The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-09-20
"FilipinOs Are Learning"---And Amer
leans Are Learning.

"FilipinOS Are Learning "--.And Amer
leans Are Learning.
The first clause in the above title was
placed over letter written by Earl
Greene from Balinag, Philippine ISL
ands, to his brother, Lester H. Greene,
of this city, and published-in part-in
the Evening Argus of Friday. The
Argus received some credit for pub
fishing certain parts which constitute
alone a sufficiently strong condemna-
ton of that papers partisan position
and editorial utterauces on the subject
of the war in the Philippines and the
policy in general of the American gov
eminent in respect of the archipelago.
Earl Greene is volunteer soldier of
the United States, in the service of his
country in the island of Luzon. He is
bright intelligent fellow and his state
ments and opinions are entitled to
confidence. He has also the ability to
write with force and clearness of what
he sees and what he thinks. Take for
example the following from the con-
Guiding part of his letter as the Argus
printed it:
The ants at home have simply raised
h with the situation here, discouraged
our men and encouraged our enemies.
Even admitting the soundness OF their
views they are guilty of the highest tres
son and hundreds of deaths must OF neces-
sity be laid at their door. No soldier likes
to get killed, or to kill, for that matter, and
no soldier can say for himself "This war is
not right I'll not fight" There are many,
in fact, most OF us had rather return to civil
life, but we cannot until the situation as d.
sumed here is made permanent and in the
meantime we need encouragement instead
OF being branded as "murderers, robbers and
| desperadoes." In time to come, when we
have, as we are eventually bound to,
gained control OF these fertile islands and
made them what they are capable OF being
made, the natives will date their prosperity
from the coming of the Americana.
This is strongly confirmetOry of all
advices from the Philippines. The
contemporary must have WINGED some
what as it was passed along to the pub
lie, and the blue pencil which swooped
down upon the concluding words of
the letter doubtless lowered longingly
above this extract. Having accepted
the letter on the condition and with the
assurance that it would print the letter
without change or abbreviation the
contemporary was hardly justified in
emitting the part which is herewith
given to the public, and is a continual
ton without break of the paragraph
printed above:
And all the world will wonder at the re-
sources Of this country, The deadly race
wars among the thirty odd tribes will sub
side, and when the conditions that now
exist in the interior of these islands are
appreciated by the American mind, then
will this war go down in history az truly a
war for humanity and the uplifting of man.
kind. Appreciation may. as it usually
does, come too late It's too late now for
many, but it will come and the disreputable
and the disgruntled politicians who are
now endeavoring to mislead the public for
their own personal advantage will be
reegated to the treacherous class to which
they belong and thought OF only in con.
nection with Benedict Arnold and his ilk
Both in the fulfillment of its agree.
ment and in obedience to the highest
duty of journalism, to inform its read
ers correctly and intelligently on a
} matter of the liveliest public interest
and gravest importance, it was incum-
bent on the Argus to print this letter
without garbling. If the writer was
in error in any particular, or his state.
ments constituted a very severe ar.
raignment of the Argus course in re.
} spect of the governments Philippine
policy, the contemporary editorial
columns presented the opportunity foi
the correction ( error and for its OWE
vindication. The local public will read
with interest and satisfaction Mr.
Greene's expression of his opinions Of
men and things pertaining to the Phil
ippines. Supplemented by the expur
gated part the JOURNAL has printed
the letter, in the phrase of the late
Horace Greeley is, indeed, "Mighty in
teresting reading"