The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-05-12

which has groaned under the blacklist
and most rapacious tyranny for three
centuries. 1t will bring all the bless
ings of "life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness to 100000 people who
have been goaded, prosecuted, robbed
and murdered for over 800 years by
the most cruel and Unsuitable of masters.
The Americans have spent generously
for missionary work in the past, but
they have never approached the sub
blime missionary work that the Army
of Occupation will do in the Philip
pines. 1t will bring about startling
transition from the darkness, ignorance
and brutal oppression of Spain, to the
good Government, enlightenment, peace
and order of the United States. We
can we'll afford to be at some incon-
venience and expense to be of such
signal benefit to so many people.
Not only will the Philippines profit
by this, but all the world. The people
there need only such Government as we
shall give them to develop into one of
the finest countries in the world. There
will be openings and opportunities there
for the enterprising and progressive of
the whole world. English, Irish, Scotch,
Dutch, Germans, French, Hungarians
and Italians will have the same oppor-
tunties there that they do in the United
States, and in few years the archipelago
will be transformed.
The more far-seeing of the Europeans
readily understand this, and that it is
far better for the world at large for us
to have the islands than for them to re-
main under Spanish dominion, or to be
transferred to any other power. In the
first place. no other power would be able
to take them, and in the next if either
Germany, France or Russia should take
them they would at once be closed to all
the rest of the world.
The London Spectator voices the
English sentiment when it says:
eve hope the Americans will keep the
Philippine Islands, and that they can keep
them there is no doubt whatever. Europe
to put the truth in its most brutal form,
cannot attack nthem without our permis-
sion.
army of 10000 men, and with this effective
Sepoy army hold the Philippines, Hawaii
and Porto Rico. paying the army of occu-
patton out of the local revenues.
With such an army these islands would
be as safe as a drawing-room, and as full
OF business as Broadway or the Strand"
COMMISSIONER EvANs's pulses
dropped again last week, and he made
but an even 900 original allowances.
At the same time he is talking of cur
failing bis force and dropping 100
clerks. If he is going to do no more
work than he has been doing he does
not need half bis present force of LOO
clerks. But he has misconceived the
work he was appointed to do as badly
as he has every feature of it. He was
not appointed for the purpose of pre-
venting men getting pensions, but to
diligently examine their claims and give
pensions to those who are entitled to
them. This is something that we have
earnestly labored to impress upon him.
Instead of having fewer clerks he should
have many more, so as to take up the
work that has been dragging wretchedly
for so many years, and execute it while
the much-deserving, long-denied men
are yet alive to receive what is justly
due them. Instead of cutting down his
force, he should have double what he
now has, and employ them effectively
in settling the claims that have been
pending-some of them for the lifetime
of generation-and clearing up the
dust-laden files of his Bureau. No
other Department Of the Government
has ever kept SO aggravatingly behind
hand as the Pension Bureau. 1t is q
crying scandal that men who did their
duty bravely for the Nation should
have to beg justice from it year after
year until more than third Of a CEN
fury has passed since they received
their disablements.
The English papers call this the
"Yanko Spanish War.