The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-01-29
GEN. wHEAroN.s RASH REMARK.


Some Of the senators seem to think
that Gen. Wheaton ought TO be called
TO account for the comment he made
on the Boston speech of Prof. Schur-
! man, who was one of the Philippine
! Commissioners. 1t is interesting to
know just what it was that Prof
Schurman said. According to his own
account it was in effect that if the
| Christian Filipinos Of Luzon and Wis
| ayas wanted independence and show
ed themselves fit to use it, he believ
ed the American people would grant
it, as the object in taking the Philip
pines was purely humanitarian. Gen.
! Wheaton is reported to have said that
in the Philippines men have been sent
to prison for such remarks.
The Senate took notice of the mat
ter, in all probability, because the
minority of the Senate Committee
which has charge of the Philippine
tariff bill made its report soon after
Prof. Schurman made his Boston
speech. The report was in favor of
giving the Filipinos their independence
for maintaining a stable government.
There is no doubt, of course, that
Gen. Wheaton and the other officers
in the Philippines feel that speeches
and reports like those to which at
tention has been called have the effect
of making the Filipinos think that
they have but to continue their hos
IN m
United States to abandon their effort
to dominate the Islands. The Filipi-
nos believe that there is strong oppo-
sition among the American people to
the policy of holding permanent pos
session of the islands. Assuming that
such is the case, it is easy to under
stand the feeling that prompted Gen.
Wheaton to make the alleged criticism
on Prof. Schurman's speech.
Gen. Wheaton should have remem-
bered that 1t is not a part of his duty
to criticise-that il he does not con-
fine himself strictly to his orders he
will be In danger of being reprimand-
ed by his superiors. 1t makes no diff
ference how just his criticisms may
be nor how pertinent, they are pretty
certain to be displeasing to somebody
If they are not in the line of his duty.
There is another thing that Gen.
Wheaton appears to have overlooked,
and that is that in this country pub
lie men and private citizens are going
to say just what they please respect
ing the policies of the government,
regardles of consequences. There is
very strong feeling against the pol
icy of making the Philippines a per-
manent possession of the United
States. This feeling finds expression
in the platform OF a great political
party. 1t is not to be supposed,
therefore, that there is to be no discus
sion of the question of giving the Fill
ipinos their independence because it
might tend to keep the insurrection
in the Philippines alive.
1t may be that Gen. Wheaton and
other officers of the army in the Phil
ippines have a feeling of hostility to
Prof. Schurman because he, with other
members of the commission sent to the
Philippines, continually reported that
all was serene there. and that peace
was practically restored. That was a
long time ago. Peace is not yet re-
stored, which fact tends to prove that
Prof. Schurman did not know what
the condition of affairs in the Philip
pines was, and raises the question as
to whether much importance is to be
attached to what he says about the
islands and their Inhabitants now.