Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-12
BRING TEACHERS BACK
USELESS IN PHILIPPINES, SAYS
PROF. sCHURMAN.
President Of First Philippine Commits
sion Discusses Needs of
the Islands

Brig. Gen. A. w. Greedy and President
Jacob G. Schurman of Cornell University
were the principal speakers at a meeting OF
the Nineteenth Century Club in New York
last night The meeting was devoted 10 the
discussion OF the United States In the
Philippines" w. s. Logan, president of
the club, presided. President Schurman
said. in part:
This Philippine question will not stay
down. Just as soon as II seems to grow
quiescent some one strs it up or great
events compel us to look at 1t again.
1T is now known to all who follow the
course Of Philippine affairs that the Fill
pinos are the victims of famine. pestilence
wholesale loss Of farm animals by disease.
depression of agriculture, decline of trade
and disastrous arrangement of the cur
rency. The insular government is purchas-
ing rice on the Asiatic continent to furnish
the Fflipinos with the means OF subsistence,
and losses are expected on the transa ction,
which, of course, the Filipino will have to
make good by taxation. The currency and
the trade of the F'ilipinos are under the con-
troll of Congress, but Congress last winter
refused to do much for either.
THE failure of Congress to establish the
gold standard has cost the Philippine gov
eminent over 81. 600 600 In the meanwhile
In consequence of declines in the value of
silver. And this loss must be borne by the
Filipino taxpayers
Have not the Frlipinos the right to stable
currency? Would 1t not be polite as well
as wise and generous to open our doors to
their trade, so that they might feel this for
eign sovereignty at least profitable In a
pecuniary way?
President Roosevelt. too. has compelled
us to think again of the Philippine prob
lem. He recently stated that the flag could
no more come down in the Philippines than
1t could In Alaska. Now, where the Amer
lean flag goes, 1t symbolizes the sovereignty
yhnyy av,l
publican government. Hence. If the flag is
to stay in the Philippines. Luzon and Wis.,
ayas, by the logic of American political
philosophy, must become states In the
Union, New Mexico and Oklahoma and
Alaska (where It Is peopled) are bound to
be. If this result is not desired the Fill
lpinos must either be retained in forcible
subsection, or given their independence IS
the United States has given independence
to Cuba, and England has given not less
real independence to Canada and Australia.
The motive of our fantastic educational
scheme in the Philippines was to supply
the Filipinos with a common language. But
they do not need a common language for
purposes of instruction. Employ native
teachers and few Americans who learn
Visayan, Tagolog and other leading dia-
lects, and let the other American teachers
come home. All history shows that 1t is
impossible to change the language of any
people.
From the beginning nature and history.
but now experience, too. cry against the
Iolly OF TINS project or AmericaniZing or
anglicizing the Filipinos. Recognize the
men of Luzon and the Visayans as fellow
Christians, with rights equal to your own;
consult their ideas and sentiments and do
what they want. and, above all, bear in
mind that no nation can raise another up
ward, but at most provide favorable con-
ditions for it to stand upon it's own feet
and make it's own way. Do this. say, and
you have the clew, and the only clew, to
the solution of this difficult and oppressive
Philippine question"
Gen. Greedy prefaced his address by re-
marking that personally he thought the
Spanish-American war was a mistake, al
was the acquisition of the Philippines but
he said that he a soldier with his duty
to perform first, he would not say more
than that he did not think much good could
come of the possession of the islands He
did not see how this country could get rid
of them now, and, therefore, it ought to do
what seems best for this government and
for the future of the world.