The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-09-30
From the Filipinos' Standpoint.

Upon reaching Washington Felipe
AgoncillO, the envoy of Aguinaldo,
made a statement OF the purposes of
the Philippine insurgents which, for
candor, moderation and the ability
shown in the arguments presented de-
serves to be attentiVely considered.
Explaining first that his purpose in
coming to the United States was to
secure permission from President Nc
Kinley to lay before the Paris COM
mission. officially or unofiicially, it mat
tered little which, the views and the
claims of the inhabitants of the islands
whose destinies that commission is to
decide, he next drew a clever compari-
son between the Cubans and the Filipi-
nos as equal victims of Spanish op-
preston, saying on this point:
am afraid that many Americans have
formed an erroneous idea of the Philip
pine islands ard their people. Prior to
the outbreak Of the Spanish-American
war the American people knew lit e or
nothing of us or our Islands, despite the
fact that our territory is larger than
many of your states combined and few
Americans have ever paid us a visit, You
were led to believe that we were a saw
age or barbarous race, half civilized, but
with the arrival of your army and your
navy a new impression must have been
formed by these who have had an oppor-
tunity to acquaint themselves with MS.
We have nine millions of people on our
islands and all of them true ana pat
riotic to the cause of their country ana
desirous foe independence. You have
heard little of Us, and the American peo-
pie know nothing of our struggles ana
trials which we have endured under the
rule of Spain, and our many efforts, fu-
tile and unsucCe sstul, to throw off the
calling yoke of that country, whose colo
NAL government has been the worst. the
most heartless, cruel and unsympathetic
of any in the history of the world. YOU
Americans know of Cuba, for that un-
happy island Is at your very doors; there
have been many of your people who have
visited the island and seen ana heard the
stories of the unhappy lot of the Cubans
under Spanish rule. Cubans have come
to this country and told you of their sur-
ferngs, but the Filipinos have never be-
fore been heard
Do not mistake me in what | say. | am
| friend and have been sympat thizer
with Cuba from the first, and / do not
wish to belittle the struggle of her people
| for independence, but they have not been
alone. We are off in corner of the
world, where civilization, progress and
advancement have in "A large measure
| fingered, and the chief reason why the
Flliplnos have made no great progress as
! the fact that We have always been sub
| jected to Spanish rule. Yet we are a civil
! lized people, and anxious to advance.
With AN opportunity afforded us by in
dependence we can In few years reach
! the standard which has been attained by
| Japan since she opened her ports and he
| gan to transact business with the world.
Our trade has almost entirely been with
\ Spain, which, being backward, has ma lie
| us more so. Spain has always from the
| very beginning of her history been a
| country OF oppression, not only to her
| possessions, but to her own people, ana
! the people of the Philippines have suf-
| fered and endured for years what Cuba
has suffered ard endured and yet the
| outside world has heard little OF our
| troubles until now.
Senor Agoncillo asserts that in every
dealing with the Americans Aquinaldo
has been open, honest and grateful;
that the insurgents under him have