The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-03-22
WHO Is RESPONSIBLE 2

All accounts regarding the recent
battles in and near Manila state LAT
there was large slaughter Of the Fill
pino wom-n and children. The shells
from the warships and the field artil-
lery destroyed the frail native huts,
and in many cases killed the occu-
pants. The women who refused to re-
spect President McKinley's authority
were blown 10 pieces by reason of
moral necessity" it is claimed.
But who is responsible for the lives
of some hundreds of Filipino children
and baoes who were blown to pieces
with shot and shell by our forces? If
you ask the men who manned the guns
on land and sea, who is responsible?
they reply: Our captain gave the
order to fire" If the captain is asked
who is responsible, he says, Gen Otis
and Admiral Dewey ordered me to
fire" If Gen. Otis and Admiral Dewey
are asked who is responsible, they re-
ply: president Mckinley gave us the
order to fire. If President Mckinley
is asked who is responsible, he replies,
1.-THE people of the United States gave
me the order to fire.
Then, If you point out to the people
a row of several hundred sucking
babes dead and torn to pieces by shells
paid for by Christian taxpayers in
America, and you ask the people, who
is responsible for this slaughter of the
innOcents, they reply. I'VE don t
know, we didn't order the killing"
Then, if you find stalwart Expan-
sionist and ask him who is really re-
sponsible for the slaughter, he tells
you that Aguinaido is responsible
And ii you ask him, if Aguinaldo or
dered the babes to take up arms, he
replies that the mamas of the babes
were hostile to the Americans, and the
babes had to take their chances" Or
in other words the babes were in an
unfortunate affair, and really the Gre
atOr is responsible for the shocking
butchery, because He had not given
them brains enough to get out of the
scrape.
1t is conceded of course, that the
infants have committed no crime, and
that somebody is responsible for the
BILE? Do the Scriptures throw any
light on the subject? What do the
wise men-the instructors in ethics
say?
If a pnrRnar'S innnaSt held over
the remains of these women and chill
dren, the verdict would be: Game to
their death by the act of parties un-
known" This is the usual verdict in
our communities when several hundred
respectable citizens take man out OF
Jail, and lynch him. In this way the
responsibility is distributed, and no
one is punished for the crime. If any
one is caught and tried for the offense
the jury return verdict of justifiable
homicide without giving reasons for it
When the Indians, in the early days
in defense of their rights, dashed ou
the brains OF the infant children o.
the colonists, they were called pitiles
brutes. When American citizens pait
and fed by American Christians blow
out the brains of Filipino infants, il
the protection of American rights
even the American mothers, sitting b.
the cradles of their own babes, thinl
only of the Flag and the courage o
the brave boys.
The oder communities severely cri
ticise the coroner's verdicts that hol
no one responsible, in the newly sci
tied communities, in the case of
lynching pee There is practical wis
dom in such verdicts. The question {
responsibility is complicated.
In the case of the slaughter of tn
Filipino infants a similar verdict woul
be, KILLED for the honor of the Flag
Believing, as we do, in the duty {
the United States to police" the Phi
ippines for awhile, there arise man
and perplexing questions for the mora
list to discuss and settle. Is this slaugi
ter an instance of doing evil that goo
may come? We may see our way
killing off the Filipino army which
trying to massacre the Spaniards an
our own troops. But the incident
question of the slaughter of the chi
dren is very EN- barrassing.
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