Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1902-08-09
OUR RESPONSIBILITY
President Schurm man Presents Phil.
ippine Policy In a New Phase.
The Question IL Raised a. 60 the Political
Status OF tho Inhabitants OF the
Islands and Our Duty To-
wards Them.

Chautauqua, N. Y, Aug. 4.-Presi-
dent Schurman of the Cornell univer-
sity Saturday delivered an address on
The Philippine Problem" before the
Chautauqua assembly. He said in
part:
| The Philippine question has passed in
| to new stage. though the public seem
| to be unaware Of II, and the newspapers
have not noticed 1t. Certain matters Of
great interest In the past have now been
definitely eliminated. 1t is idle now to
discuss the wisdom or the unwisdom OF
our acceptance of Spain's cession OF
sovereignty over the archipelago. The
| fact of our sovereignty Is indisputably
established both by the force Of treaty
and the force of arms. / was one Of
those who advocated leaving the archi-
pelago In the enfeebled grasp OF Spain;
but the American people who made war
on Spain for the emancipation of Cuba
would not consent, SO President McKin-
ley felt, to leave the Filipinos as the
close Of the war, victims of the same
oppression. Whether by will or not the
Philippines are ours; the destiny Of the
Filipinos Is in our hands, and great as
our responsibility may be to humanity
and to Providence our sovereignty itself
Is absolutely unimpeachable. So, too,
we have no further concern with the
government set up by Aguinaldo. nor
with Agulnaldo himself. Both are issues
Of the past. Men may dispute whether
that government represented the inhab-
ltants Of the Philippines or not. 1t GER
tainly did not represent the Moros and
heather Of the southern islands, and as
far as could make out in 1899 It did not
tI.A Arttx Sxf tl.A fckt
Inhabitants Of Luzon and the Visayas.
The Christian Fiipinos have undoubt-
eddy been drawn together by three years
Of fighting against the white man. But
that fighting has gone on Independently
of Aguinaldo's Philippine republic.
whose brief existence was entirely en-
braced within the year 1899. And, at that
period. as I have said. It appeared to be
less a national than a local organization.
Let the dead past bury its dead. The
Philippine problem Is no longer ques-
ton Of the conduct Of the army. or OF a
few men in the army; 1t is no longer a
question Of the character of Aguinaldo;
1t Is no longer a question or the juris-
diction Of the Philippine republic of
1899: II Is no longer a question Of the
validity Of American sovereignty over
the archipelago or Of the wisdom Of the
policy of assuming 1t. These are all is
sues Of the past. The pacifcation of the
archipelago, the official announcement of
termination of hostilities. the proclama-
ton of amnesty, and the substitution of
civil for military control. all bring us In
sight of war problems. At the heart of
them all think you will find this ques-
ton: What is to be the political status
Of the inhabitants Of the Philippine IS
lands? Or. more particularly. what is
to be the political status OF the 6.5O0.000
civilized and Christianized Filipinos of
Luzon and the visayas?
There Is another issue also which now
happily belongs to the past. During the
spring and early summer the newspapers
abounded In reported atrocities commit
ted by American officers and soldiers in
the Philippines. History shows that
whenever the white race. and especially
the Anglo-Saxon branch Of 1t, come into |
conflict with a colored race, its bearing |
Is apt to be arrogant and contemptuous.
end IL seldom fails to repay the barbar- |
tiles practiced by the enemy with fero- |
cious cruelty. This tendency inherent |
In the blood was fostered by the hard !
ships Of the Philippine campaign. the
intoierable climate, the elusive tactics |
and the atrocious practices of some of the |
insurgents The American army as a !
whole chung to its ancient discipline and !
maintained It's uUtdTHlSHeu Dut
here and there an officer or private sue
cumbed. The natural and proper course
for all good citizens under the circum- !
stances was to insist that the guilty be
punished and the good name of the army |
and of the nation indicated thereby. |
President Roosevelt, as commander-in-
chief of the army. decided that all the
facts should be forwarded to him, with |
no attempt to conceal anything or to |
spare anybody, and. after an exhaustive !
and judicial investigation, he has exc
cuted the moral Indignation Of the ma |
ton by the condign punishment Of the !
principal offenders.
I certainly am satisfied with the ac-
ton of the president and congress in re.
gard to Philippine affairs. Everything |
I asked for the Filipinos in my Boston |
speech Of January last, which was Sc |
verely criticised by imperialists, has been |
granted to them. with the exception of
gradually increasing home rule, culminat-
ing in independence. when the Filipinos
desired and were fit for independence,
which, by the very terms of the PROPOSE
ton, shows itself a matter, not for the
praeant hut for the future.