The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-07-06
" WHAT ARE WE FIGHTING FORp''
An Eminent American Tolls About
the Hopeless Situation Of tho Phillip

tho liOpClSSs situation OF tho phitip
pines.
An American publicist Of high stand
ing and unique experience thrOug hou
tho worlG, but whose position mnkcR /
Impossible for him TO discloso HIS unmc
has just arrived In London from Manil,
and has givcr The World tho following
statement for publication ont OF u pur,
sense OF duty tO his country
81 have studied tho situation In the
Philippines for eight months from tho
| inside.
-" went tEprr willing to give adtc
sion to tho ammo nation policy II could
discover it's Just'r" aud tcnssh'lity
: came away with the absolute cNnvlr,
ton that this rhtIppinc campaign,
with its inevitable ronsCuucnroe. Ia
! the greatest calamity our na''Nh Nar
! ever encountered.
"rhr ccneorship prevents tho Am"r'
can people from lrarntnE tho TRUTH
about the situation. II Is the wr*t
monstrrus censorship rrrr tmpnS"d
The Spaniaris durinN the war closed
down on all news dispatches without
distinction ~ Manila. but tho present
censorship Is conducted ny MI vm'"r
who paraurs his pCrsUual prrJudicrs
against certain newspapers, opHnly Ia
vorinE those whose correspondents
prrssrG wishes.
i" hoard high Inicrr say ono day
to y rorrrSpondcn who had appealed
from the censor
"'lf We allowed your despatch to 20
through We would bo Ovurw hclmcd
with cables, and | don't want the
bother
$50 our people arc systematically
kept In the dark, mislol, and this pur'
posrlcss, criminal campaign proceeds
"This rchollion IL Of our own crca
| tiOn. Tho Philippines were at peace
when wO wont there. We took AEuln
aldo aud hls confcdoratos back from
| uongk0ng, whore they had withdraw
Spain. We armed them against the
Spanish. Now VIC are paying tho bitter
penalty.
SuOjugation can be effected In {
fcw months. 1t will take 80, 600 mon
Fur fewer would suffice il our army
had any enthusiasm in the work, bu
it has none. In fact tho soldiers loatht
it. They constantly ask:
"'What are VIC lighting for ? VIII.
should we be killing these Filiplnos
Where is the glory or the gain =
And when tho islands a-o subduet
VIC shall be confronted with tho mos
:
aanc man who knows the Filipinos ca
suggest that We could give them tn
rights OF a AmCrican citizenship. The
arc utterly antagonistic and antipr
thctic to us morally and mentally
They combine all the unspcakable qua
' itics )t tho Chinese and tho Malay:
Educatlon, oven II thoy tolerated l
wuulG not improve them from our poir
OF view.
mo government is possible thor
except q military government, whlc
l Will! pcrpctuatc If 1T does not aggrava
= the evil qualities OF the racc, accent'
Il ated as :hey are hy ages OF oppresslt
: and bad government.
Z Already the United States Is su
sidizing the Catholic Church in II
n PHILIPPINES. This Is one Of the SIM
u ter necessities Of our entanglemcr
q Abolish priestly rule there and not
z ing i. left TO ditforeptiatc the Filipin
from ;hc savages.
The maintenance Of this churc
contrary TO every principle OF our co
stitut.ru, must be continued II we q
:. to remain. The lriars have fled, b
the seCu.ars remain and are an iAd
Densablc element in preventing utt
! chaos IN the Islands.
+" The islands are rich and fertil
) but as to a commercial market II
open door Is impossible Tor us.
J. that po..cy q declared the German
J. VINO have adapted their manuiac.ur
J. exactly 20 the req iircments OF Il
Z islanders, can underscl! us and dri
= our mcrchandiso out a. every turn.
- Neither military, political n
- commercial advantage can accrue
u Us by th!. fa.a! policy OF anncxatio
The American people are being hoo
w.lkcd and deludod by politicians vi
| are conscious that they hevc reckless
! landed the country IA an insane al
Il DjuriOus enterprise.
u The problem OF how to extrica
ourselves from T. without indclib
I, disgrace and damage IS one OF ST
: pcndous difficulty. But the risk TO Cl
, nationa! interests OF attempting TO +
= tain the Philippines is fraught vii
= silly more InOnlentOu5 dangers.
a military government will d
mOral!Ze the rulers and the rule
. The Philippines will be a source
constant international trouble, 6 for
ing house for dministration CORFU
lion, devoid Of 8 single rcdccmin
feature"