The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-09-13

TheTfrontispiece, of the current number
of Golfers Weekly contains an illustra-
ton which should give Americans of
every class material for very serious
thought 1t represents a telegraph sta
ton of the American army located on
the altar of Caloocan church, in the Phil
ippines, and presents to view a telegraph
operator engaged in taking a message.
Behind him stands a lieutenant looking
over his shoulder while in front, with a
cigarette between his fingers, is a captain
of . United States regiment. One of the
wires Of the telegraph apparatus is
wrapped around the tabernacle or recep-
tacle for the sacred substances. represent
ing. according to Catholic belief, the
body and blood of the Savior The tele-
graph instrument, its operator and the
two officers are all situate on the plat
form and directly in front of the altar
This striking picture is declared by the
publishers to have been taken from
Photograph by a correspondent in the
Philippines and to, have been unaltered
In any particular. Underneath the pic
ture is the entirely fitting inscription,
Respectfully Referred to the Secretary
of War"
There has been more or less contro-
versy on the subject of the American SOL
diery in the Philippines having been
guilty of conduct which may be said to
amount to Dissertation of the native
places of worship. This Illustration of
Golfers Weekly certainly seems to set
tie that controversy, at least with refer
ence TO one transaction of the kind 1t
may, indeed, be regarded as going some
what further, even If it does not sustain
all the complaints made in this particular
direction.
The people upon whom this republic
has been making war for many months
past in the Philippines are of Christian
belief The nation making war on them
is supposed to be Christian nation. The
warfare is claimed by US to be waged on
purely civilized lines; and, no doubt, there
have been many exhibitions of American
humanity throughout it's progress But
the military officials who will allow such
brutal violation of the most sacred feel
ings and sentiments of Christianity as is
represented by the transaction thus por-
trayed show that they would not have
been wholly untitled to bear a share in
the operations of the hordes of Attila of
old.
We have had peace commission oper-
ating in the Philippines for the purpose
of satisfying the natives that our pur-
poses regarding them and their social
and political welfare are of the most
friendly and exalted kind We have be-
sought their admiration Of the civil and
religious liberty which we ourselves en-
JOY and which, we tell them, it is our
mission to secure to them. And, while
holding forth such exalted ideas, we thus
trample beneath the iron heel of our mil
itary power every pretension we put
forth Of reverence for Christian teaching
Was there no other place available from
which we could carry on Geographic
communication with our troops without
desecrating the altar of God? Was there
no other available object to which we
might attach our telegraph wires but
the one object of all others which SYM
bolizes in the minds of these people the
very sanctity of the Godhead?
This subject is truly a painful one 1t
presents too revolving view of the pos
sibilities of war, even when carried on
by a nation which claims freedom and
Christianity as its guiding stars, to be
dwelt on too long. If our national ad-
ministration is not wholly lost, even to
It's own pretensions, it will hasten to put
an end to such exhibitions of barbarsm
and to punish the men, of whatever rank
they may be, who have disgraced the