Evening star., 1902-02-06
Philippine Independenc

The evil effects in the Philippines of Pres
ident Schurman's address on Philippine af-
fairs will be aggravated and intensified by
the meager and misleading reports of his
position which are cabled to Manila In
deed here in the United States the idea is
prevalent that he has declared, on the
strength of his observation and experience
in the archipelago, in favor of the fitness
of the Fflipinos for freedom and their right
To immediate independence.
On reading the entire address 1t is dis
covered that Mr.. Schurman's testimony as
an eyewitness is to the effect that the
filipinos in 1899 could not stand alone and
that they needed the tutelage and protec-
ton of the United States, but that the in
telligent Filipinos who at that day strenu-
ously opposed the suggestion of independ-
ence did look forward to freedom latter an
indefinite period of American training" He
repeats in his address various statements
which he made in 1899 as. for instance:
There being no Philippine nation, but
only a collection of different peoples. there
Is no general public opinion in the archi-
pelago; but the men of property and edu-
cation. who alone interest themselves In
public affairs, in general recognize as in
dispensable American authority, guidance
and protection.
In 1889, however, the masses of the peo-
pie seemed to me Indifferent as to the ont
come OF the contest between the Tagalog
insurgents we We're then fighting and the
forces of the United States. AS one of them
said 10 me in Cebu. they didn't care so
long as they had their rice and fish,"
No one can foresee when the diverse
peoples of the Philippine Islands NAV he
moulded together into a nationality cana
bic of exercising all the functions of in
dependent self government"
These, l say. appeared to me fundamen-
tai objections to the institution of a Phil
ippine republic Immediately on the pacif-
cation of the archipelago; and I'm guessing
for no one could, in such matter do more
than SuesS-when it might be safe and ex-
pedient to launch native sovereign re-
public, never yentured to make the inter-
val of waiting shorter than one genera
tion."
MIR. Schurman adds in 1902:
when representative institutions have
been conferred upon the Filipinos, if the
people, through their regularly constituted
spokesmen-which Luna, Malvar and Lux
pan never were-petition for freedom and
independence and show that they are cana
BILE OF maintaining law and order and dis
charging their international Obligations
can II be doubted that the American peo-
pie would grant such petition? The
United States would deal as liberaIIv with
the philippines as Great Britain with her
colonies; and everybody knows that if tn.
i-soN q iiiiS couimonWeaithS of Austria
la ana canada today desired independence
they might have it for the asking rhe
mistake of Aguinaldo and the Insurgents q
$50 far as the insurgents were not mere
brigands and robbers was in approa ching
the United States with rifles instead of Pc
titions."
Mr. Schumans opinion in 1899 was that
the insurgents did not represent the Fill
pino people, that the mass of the people
did not desire independence and that the
Philippine Islands were unfit for it, and
that the insurgents, SO far as they were
not bandits, had made the mistake of ap-