Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1899-02-17

PnlllpplneS ever since IL became known
to the Filipinos that their country was to
be annexed to the United States. Early
in December the American Soldier, an
army publication at Manila, said that
battle was anticipated at any time. The
Malay races are natural warriors. Gen.
King now testifies concerning these Fill
pinOs: LET no man say the FilipinOs
cannot fight. They are brave and skill
full warriors"
Having provoked by Its policy of an
neXatiOn and assimilation an uprising by
native warriors, naturally brave and
naturally suspicious of an aliens inten-
tons, Imperialism must needs contem-
plate the results with that fine compOsure
which led London newspaper cy nically
Uganda last year as ''heavy butchers
bill" Four thousand of those Filipinos
lie dead Besides, as a dispatch to the
New York Sun from Manila says
Fully dozen villages about the city
are now In ruins, having been burned by
our soldiers solely as a military neces-
sity. The inhabitants had peTsistently
concealed themselves in these places and
fired on our rear. This, of course, had
to be stopped, and the only effective
means of stopping it was to destroy the
villages. AS a result, thousands of the
natives have lost their homes.
For every life lost, for every home
burnt in those II villages, the policy of
Imperialism is responsible. 1t is as
responsible in the Philippines as in
Madagascar. But imperialism TO day
holds its head in the United States
higher than ever. American statesmen
are acting exactly as their European
models act under similar circumstances
They mouth such expressions as firm
ness, mo concession to rebels The
press, too, shows the usual signs of i'm
perialistic rabies Consider the course of
events during the past year and then
read this piece of journalistic savagery
from the New York Times:
They (the FilipnOs) are rather horde
/ of rioters, organized, armed, and nu-
merous, whom we are free to deal with
in the most effective way, even to shoot
ing or hanging the ringleaders. As soon
as the notifications of the treaty are eX-
! changed their status will become that of
Insurgents against their own govern
ment. The name and nature of theiI
offence will change, but as even then we
can do no more than shoot or hang theil
ringleaders they may fail to observe the
change.
This Is the imperialstic spirit. the
same in America as in France, in the
Philippines as in Madagascar. In botl
places the subiugaton of the natives car
be accomplished by fire and sword
probably with comparative ease, but tn,
bloody process is not the less higf
crime and disgrace to much-vaunteC
civilization.
In Cuba we have thus far held true Il
the grand old American ideal of no
annexing people, with some degree o
civilization, without their consent, tact
or spoken. And see the contrast
There has been no uprising of thu
natives; there has been no slaughter o
1000 Cubans; II native villages have no
been burned. The difference in actua
results is striking. The imperialisti,
idol, like the old Indian juggernaut
makes its way forward over the crushed
bodies of human beings; but the Ameri
can ideal, inspired with love rather thar
greed, extends the helping hand rathe
than the mailed fist. Between the lido
and the ideal which Will you choose?-
J Springfield Republican.