The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1899-06-15

tains, swamps, and everything, and
police the whole thing so as to 'estab
lish law and order" not only among
Tagas but among the robber tribes,
many OF whom never saw Spaniard
and who may never live to see an
American? If every part of the coun-
try is to be occupied and policed in any
reasonable time the administration had
as well now as at any other time send
Gen. Otis 100000 men and all perqui-
sites ready to begin operations the very
day the "down-pour" ends. On the
other hand, if the plan of the admins
tration is simply to hold Manila and q
few other coast cities, making occasion
al raids into the country such as has
just ended, Gen. Otis 30, 600 irregular
regulars and the 35, 900 volunteers may
suffice as long as they last. But there
must be regular stream of recruits
going to take the place of those who
die of disease and are otherwise dis
abled. 1t is to be remembered that the
last campaign was only one raid from
one point; when similar raids from
Iloilo, Jolo and other points are to be
made simultaneously many more troops
will be needed. Again; If ten years are
given to thoroughly subdue the iusur-
gents, an army of 100, 900 steadily main
tanned by recruits may serve the pur.
pose.
But, if the administration contents
itself with seacoast and raids, or if ter
years in subduing Filipinos, won't Eu.
rope get tired and order us out on the
same principle we ordered the SpaniarC
out of Cuba? Won't we have to built
trochas, bunch the reconcentrados, de
stroy their subsistence and all that af
ter the Weyler fashion? There are on
ly two ways: To quit, or to send large
reinforcements to do up the insurgents
in great shape and promptly as far al
the thing can be done at all. Let
have done with the thing one way o
the other.
But the point we are laboriousl,
making is that the administration
knowing the conditions in the Philip
pines as we'll as Otis, and its own pur
poses, of which Otis perhaps know
nothing, should be much better quail
fed to say how many troops are need
ed than is Gen. Otis. II the admins
tration has no settled policy, or hayin
the policy, can't make out how man,
troops are needed to carry it out, pei
/ haps it had as we'll vacate the premise
in the interests of an administration G
r ixed.policies and larger capacity. A
0 any rate, Gen. Otis should answer til
I administrators question as to no,
e many troops he needs by asking hal
= dozen other questions as to what he
: expected to do and as to the time at hi
= disposal. Otherwise his answer won
i be worth hill of beans.
We have no particular desire I
brighter" the administration int
y more energetic Philippine measures
h If for want of necessary troops the WI
! drags on it may serve republican pu
o poses this fall and McKinley's nomin,
1t tions, but will be only the worse for h
J. election in 1901 Beside, it may di
l. courage us from any other attempt
II expansion, and let off so much of on
l. present military Imitation" that W
II will not force a war on Germany or an
h other great power.
d What we humbly ask of the admin
tration is, that it runs the governmel
l. and not hide behind strategy-board
h commissions and Gen. Otis. An q
SIS tempt to shirk responsibilities is an il
6 suit to intelligence, and may probabl
is be taken as an evidence of incapacit
|. Home, Tenn. f. J. RIPLEY.