The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-06-30
MILITARY USURPATION.

THE army and navy OF the United States even
during our Civil War, with all its necessities and
with all its opportunities, have been sngularly
free from demagogism. The curt incisiveness and
the clear oicialism OF military and OF naval dispatches
and procamations have furnished continuous evil
dence that there branches of the public
vice entirely free from the petty rivaries and the
loose appeals TO passion and to prejudice that fire.
quently disgrace politics.
But it seems our smooth and even record in this
direction is to be broken Already imperialstic
denotes have attracted public vigilance. Now COM
handing general OF the American army has clearly
violated official propriey. In lengthy telegram to
the adjutant general sent from Manila by General
Otis, he makes the following bid for imperialstic
eulogy: The only hope OF the insurgent leaders is
United States aid. They proclaim the near overthrow
OF the present administration, to be followed by their
independence and recognition by the United States.
This is the influence which enables them to hold
out"
This language is reprehensible in every line 1t as
sumes knowledge OF ali administrative policy that has
never been avowed, that has been frequently repu-
dated, and that would be inconsistent with the prn-
Cipes and with the practice OF the Government What
the policy OF the administration may be is absolutely
no concern OF army officer charged with the duty
OF meeting temporary military exigencies But even
il this inraction of discipline could be overlooked
President Mckinley and his Cabinet have uttered no
word, directly indirectly, to indicate even desire
TO retard the civil independence and the political
recognition OF the Filipinos The Call has often vim
dcaed them from this unjust aspersion common
enough IN partisan newspapers but to be antci-
pated from general in the American service The
fusion Democracy has labored hard to fasten the
charge OF imperialism upon the Republican party. so
as to monopoze the constitutional side of that cues
ton IN 1000 But all such efforts so far have been
fruitless The Republican party has adopted no such
heterodox position and in the State platform in Ohio
has taken the soundest American ground upon the
Philippine situation
1t was, doubtless, unintentiona but more the less
distinctly unfair and unjust apart from its breach Of
military rules, for General Otis to have thus mis-
represented the intentions OF the Government now
controlled under the constitution and the laws by
Republican administration But in other WAYS. his
expressions were not merely ndiscreet, but offensive
Does he suppose that censorship, presumed to be
momentary essential to Manila and used as prece-
dent for the usurpations in Idaho can be extended
over the entire American press and the whole Amer
can people II he does then his attitude at least
responds to the imperialism OF General Merritt. who
declared that constitutional system had been cont
grown He should have remembered that Spanish
absoutism has application to the United States
and that every American citizen in the Philon;nes
whether IN the regular army or among the volunteers
stands upon an exact political equality with himself
and, though as a soldier willingly amenable to mill
tary discipline is absolutely entitled to entertain and
III suitable places to express his opinion Of the rela
tons that ought to exist between his country and the
Asiat1c archipelago. When, however General Otis
virtually denies to citizens at home the right of
thinking and speaking, within the limits of the con-
stltuton, with unrestrained freedom he shows him,
self incapable OF comprehendng independence that
It cost our toreathers bloody revolution to acquire
and their successors immense expenditure nj
money and OF life to preserve
General Otis should have been more accurately adj
vsed also with respect the Filipino leaders them
selves. They have repeatedly shown an intelligent
knowledge OF American institutions They are ner
tectly aware that an American administration unlike
British Ministry, is not subject to overthrow" ex
cept by the expiration OF official terms and through
the exercise OF the elective franchise And If NAV
be safely assumed that there is not man among
them ignorant to imagine that his native land
will receive from the United States or from anv mart
of its population, the only aid that could tend To
eXtricate it from military and naval grasp
Spanish pronuncamentos were usually Sound and
Jury. signifying nothing" The politics of General
Otis less harmless and display an naptude that
might justify his recall least an official rebuke
|
DR.. Walter B. Cofey seems to have inflicted an
unnecessary annoyance upon himself in being vac
Cnated He aDDears TO have been very tborouohl