Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-08-04
POOLING THE FUIPINOS.
A Letter from Colonel shnnl's-out-
rnrcous Treatment.

ROANOKE, VA, August S.-(Speciai)-
Colonel D. c. shanks, formerly comman-
dant of the Military Department; Of the
Virginia Polytechnic Institute, at Blacks
burg, Va, has written a letter TO DR.. Nc
Bryde. OF the institute. a portion of which
is given below, the letter being dated III
the Philippines. nollo, May 3. 1892 This
letter. which did not reach the censorship
Of General Otis. goes to show the real
condition of affairs in the islands.
From what / have seen, and what 9TH
ers have told me Of other parts of the ISL
ands. 1 believe the average intelligence
of the people is much greater than that
which is generally accredited to them. OF
course. they would not be able TO stand
alone as a nation, especially in the pre-
sent scramble, when the stronger nations
are grabbing everything in sight; but OIL
GERS who were in the Cuban campaign say
there H. absolutely no comparison between
the Filipino and the Cuban There is nc
doubt of the fact that almost all Of tho
officers that came out with the first eX-
peditiOn feel that we have not dealt
squarely with these people. The naNal
officers share this opinion quite as freely
as the army. BY application, ana
lair inference, IL not In ultect
words. these people were given 10 UNDER
stand that We were their allies in their
struggle with Spain. There is no doubt
that several thousand rifles, and large
quantity of ammunition were issued 70
them from the arsenal at Cavite. An OIL
ncer told me not long ago that ne vas at
Cayite when Dewey called on Aguinaluo
I'm the quarters of the latter; that the
troops were turned out, and made 10 pre-
sent arms 10 Aguinaldo, while the Ddhu
sounded a general officers flourish IN MS
honor. 4 great many think, therefore,
that these people had good grounds lor
believing that our object was not 10 re-
Mace Spain as their masters, Dut was ~
use them as our allies in the war WIN
Spain. and, in return, 10 give thoHi '"eii
freedom.
at any rate. there is no gainsaylhB the
fact that they now regard Us IN d much
more unfriendly light than they ever re-
garded Spain | have no doubt that they
would vastly prefer TO see the spanish re-
turu rather than that the Americans
should remain. The indiyidua! relations
of the American soldiers ana the natives
have not been such as 10 impress the lat
ter with our purity OF motive or our NOM
esty as d people.
at first. when the American troops
were regarded as allies, the natives
trusted them implicitly. and an oHicer
told me that this confidence was much
abused I'm Manila, where the native ineI-
chants being unaccustOmed 10 the diirer-
eut varieties of American paper money
were swindled by having considerable
ouantities of Confederate money palmed
or ON them. 1t is said that the Astor'
Ratterv. taking advantage OF their nshie'
went home leaving in the hands OF the
native merchants several thousands OIL
dollars Of worthless orders on JOhn ia
cob who was represented as able, anu
willing. TO foot all bills Of the orsahi%1-
tion. So great was their confluence III
the Americans that a soldier uil'ioI III
was everywhere sufficient TO optaih GU"
siderable credit. .,...a
when the regiments were
from Manila TO Iloilo some OF the ha.is Wv.
tradesmen and saloon-keepers, being I'M
able TO collect their bills, interviewed the
company commanders to implore their a.
sistance one captain told me that one
soIoon- keeper came TO him with nst'
showing that Henry Ward Beecher, VIZ
liam Mckinley, and George NasHli5' ~"
had been liberal patrons OF his eslaDiisIi-
ment. Another, tailor, Desseu Ms
sistance in collecting a blll lor cI0'Ii''
made Tor. and delivered TO, Grover 49,.
I'D The latter was much more lor
nate than some Of the others ~
would have it. one private. named y pr
IN. happened to be passing at the e'ine'
and was promptly identified az the pSue
do Grover. such tricks have mace 'ne
natives wary OF any Iut'heI
benevolent assimilation. Itch and
"No doubt the islands are ilc"' 49,
there Is a future in store for them WIN
developed, but the kind OF aeNelopil,s',l
thus far is not of the kind as Is ,er-
~ talked of in the papers ''Is I'm
centage OF those who mock h eie ~
Anerica viii be those whose influence -
the worst possible. and whose wis WIZ
be used in knavery. .h,
professor Worcester, meilDeI VI -
commission. who has spent three ySdIs AZ
the islands saws in his book lnat nc
found in his travels that inc leds' -
wortbv Of the natives were those VINO haa
come most in contact with the white men,
and l cannot doubt that he Is slsht' II -
mot very pleasing common upon
modern civilization, but l peileVe . .
true one. The press and cable censor
shin at Manila is so rigid thS'. alln'u 81
we have a line there, no news - s'"o uS.
ana we generally get our MAMMA
from American newspapers.
very truly yours, >-,,on
- n X