The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-11-16
Prof. Worcester Speaks On Philip
pine Question In Chicago.
HUMANEWAR BEING WAGED
TELLS WHY RESURRECTION Is
NOT PUT DOWN.
Declares That Independence Was
Never Promised Filipinos By the
Americans-They Did Not Know
What They Wanted and Are Now
Incapable of Self-government.

Chicago, Nov. 15.-Dean C. Worcester,
member of the Philippine commission.
spoke at Central Music hall tonight
upon The Philippine Question" The
address, which was delivered under the
auspices of the Hamilton club, local
Republican organization, was received
with every manifestation of approval.
Mr.. Worcester followed in the main
the line OF argument regarding the re-
tention of the Philippines which has
been published in the report of the
Philippine commission.
| Professor. Worcester said at the out
set that the Issues raised by the Phil
! ippine question, directly or indirectly,
were more important, more far-reach-
| ing in their consequences than any
| other nation has been called upon to
meet since its birth. He deprecated the
idea of those willing to make party
politics of questions which involve the
well-being and the future destiny Of
millions of their fellow beings. Pro-
ceeding. he said:
IF all the accusations brought by
those who declaim against our so-called
crime in the Philippines are true, We
have indeed committed a great trans
fgreSSion against the people of those
! islands. l propose to take up some of
the alleged facts often quoted in sup
port of these serious charges and scrut-
inize them somewhat closely. 1 shall
try to make my examination wholly
disoas sionate.'
Criticisms Are Answered.
Professor Worcester then took up va
rious arguments presented against the
American policy in the Philippines,
and quoting from senate documents.
from the proclamations of Aguinaldo
and from a mass of official evidence.
most of which has been made public.
answered the several criticisms. His
answers were directed specially to the
arguments ''of a gentleman who re-
Gently addressed an audience from the
roStrum on which 1 stand"
He also stated that member of
AguinaldoS cabinet testified before the
commission to the fact that even after
his proclamation of June is. he freely
admitted that no American had ever
promised him independence for his peo-
pie. The speaker added:
1T has been often stated that our
consul at Singapore, Mr.. Spencer Pratt.
exceeded his authority and made the
promise in question, if not directly, at
least indirectly. l am indebted to Ad-
miral Dewey for the statement that
Mr.. Pratt is ready to take oath that
he never made such promise and 1
may add that legal proceedings brought
by Mr.. Pratt against publisher for
this and other charges resulted success
fully"
Manila Taken By Americans.
Professor Worcester said, after citing
much evidence: Il believe l have shown
that there was no true cooperation be-
tween our land forces and the Filipinos.
except in the fact that We fought a
common foe, each in his own way. I.
may add that we required no help in
taking the city. 1t lay completely at
the mercy of Dewey's guns, and soldiers
were expected to occupy it, not to take
it.
THE fighting of Aug Is was per-
functory and designed only to save the
honor of the Spanish troops. After
the fall of the city, Aguinaldo modestly
demanded of General Merritt the royal
palace for himself and. in addition. the
principal churches, a share in public
funds, and, most important of all, the
arms and ammunition surrendered by
the Spanish troops, which he had long
planned to possess. 1t is needless to
add that his requests were refused"
Speaking of the efforts to avoid
conflict, Professor Worcester said: Il
am often asked the question, Might
not all this have been avoided it, even
after the fall of Manila, the Americans
had come to an understanding with the
Filipincs? / am glad to be able to say
to YOU that such attempts We're made
General Otis, who did not believe that
the insurgent leaders were plotting
trouble, had repeated interviews with
one and another of them"
Didn't Know What They Wanted.
After detailing the fruitless negotia-
i rffs a u. IL e.
letters, Professor Worcester said: The
prime cause of the failure of these
final negotiations lay in the fact that
Filipino commanders were unable to
formulate anv DEFINITE statement of
their own desires. They did say that
they desired independence under United
States protection, but in discussion
made it evident, first, that they did not
themselves know what they meant by
these words and. second, that they were
not agreed among themselves even as
to the general demand"
At another point the speaker said:
Il have no hesitation in saying that
the United States did infinitely more
than Aguinaldo's army toward driv-
ing out and destroying Spanish power
in the Philippine islands. If our claim
to sovereignty was shadowy, what
shall we say as to the claim of a tribe
representing less than one-sixth of the
population of the islands, and exer-
cising jurisdiction over but a small
portion of the Philippine territory"
Bloody Work of Rebels.
AS showing the bloody work of the
insurgents, Professor Worcester said:
AT the time left Manila the province
of Batanbagas was overrun with
thieves and murdererS. No attempt
was being made to enforce law and
doned. Forced contributions were
wrung from the people at the bayonet
point until many We're ruined. IN
willing contributors had been punish
ed by having their hands hacked off
and even by being buried alive.
THE individual houses in such i'm
portant towns as Taal were intrenched
in order that the inhabitants might
defend themselves against their neigh
bors. The military governor of the
province, although a Tagalog and an
insurgent. had characterized the con-
dition existing as complete anarchy
and had repeatedly sent in secret to
Manila asking for aid to restore order.
and promising to surrender with his
troops if we would only dispatch a
small force to his aid.
The speaker denounced as false state
ments that the Americans had no
friends among the Filipinos and de-
clared we had many good true friends
among the leading Filipinos. He pro-
ceeded:
Waping Humane War.