Evening star., 1902-01-27
Prof. schurman.. Explanation.

The following appears in this morning
newspapers under an ithaca, n. Y, date
line -...
President Schurman today made state
ment explanatory of his recent Boston
speech in which nc advocated the eventual
independence OF the people of the Phillp-
pines. The substance of his late speech
was that If the Christians of Luzon and
Visaya wanted Independence and showed
themselves capable of assuming t this
country would eventually give 1t to them
President Schurman SAID today tnat ne De-
leved the policy lie advocated would more
than anything else promote the welfare
of the Filipinos. President Roosevelt, he
said, had declared in his message to Con-
gress that America was to do for the Fill
pinos far more thar any other nation had
ever done for a tropical people, and that
this country was to fit them for self-goF-
ernmeut after tie fashion of really free
races. He said he stood with President
Roosevelt in his policy and was against
the policy advocated by General Wheaton,
which would mean colonial servftude like
that of Java and India; and that it was
Just as proper for one TO advocate a policy
of eventual independence at the present
time as IL would be to urge the adoption of
General Wheaton's plan, since the Ameri-
can people have not yet passed upon the
question of final Philippine policy
The keeping of President Roosevelt's dec
iaration does not require independence for
stretches the meaning in an effort to cover
his own change of front. BY giving to the
FiIipinos a government fashioned to their
needs by men who are conducting this
government, America will be doing far more
for the Fflipinos than any other nation has
ever done for a tropical people, If the re-
ply is that this Is assumption, the
sponse to that is that it is an assumption
to take the other ground. What has al
ready been done by the Americans, under
the greatest difficulties, shows what may
still be done, with the pathway smoothed
by Filipino acddiescence and cooperation.
The difference between the city of Manila
today and when Spain was in authority is
a fair sample of what 1t is possible for
America to do for the archipelago through
out. And that such condition of affairs
would yield richer results for the Filipinos
than are enjoyed by any of their neighbors,
or than they could provide for themselves
is scarcely open 10 argument
The proposition fer Filipino independence
does not, however, rest upon the best gov
ernment for the FiIipinos Those who sup
port 1t really take no higher ground than
that the Fiiipinos are entitled to such a
government as they themselves are able
to contrive and are willing to support II
II De Unlike our government mere in
the United States. well and good They
are unlike us. If their progress under it
should not be at pace that we could set
for them. well and good. They are enti-
tied to go their own gait in their own
country We are asked to withdraw, and
allow the Filipinos to work out their own
ends in their own way.
Shall We do this? Such a policy cannot
be established by this Congress- because
that issue was negatived by the defeat of
Mr. Bryan in November. 1900. ScuttIe was
an issue then, and ii failed. Has the coun-
try changed its mind since? Professor
Schurman has changed his, but he is but
one elector. There is but one thing GER
tain in the premises, and that is that if
scuttle is to be the leading issue in 1894
our difficulties in the Philippines will mean
while be increased a thousandfold Every
boloman now unfriendly to us will send
his weapon to the grindstone. and every
American soldier killed will be a Filipino
contribution to the campaign for Filipino
Independence.