The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-22
Filipino Sentiment.

IN it's preliminary report the Philip
pine commission says that the
strong anti-American feeling in the
islands is confined to the Tagalos prov
inces, namely Manila, Cavite, Laguna.
Batangas, Bulucan, Nueva Ecija, Prin-
ciple, Infanta and Zambales, being
strongest in the first six and very weak
in the last three Even in the first six
it is stated that the people are not
united in their opposition, and that
there is a strong conservative element,
consisting of people of wealth and in
telligence, opposed to the war.
In this the commission seems to be
taking good deal for granted, because,
as matter of fact, the United States
has come into direct contact with but
a very small proportion of the natives
outside of the Tagalos states. The ac-
tive and determined resistance natural
ly would come from the Tagals, who
are in every way the most intelligent
and progressive of the Filipino people.
Moreover, they inhabit the states imme-
diately surrounding Manila and in
GLIDING that city, and they furnished
substantially the entire army with
which Aguinaldo fought the Spaniards
and drove them into the defenses CT
the capital. The Tagals are therefore
entitled to infinitely more consideration
at our hands than are any OF the other
tribes.
1t is an easy matter to say that
strong element of the Tagals favors
| the United States, but it is a mere gem
crafty after ALL What steps have
| been taken to ascertain the proportion
| which that element bears to the total?
There is always strong wealthy and
! intelligent element opposed to war. The
| English claimed that the wealth and
| intelligence of the colonies was on their
side during the revolution, and part of
| it was. But the revolution went on, and
| when independence was gained the
| tories in large numbers expatriated
| themselves.
Some wealthy and intelligent people
in the United States We're opposed to
the war with England in 1872. Wealthy
and Intelligent people were likewise de-
termined that there should be no war
with Spain on behalf Of Cuba. The rea-
sons in both cases We're altogether sell
fish and mercenary.
1t is safe to say that in nine cases
out OF ten in which wealthy and in
telligent Filpinos are in favor of being
| subjugated by the United States, it is
either because they feel that the power
of this country is too great to be resist
ed, or their position IS such that they
see financial advantage to themselves
| in forcible annexation.
Again, if the Tagals are people
separate and apart from the rest of the
natives, why should they not have in
| dependence if they want it in their own
states, regardless of the attitude of
the other states? The people of Canada
! refused to antagonize England in 1715,
burt that did not deprive the people of
Massachusetts or Virginia of their
| right to freedom.
But the most conclusive answer is
| this: If all the people of the islands,
| excepting only a portion of the Tagals,
are content to be made subject to the
| United States and have no voice in
| their own government, then Mr.. McKin-
ley with perfect safety could have left
it 10 the people themselves to say what
| their future status should be. But he
didn't dare to even suggest such a
thing. The undeniable truth is that
there is not to-day an inhabited square
mile of Philippine territory in which
the authority of the United States car
be maintained for a single hour except
at the point of the bayonet and the
muzzle of the gun.