The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1899-02-16
baltimore Sum-

%
. t"legraphic reports from Manila re-
cord the results OF the fighting on
Feb. 5th and 9Th. In the eyes of a
certain class Of patriots, especially il
they happen to be supporters OF the
administration. and of its expansion
it and imperialist policy, the victory
won by our troops under Gen. Otis
im successfully repelling attack by
the Filipinos seems rendering addi-
accompanied by great slaughter
inflicted upon the latter. While the
loss upon our side is put by the otfi-
cial report at total of thirty-four
Killed and forty-three wounded, .'care-
frrl cstimatcs,f it is stated, place the
Filipino losses at 1000 killed, 3, 800
wounded and 1000 prisoners. >
igorotes were especially noticeable
Cor their bravery, about 100 of these
naked savages facing our artillery fire
with only bows and arrows as weap-
"n,." 1t is not surprising that the
slaughter among these poorly armed
and poorly led natives should have
been as great as represented.
1t may be interesting at the same
time to know what sort Of people our
troops are "slaughtering" with so
little comparative loss, or exposure
to injury, on their own part. The
latest commission appointed by Presi-
dent Mckinley is that for the investi-
CATION aud study Of the condition OF
the Philippines, Of which President
Jacob II. Schurmann. of Cornell Uui-
vcrsity, and Prof. Dean c. Worcester,
oi Ann Arbor, Mich, are members,
and are now on their way to Manila.
No man is recognized as a higher
Authority than Prof. Worcester, who
has lived in the Philippines, and
whose writings in reference to them
are the best obtainable source of in
formation. Only six weeks ago, and
prior t" his appointment as a Philip
pire commissioner, Prof. Worcester
was asked by friend at Cornell for
an expression of his opinion as to the
capacity Of the Filipinos for self-gov-
ernmcnt. From his reply, which has
beer published, dated Ann Arbor,
Mich, we quote the following:
To make 4 statement as to future
possibilities is merely to express an
| only basis for such an opinion is to
| h" found in the character Of the
civilized native and in the actual
showing which he has made under
the adverse environments which has
thus far surrounded him.
The Filipino has developed many
admirable traits. He Is psareable and
c1ecrfHi; his selt-rsstraint is remarkable;
his family is weH ordered; in some in
| stances, at any rate, he shows execu-
tive ability of no mean order when
called upon to attend to the admins
| tration of local affairs in the more
| important towns.
1T is my own belief that no intra-
tropical people offers brighter hope
for the future than do the Philippine
| natives, and IF trouble arises in our
dealings uih them beliere there is far
more likelihood that it WiN be the result
Of our oUn n,dladninistrdtiOn than it
will come from inherent and obiec-
tionable peculiarities of their char
acter"
Prof. Woroester's opinion appears
| to have been solicited with a view to
making use of it in some public dis
cussion at Cornell. TO show how
thoroughly judicial and well-con-
sidered the opinion which we have
| quoted must have been, we take the
following further paragraph from
Prof. Worcester's letter. He says:
III what | have here said is con
sidered to be OF value for the purposes
OF the debate which you mention.
see no objection to its being cited
but would insist that if used at all il
he put at the disposal of both sets OF
contestants
These, then. are the people oI
whose ''slaughter" at Manila we are
expected to read with pleasure
These are the people whom. having
bought from Spain at y head, :
purchase which the Senate has rati-
fled, President Mckinley proposes tC
compel. dead or alive, to submit tC
his yoke. Two thousand Of then
killed on Sunday, $500 of then
wounded and 5000 taken prisoner:
are promising Inauguration of thu
Presidents policy Of benevolent as
similation.n Prof Worcester, tn,
Presidents own commissioner, speak
of future trouble with this race a.
more likely to be the result OF lou
own maladministrat than Of an,
faults Of character on their. part
Who shall say that the seeds OF trou
bic were not sown, as Senator Hal
charges that they were, when th
President, through his agents a
Paris, insisted upon the cession o
Spain's sovereignty in the Philippine
; to the United States, instead OF
simple remuneration OF that sover
eighty, as In the case Of Cuba? VIII
shall say that the war between tn
United States and the Filipinos wa
not made inevitable when the Pres
dent issued his proclamation, throug
, Gen. Otis. to the Filipinos, tellin
, them to recognize aud obey him a
. their sovereign, lord and master?
7 kind and merciful master, it is true
the President promised to be, bu
still a master. II the Filipinos
, not wish 3 master; il they never re,
r ognized the sovereignty Of Spain. S
much the worse for them. II the
will not submit quietly. they must b
=, taught submission. In short. the
f must be slaughtered. 1t is par
: and. apparently. a very importar
e part. of the policy of benevolent q
! Similation.