The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1898-08-18

IN 81 NJ
Spain 10 her vacillation and insincerity
10 dealing with her colonies, had
reached point where she must take q
stand and chose war abroad rather
than disrupted government at home.
After all the exaggerstion, braggadocio
and bluster about the inyulnerability of
her ships of war and the valor of her
soldiers, what is the outcome? The
ships we're sent to the bottom of the
ocean as soon as our navy could get 9
chance at them, and her soldiers, who
we're brave enough it is true, though
behind strong intrenchments were
obliged to capitulate as soon as our
army could get in proper position to
oppose them. And finally President
Mckinley writes out terms on which
hostilities may cease.
The unknown quantity is the future
of the PHILIPPINES. 1t was prudent
stroke of State policy of President
Mckinley to leave the matter to COM
mission. The attitude 10 Aguinaldo,
the insurgent leader, and the general
condition of affairs in the Island was
not clear enough to enable the Presi-
dent to decide as to their future. A
commission in possession of the facts
can but determine the question. The
general trend of opinion is in favor of
retaining the islands; the following
extracts from leading papers, Republi-
can and Democratic, give voice to
strong sentiment in favor of the people
of the islands; the New Orleans Times
Democrat says: The proposition to re-
trocede the PHILIPPINES to Spanish rule
means that we shall return to bondage,
millions who were delivered on that
memorable May day by the skill of our
great Admiral and the valor of his
officers and crew. Will the American
people give the seal of their approval
to a proposition so base and unworthy!
We cannot believe it for such an eva
sion of duty would be comparable only
to the treachery of Launcelot to his
conscience and his King" The Florida
Times Union says, "We have encour-
aged revolt in the PHILIPPINES; would
it be honorable to turn over our allies
to the vengence of Spain' She has
no means of enforcing peace on the
natives; can we calmly relegate those
people to q combination of blood and
anarchy!" The New Orleans Picayune
says that withdrawal of the United
States forces from the PHILIPPINES
would lead to European Intervention
in behalf Of Spain against the insur-
gents, and that the intervening power
would then take such parts of the
islands as they might choose, while
the American people would have the
reflection, not very pleasing one,
that they had given up the islands
when they were in their power, only to
see them parcelled out among Nations,
in which the United States haye no
interest. The United States would
simply have pulled the chestnut out of
the fire for Germany, France and
Russia.
Near the sink of the Humbolt river,
in the heart of the Sierra Nevada
there is a vast area of flat
desert, entirely devoid of vegetation
and covered as far as the eye can reach
by deposit of alkali. Not green
thing is to be seen, not even sage
bush can live: no rabbit, fox or coyote
will put foot on the poisoned territory.
Not tree can be seen on the side or
top of the mountains that wall in the
basin. and it is said that birds even
will not fly over it.
The above is slightly exaggerated
picture of the effect of the oppression,
repression, tyranny and rapacity, prac-
ticed by Spain in every colony over
which her sovereignty is exercised.
The United States has taken steps to
correct the evil in part. Shall the
PHILIPPINES be added to Cuba and
Porto Rico in the measure of internal
house cleaning? O. B. TURRELL,
Aug. 10th, 1898.
IN