The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-05-18

NEW YORK, May 15.-Two years ago,
| just before the outbreak Of the last insur-
| rection against Spanish rule in the Philip
pines, the American consul at Manila.
Isaac M. Elliott, Of New York, was recalled
| by the Cleveland administration. and a few
months later he was made consul at La
Guayra. the port of Caracas. Venezuela.
Elliott's aggressive attitude on matters af-
fecting American commercial interests in
the Philippines was responsible for his re-
call. Spanish officials in the Philippine
capital alarmed at the growth Of Ameri-
can trade IN the ISLANDS, and determined to
stamp it out. were angered by Elliott's
vigorous defense of American rights.
Spain asked for Elliott's recall, trumping
up the charge that he was aiding the In
surgents. The Cleveland administration.
unwilling to offend the Madrid foreign Of
nilla to La Guayra-
Two months after Consul Elliott set sail
from the Philippine capital, the colonial Of
fcials had driven from the islands the last
of the American commercial houses. This
was the house of Warner, Blodgett & Co.
Earle W. Blodgett is a Williams college
man, and his home is in New York c. 1.
Barnes and E. H. Warner are British sub
jects. but Americans at heart. The COM
pany was formed in 1887 by clerks Of the
which had been driven to the wall by
Spanish discrimination. Despite the efforts
of the colonial officials to force the new
company out of the Islands, as they did
the American houses of Russell Sturgis
and Peal Hubbell & Co., and others, War
ner Blodgett & Co. built up great bust
ness, the profits of 1895 amounting to 1924, :
! 600, and the money handled in the cash de-
partment alone amounting to $400O.OO0.
Heavy taxes had to be paid by the last
inf no inc
private purses Of the corrupt Spanish off,
| Gals, and these taxes increased as Ameri-
! can sympathy with the Cuban insurgents in
creased Spanish hatred of Americans. Ex-
! traordinary fines were levied The collec-
| tor Of customs at Manila receives three
| fOurths Of the fines he collects for the gov
| eminent, and it is a matter Of record that
| the customs official who helped to drive
| Americans out Of the Island put away $78,-
| 1880 into his own pockets in % months
| The law provides that an importer must pay
| fine of 500 for every article listed in an
invoice and not found IN the ships cargo
| and the same fine must be paid for every
article not listed In the invoice found in the
cargo. Once the American company paid
a $1OO fine because one cObblestone out of
! thousands was missing in cargo.
The most high handed attempt at rob-
| berry was made the summer before Consul
Elliott left the Philippines One Saturday
afternoon in June a customs official called
i
for 1872 3S5. Is to Blodgett, saying that it must
be paid within "a hours. Some struggled
| goods had been found in the suburbs Of
Manila and the customs collector concluded
he could not make $25, 900 in any easier way
! than by charging the struggled goods
against the American ship Espemalda. Even
| had the company been disposed to pay the
| fine, the money could not have been had
within the "a hours, for the following day
was Sunday. The order, which was from
the supreme court, gave notice that if the
| fine was not paid the company's property
would be confscated. Spanish colonial Of
fcials had used this method Of destroying
the business Of foreigners more than one
] occasion.
Blodgett went at once to Consul Elliott's
residence and when he had briefly related
the story of the new Spanish outrage, the
| two went down to the cable office. Admiral
Carpenter was then at Yokohama with the
| Asiatic squadron. The consul wrote q
short message to the admiral and handed
| it to the operator. The message was in
| cipher.
"Send assistance" it read american
! interests in peril. Elliott
| "Send in English. Carpenter" was the
| answer received by the consul short time
afterward.
| Elliott could not understand why Admiral
| Carpenter wished the message sent in
| English, for he knew that the admiral
must understand the cipher. But the con-
| sui fastened back to the cable office, and
| wrote out a second message III plain Eng
lish. An hour later Governor-General Blan-
cos secretary called at the office and said
that Blanco wished to The consul at
once. Elliott went over to the governor
| generals residence. Blanoo handed him