 1 go
further, and say that, as the American
people have not yet passed upon the Ques-
ton of final Philippine policy, it is as
proper for me to advocate eventual inde-
pendence as for Gen. Wheaton to recon-
mend colonial servitude like that of Java
or India
Mr.. Schurman in this statement
did not express the opinion that
President Roosevelt had intimated he
was in favor of the ultimate indepen-
dence of the Philippines. In fact, he
said explicitly that he went further
than the president and advocated
eventual independence.
But some of the anti-expansionist
newspapers, says the Chicago Inter
Ocean, have found in Mr.. Sqhurman' S
statement warrant for believing that
President Roosevelt in his message
expressed views favorable to the
ultimate independence of the Philip
pines. What the president really did
say follows:
I'm dealing with the Philippine people
We must show both patience and strength,
forbearance and steadfast resolution. Our
c ipb to n n
the islanders merely what has elsewhere
been done for tropc peoples by even the
best foreign governments. We hope to
do for them what has never before been
done for any peoples of the tropics--to
make them fit for self-government'
Commenting on this, Chicago
newspaper asks:
"What do the presidents words mean?
They are utterly inconsistent with the
Interpretation of the anneXationists. The
president does not say that we hope to
Americanize and ass1milate the Filipinos,
to give them self-government and freedom
under the flag after the fashion of, say,
Hawaii and New Mexico. He does not
say that we hope to give them a terri
torial status and the prospect of statehood.
His words have no such meaning. What,
| then, do they mean? Exactly what Mr..
| Schurman construes them to convey-ulti-
| mate independence; perhaps under some
| form of protectorate, some sort of Plat
| amendment
If there is plain spoken man in
the world, that man is President
! Roosevelt. Never before has an anti
anneNationist pretended to misunder-
stand him. But here is Chicago
| newspaper which has opposed all the
Roosevelt policies, seriously contend.
| ing that when the president said:
"We hope to make the Philippine
| people fit for self-government after
the fashion of the really free ma.
tions," he meant that we We're to sur.
render the islands and grant them in.
dependence.
!. Of course the people know that
!. Mr.. Roosevelt from the first has beer
a most strenuous advocate of the an
neNation of the Philippines. He wa
in advance of President Mckinley ant
more positive in his utterances. Fl,
was nominated for vice president
/ largely because of his boldness il
this respect, and as if to remove al
doubts he said in his letter of ac
ceptance:
1.-THE question now is not whether We
! shall expand-we have already expanded
| but whether we shall contract; to surren.
| der the Philippines would be to surrender
| American territory"
Defending the annexation of the
Philippines, Mr.. Roosevelt said:
Louisiana territory was acquired by
| treaty and purchased exactly and precise.
| ly as the Philippines We're acquired The
| consent of the governed was not asked
in the case of Louisiana; the great majori
ty Of the inhabitants We're bitterly opposed
| to the transfer, and United States soldiers
had to be sent into the territory to pre-
vent instruction; years lapsed before the
| right of self-government was granted
| them. AS soon as order is estab
lished it will be possible to give the Phil.
lppines larger measure of self-govern
ment than Jefferson gave to Louisiana
No one could have misunderstood
MIR. Roosevelt at that time as tt
what he meant by self-government
He used the case of Louisiana tt
make clear his meaning, and wher
he said in his message that s'wt
hoped to make the Filipinos fit fol
self-government after the fashion O
the really free nations he mean
just exactly what he meant when h,
used the same words in his letter O.
acceptance, and in his subsequent
speeches of the campaign Certainl,
no one misunderstood him when h,
said that he looked forward to tn,
time when Filipinos, Porto Ricans
and Hawaiians would be found in tn,
American army, serving as loyal,
under the flag as the people of tn,
several states in the war of 1898.