The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-06-01
Side Lights Thrown on the Filipino
Question.
The Baltimore Sun says

way ol NhrnlnBlohi Vt lHlouBn OlllNlhl
channels, in regard to the character Of
the people whom we are engaged in
bencyolently assimilating' in the Phil
ippines. All that Is supposed to inter
est the American people, as. presuml-
bly,. it is all that interests the Presi-
dent and his advisers. Is to know the
net result, of each day 5 shooting. Con-
sequently, the cabled news from Ma
Mia when published is confined pretty
much 10 a record Of how many miles
the Fllipinos have been driven, and
how many Of the black or brown fell
lows have been killed or wounded So
our generals report each day satisfAc-
tory game bag that seems to be
thought sufficient In the meantime,
however, through the medium Of prl-
yate letters received from officers and
men in the field. there are side lights
occasionally thrown upon the picture
which are calculated to produce "A diff
ferent impression from that which the
government dispatches would make.
For example, it is only through the
private letters II the soldiers 10 their
friends that the American public has
learned Of the extensive looting Of
the homes Of the Filipino- by our troops.
Then again, it is only for the inventor
les furnished in the same lotters. Of the
sort and description of articles looted.
and the public has learned that the
ponple whose homes have been thus
ruthlessly dispoilcd are not mere bar
barians or s,vagcs of the type Of the
Modoc or Apache Indians. since such
people do not ordinarily own pianos.
handsome plate and china, silk dresses
and other evidences Of civilization. II
is amusing 20 note the positive wrath
with which some Of our leading imper-
ialist journals have chronicled the fact
that the Filipino envoys, who were re.
Gently in Manila, were resplendently
uniformed in blue and scarlet and
gold and behaved and were treated as
gentlemen. Apparently, according to
our jlngoes. they ought to have come
in rags-that is to say, if it is allow
able in them to wear any clothes at
all
Sometimes q little ray in the way OF
side light appears in an official dis
patch. as, for example. wher II Is re-
ported that when the Filipino commits
sioners left-after fruitless interview
with Gen. Otis, President Schurman
and his cOlleagues-President GOnzaga,
Of the commission. previo 's to his de-
parture, said We greately appreciate
the courtesy shown us. We have spent
much time with your commissioners
incidentally considering the American
constitution Its principles impress
us profoundly. The plan Of government
offered the Philippines seems m theory
a good colonial system. But why
should nation with your constitution
seek to make colony of distant
people who have been so long fighting
against Spain to secure the same rights
which your constitution gives? You
fought the same battle in America
when You fought England. This is
not the language of an ignorant savage,
but, on the contrary, Of scholar and a
gentleman. The constitutional ques-
tion which President GOnzlga puts is
a poser not only for President Schur-
man but for President Mckinley, slso.
A very valuable side light is thrown
upon this subject by Lieut.. Henry
Page, of the regular army, in the
medical service at Manila. Lieut.
Page is Marylander, son of Judge
Henry Page, of the Court Of Appeals,
and grand son Of Hon. John W. Girls
field. Writing under date of Feb. %
he furnishes to the Chicago Record
what the Springfield Republican, pro.
nounces "a most intelligent and careful
study of the Filipino character. Lieut.
Page says that the average American
reaches Manila filled with the over
whelming magnitude Of his own
greatness, and holding rather con
temptuous views Of the capacity Of the
natives for self government. 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 Rrebublican, Lieut.. Page
gives tho judgment which at once i'm
presses the Republican with the can
dor and open -mindedness of the man.
He says After stay of eight months
among these people, during which
time no opportunity has been lost to
study their qualities, | find myself still
unable to express DECIDED opinion
hDDub lne ludtitif Dut Ooh ulANoOA' ""
ly affirm that the more evidence col
lected the greater my respect for the
native and his capacity.
After an experience of twenty days
of continuous fighting. beginning on the
5th of Feb, Lieut.. Page bears testi-
mony to the courage with which the
Filipinos resisted the advance OF our
troops and to the good order which
marked their retreat "A frequent
exclamation, he says, along our lines
was. Haven't these little fellows got
qrit?' They had more than grit-They
had organization. OF the organization
of their civil government Lieut.. Page
supplies evidence for which we would
look in vain in any official dispatch
or report He writes: When we
reached the headquarters. at Santa
Ana, another surprise awaited us. for