The San Francisco call., 1899-07-17
LET US KNOW THE TRUTH.

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the Philippine situation says that secrecy is un-
Ibecoming in the officers OF a republic and that
suppression OF the truth and Misrepresentation OF
facts are still less tolerable Speaking for our most
honorable history and traditions and for the people
who desire to preserve them both untarnlshed, 'e
says, Let us know the truth"
We have already protested against censorship OF
the and violation of the mails which keep
the truth away from the people, who are paying
$4,000 day and giving the lives of their sons in
war that Congress never declared but which is prov
ing the second of all our in cost.
An officer in the Oregon Regiment, who like many
others waits for muster out to give the authority OF
his to his statements, says The Filiplnos got
from Dewey the impression that he came to give
them their freedom. Next came General Anderson,
who treated Aguinaldo as the head OF a republican
government and gave the impression that he had but
object there, to drive out the Spanards and re-
tire Then came Merritt, who treated Aguinaldo as
a brigand. Then came Otis, who gave the Filipinos
every latitude In Manila were 1900 trained Filipino
soldiers who begged to be allowed to join army,
but Otis drove them to the enemy. Otis is great
office man. When it comes to saving 10 cents he is
great general He devotes most OF his time TO
finding out whether some clerk is entitled to rations
or not 1t will take hundred thousand men to con-
quer Aguinaldo. The sick and wounded can never
be expected to in that climate. Facts do not
warrant the rosy reports sent home These islands
will cost a great many millions and ten thousand
lives The hospital facilities should be increased at
once"
There could hardly be drawn stronger picture Of
disqraceul situation After the treaty OF Singapore,
made by Consul Pratt and ratified at Hongkong by
Dewey and Wildman, there is doubt but the Fill
pinos were treated as national entity and given to
understand that they were our allies The conduct
OF Dewey and Anderson confirms this view.
In October, 1885, Paymaster Wilcox and Cadet
Sargent on behalf of Admiral Dewey, made tour OF
the island OF Luzon and their observations were Off
cally reported They found the people friendly and
very happy in their independence, obvious to things
in the outside world but alive to the expulsion Of the
Spaniards from Manila the declaration of the Philip
pine republic and the Presidency OF Aguinaldo. The
report is full of praise OF the intelligence and kindness
OF the people At the town OF Apart the had
come by steamer from Hongkong that our repre-
sentatves at Paris favored the independence OF the
islands with an American protectorate. Colonel
Tivona thereupon surrendered his military command
to civil officer. The latter made speech in which
he thanked the disciplined troops and their colonel
for services the province and republic and assured
them that their services would be perpetuated and
that every man. woman and child stood ready to
take up arms and defend their newly won liberty and
resist the last drop OF blood the attempt OF any
nation whatever to reduce them again to dependence
He then placed his hand open Bible and took
the oath OF office. II all these things had been known
to our people, and if the facts of the undecared war
which is still had been frankly given out, an i'm
peria sentiment would never have crystalzed.
There is every evidence that the sentiment of the
volunteers has been mendacousy misrepresented
One of the privates in the Oregon regiment says
you see, didn't volunteer to fight these Filipnos
We went out to fight the Spaniards, and when the
Spanish thought trip up
and we had right to come home The other voun-
teers down there are of the same mind don't think
a single volunteer company in the Philippines would
stay hour if they could get home and most of the
regulars feel about the way"
Let the people have the truth. It will be more to
the credit of the administration to tell it now than
to continue censorship and violation OF the mails and
let the returning volunteers shock the country into
political reaction. Anything being done officially by
an administration that is kept from the people is
something it has right to do.