Washington sentinel., 1899-06-03
side Lights on the F Iipino Question

| 1t IS curious now little direct IN
formation is allowed to leak out
by way OF Washington, or through
official channels, in regard to the
characte Of the people whom we
are engaged in "benevolently
assimilatinP" in the Philippines.
All that is supposed to interest the
American people, as, presumably,
it is all that interests the President
and his advisers, is to know the
net results OF each days shooting.
Consequently, the cabled news
from Manila when published is
confined pretty much to a record
Of how many miles the Filipinos
have been driven, and how many
Of the black or brown fellows have
been killed and wounded. So our
generals report each day a salts
factory game bag" that seems to
oe thought sufficient. In the mean
time, however, through the
medium of private letters received
from our officers and men in the
field, there are side lights oc "a
sionallY thrown upon the picture
which are calculated to produce a
different impression from that
which the Government dispatches
would make.
For example, it is only through
the private letters to their friends
that the American public has
learned of the extensive "lootIng"
OF the homes OF the Filipinos by
our troops. Then again, It is only
from the inventories furnished in
the same letters, of the sort and
description OF articles looted"
that the public has learned that
the people whose homes have been
thus ruthlesslv despoiled are not
mere barbarians or savages Of the
type Of the Modoc or Apache In
dians, since such people do not
ordinarily own pianos, handsome
plate and china, silk dresses and
other evidences Of civilization. 1t
Is amusing to note the positive
wrath with which some OF our lead
ing imperialist journals have chron-
icled the fact that the Filiplno o
ENJOYS, who were recently in
Manila, were resplendently uni
formed in blue and scarlet and
gold, and behaved and were treated
as gentlemen. Apparently, &C
cording to our jingoes, they ought
to have come in rags-that is to
say, il it IS allowable in them to
wear any clothes at al.
A very valuable side light is
thrown upon this subject by Lieut..
Henry Page OF the regular army,
in the medical service at Manila.
Lieutenant Page is a Marylander,
son OF Judge Henry Page, of the
Court Of Appeals, and grandson Of
the Hon. john w. Crisheld. Writ
ing under date Of February IS he
furnishes to the Chicago Record
what the Springfield RFPu6AcaN
prOnounces "a most intelligent and
careful study of the Filipino
character. Lieutenant Page says
that the average American reaches
Manila "hlled with the overwhelm-
ing magnitude Of his own great
ness" and holding rather con-
temptuous views of the capacity of
the native for self-goYernment, and
the first person he usually meets is
an EnglIshman who confirms him
in this view. and that settles the
question for good and all. But,
continues the Springfield RePH6h
cG", Lieutenant Page gives judg-
ment which at once impresses the
Republican with the candor and
open mindedncss OF the man."
He says. CATER a stay of eight
months among these people, dur
ing which time no opportunity has
been lost to study their qualities,
find myself still unable to express
a decided opinion about the matter,
but | can unreservedly affirm that
the more evidence collected the
greater my respect for the native
and his capacity"
OF the organization Of their civil
government Lieutenant Page sup
plies evidence for which we would
look in vain ia any official report
or dispatch. He writes:
When we reached the headquarters,
at Santa Ana, another surprise awaited
us, tor here was found some OF the
machinery OF Aguinaldo's government.
1 Among the papers scattered about in
confusion oy theretreating officials we're