Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-20

working for pacification and American SOW
ereignty aspire to ultimate statehood. Why
discourage them so long In advance of the
time when the conclusion must be reached?
Why not push ahead with the training and
development which will be required for
either status, and leave the final decision
to. the Filipinos and Americans of the "
when the period of training will be ended
and full self government of some sort Is to
be enjoyed?
The Advocate of Immediate Independ-
ence.
In Schurman's last stage of opinion, with
out discarding any of his previously eK-
pressed and contradictory views, he adopts.
in effect the policy of 'scuttIe" Any de-
cent government Cor any government at aI)
by F'ilipinos of Filipinos is better than the
best by Americans. Governments derive
their just powers from the consent of the
governed. We should set up representa-
tive assembly as soon as possible in the
Philippines and submit to that body the
question OF the permanent form of Filipino
government and whether, and how soon, we
should cut loose from the islands We
have no business in the Philippines, and
should get out, or prepare to get out, at
once. .--
'Undiscoverable or at any rate undis-
cerned, If 1t existed, in 1899 this conscious
ness OF nationality Is today SO manifest
and powerful that General Chaffee looking
at 1t with the eyes of a military man has
declared, or at least is reported to have
declared, that the natives Of these islands
are all traitors to American sovereignty;
all have their hearts set on independence"
Il am not surprised, therefore, If TODAY
we have to reckon with a universal senti-
ment and idea of nationality among all the
peoples of Luzon and the Visayas with a
demand or desire for immediate independ-
ence. =
But If that be the case-and General
Chafee's statement seems to confirm it as
fact-the greatest obstacle, in my judg-
ment. to the establishment in the near fu-
ture of Philippine republic has been re-
moved. When l wrote, in 1899. that:
No one can foresee when the diverse
peoples of the Philippine Islands may be
nodded together into nationality capable
OF exercising all the functions of independ-
ent self-government.' REPORT Of 1st Phil.
Conn.,, though I hoped for the dawning of
the day within one generation Gas l there
minated I did not expect as early as
1907 to learn from the commanding general
that, under the hammer of war and the
heat Of strife, the welding of these diverse
peoples into a common nationality had
been consummated.'
snail not. however, indulge in guesses
as to the date when the new fabric should
pc reared, On that point 1 desire to be
Informed by the Filipinos themselves
gress should not delay granting represen-
tative Institutions to the Filipinos
Let a Philippine popular assembly or house
OF representatives say whether the Filipinos
want independence or not, and, If So at
what date they think the grant should he
conferred. and we shall then have before
US all the conditions necessary for the
MAJ solution OF the Philippine problem"
ANY decent kind Of government of Fill
plnos by Filipinos Is better than the best
possible government Of Filipinos by Amer
leans"
Contradictory Theories of Ultimate
and Immediate Independence.
AS the prophet and guarantor OF ultimate
Filipino independence Schurman expresses
the opinion that II after period of Amert-
can tutelage the Filipinos reach a degree OF
maturity qualifying them for independence
as a new republic If under American
training the Filipinos come to fit Them
selves for sovereign independence, II have
no doubt Americans will grant 1t, IL the
F1liplnos then desire It," The training was
TO MT the Filipinos to form an independent
and sovereign republlc-"a daughter repub-
lie OF ours-a new birth Of liberty on the
other side Of the Pacific" The termination
or the period of tutelage was to be decided
by the instructor, as England might on re-
quest grant independence to Canada or
Australia. Its continuance, the object be-
ing the development of worthy and cred
taoie example Of republican institutions
ana principles In Asia, was to be necessarily
protracted and the process Of training la
POROUS The goal may be Distant" they
are hkely one day to become free people,"
II you look beyond the present and near
future you descry in the distance an indie
pendent Philippine republic"
AS finally the advocate Of "scuttle' he
favors an immediate popular assembly of
Flilplnos, an immediate decision by that
assembly whether the Filipinos want indie.
pendence, and when they want It. and the
acceptance by Of that declaration "a
furnishing all the conditions necessary for
the final solution of the Philippines problem
He concludes by the assertion that ANY de-
cent kind OF government Of Filipinos by Fill
pinos Is better than the best possible gov
eminent Of Filipinos by Americans" In
his latest position he, in effect. denies tina
necessity Of a period Of American training
and valves the American right to deter
mine when this training Is complete. In
stead OF preparing the Filipinos for self
government as a republic-a daughter Of
ours-a model and exemplar OF republican
institutions for the enlightenment and imt-
tatlon OF the Orlent-retalning to OYerSeIyes
the right to say when this preparation Is
perfected and our pupil may confidently
walk alone, we are to turn over the de-
cislon of the date Of Independence to the
Filpinos themselves, who will then be at
liberty to form not necessarily a republic,
but ANY decent kind Of government" In
its ultimate analysis Mr.. Schurman's last
view adopts the anti-imperialist construc-
ton of 1.-The consent Of the governed" state
ment OF the Declaration of Independence.
Logically deprives us Of the right to re-
qure that the Fflipinos should set I'D q
decent kind Of government. If governments
derive their just powers only from the con-
sent of the governed, then any kind (not
merely any decent kindD Of government of
Fiiipinos by Fiiipinos is better than the best
possible government Of non-consentins Fill
pinos by Americans.
1t also follows that any government of
Moros by Moros is better than the best gov
eminent Of Moros by Tagalogs and that
any government Of Visayans or Macabebes
or Ilocanos or Vicols or Igorrotes or any
one of the numerous tribes of the Fftpino.