The Portland daily press., 1899-11-16
Is Most Humane War
In History.
Safe Beginning Made in Matter
Of Autonomy.

Chicago, November 15.--Dean O. Wor
cestsr. member Of the Pnilippins com
mission spoke ut Central Music hail TO-
night upon "The Philippine question"
The address, which Was delivered undsl
the auspices Of the Hamilton club. I
local Republican organization was received
with every manifestation OF approval
There was q large audience.
Prof. Worcester said at the outset thai
the issues raised by the Philippine ques
tion, directly aud Indirectly wsrs more
important, more far raohing in thsii
conseq uenoes, than any our nation bad
been called upon to meet since Its birth
He deprecated the idea Of those willing te
make party polities Of questions which
In voived the well being ana the future
dsstiny OF millions OF their fellow beings.
Proceeding he said; ''it all the accuse
tions brought BY those who declailn
against our SO. called .crims In ths Philip
pines are true, We have indeed oon-
mitted q great transgression against the
people OF those islands. propose to take
up some of the alleged facts often quoted
in support of the curious cnargss, ana
scruJinize them somewhat close.y. shall
try 10 make my examination wholly dis
passionate"
Prof. Worcester then took up various
arguments presented against ths Ameri'
can policy in the Philippines and quo tnl
from Senate documents from the pre- ella
nations OF Aguinaido and from a mas ol
official evidence most OF which has been
made public heretofore, answered ths
several cIit.cisms.
His answers were directed specially Il
the arguments ''of o gentleman who rs.
Gently addressed an audience from the
Tostrum on which 1 stand"
He also stated that msmbers Of Agui-
Baiuos own oaoinet testified before tns
commission TO the fact that even after hii
pr clamation of June lS he freely I'd
IN 4ttsd. that no American had evel
promised him Independence for his people.
lbe speaker adde1: "It has been often
ST. tea that our consul AZ singapore. MIR
SPENCER Pratt, exceeded his authority nnc
made the promise In question, IL not IA
reotly at hast indirectly. am inoeDtsd
TO Admiral Dswey for the statement tn al
AIR. Pratt IL ready to take oath to nevel
having made ANY such prom 81, ana
msy aud that legal proceedings brought
by Mir. Pratt against publisher for tni'
and other charges resulted successfully.
4 Prof. worcester said, after citing mucf
o dence: 81 believs l have SHOWN that
here was no true cooperation betwes L
our land forces and the Filipinos excep
| in the fact that W. Iought Common foe,
| sach In mis- own way. / may aud that W.
r quired no help In taking the city. i
lay oomplstsly at tue mercy Of Dewey
guns and soldiers were needed to occupy
Il, not 60 take 1t. Tne ngntipg of a u
gust is was pc functsry and designed
only to sase the honor Of the Spanisr
troops. After tue fall Cf the city, Agui
naloo modestly demagded II 6sneral Mer
ritt the royal palace for hisaself and n
addition the principal churches, shar'
10 the pubic funds. anu most Important
| I all, the arms and ammunition sur
rendered by ths Spanish troops Of whct
he had long planned to possess himself
IL IL needless 20 add that his requests
were ref ased.'
Spesking II the efforts TO avoid con
| tiict, Prof. " Worcester said: II am Cftes
asked the question:: Might not all tnii
hays been avoided, If. even after the fail
of Manila, attempts had bsen made to
come to an understanding with the insuI
gents. / am glad to be aOls to say TO you
nat such attempts were made by General
Otis, who ala not believe that the insur-
ss1is leaders were plotting trouble and hsc
repeated intsrvieus with one and another
f them."
4 fter detailing the frgitless negotis-
iots nd citDR + on Gen. Otis's letters
tref. Norcestsr said; "lne prime cause
Of tue failure Of these final negotiations
NJ In the fact tnat the Filipino commits.
sioners were unsbie 10 formulate any uet
mite staIeinsnt If their own desires.
They did say that they deairsd inds'
psnaence under United States protection,
out in discussion mene IL evident, first,
that they did not themselves know what
they meant by these words, aud, second,
that thsy we're not agreed among thsm-
selves even as to the gen raj demand"
: At another point tine speaker said: al
have NO hesitation In saying that the
A AID mt mi IN.
AguinAldo's army tow ard driving oui
and destroying spanish power In the
Philippine islands II our claim TO sover-
eighty was shauowy what shall we say a.
to the claim of tribe representing less
Than one-sixth of the population of I
islands and exercising Jurisdiction ovsi
out small part OF the Philippins terri
tory
As showing the bloody work OF the In
surgents, Prof. Worcester said:
"At the time left Manila, the prov incs
OF Bstabgas was oserrun with thieves
and muraerers. No attsmpt was being
made TO enforce Law add order The pub.
Ito schools were abandoasd Forced con-
triputions had been wrung from the peo
pie at the bnyonst point. until many OF
them were ruinea. Unwilling ooutribu
tors ma Desn punished by naving their
hands hacked on and even ~ being
buried alive. 1he individual houses in
suon impoI tant towns as laal were In
trenehed in order that the Inhabitants
mipht defend them selves against their
neighbors. The military governor Of the
province, slfh ugh q 1Agalos, and an In
sursent had characterized the condition
existing ss 'cornplets anarchy and had
repeatedly sent in secret to Manila, ask
! ~ aid to restore oruer. and promis-
Ipg o suTrsna wish his troops II We
" - Id only despatch small force to his
and
lhe speaker denounced as false stats
uents that the Americans had no frisads
amons ths Ei1ioincs aud declared We ha5