The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-07-21
SEATTLE, FRIDAY, sCLY ~.


n J&ELE6N 0TTERAAGE.
Senator PiAtt's statement with refer
snss to the Philippines neither affords
sny Information not already In the
hands OF the general public nor offers
any explanation satisfactory to the
critical or unfrssndiy mind a. 10 the
conditions and the outlook. What has
already happened In the islands Is
well enough known. The public
ID now facing the uncomfortable prob
ability 81 tbs same things continuing to
happen. II Is against this that protest
has been raised. and 1t ID as to the cor
reetion or avoidance of this that the
New York senator presents nothing new
and nothing that 10 desired.
The people Of America, who unanes-
flonabiy are favorable 10 the admins
tration and anxious that every effort
made By II should have the united sup
port OF both party and non-party voters
and that II should have the success that
follows such support. have been asking
the president and his advisers To act
with greater prompsi.ade. to outline
their policies with greater precision and
TO remove more efficiently the palrahIe
grounds Of complaint found by the CEN
sors.
Warfare has now been In progress in
the Philippines for aimsst q year. Tho
president has received reports from the
islands upon almost every concel.ahls
phase Of the hostilities and Of the gen.
erai interests. He has had the oppor-
tnnity Of conversing with retiring Off
GERS AMI returning civilians. many az
them perfectly competent To give judg-
ment and counsel. But 50 far as the
public has been made aware, he Il no
nearer a solution as to what to do with
the islands and shosr inhabitants than
he was iweivs months ago.
Within the pa-5t three or four weeks
local governments have been provided
In some of the districts conquered by
the American troops. but in the Snlu
archipelago the sultan has been negotl-
ated with upon basis OF Independence
apparently In fsss contradiction In that
allowed In the towns OF Luzon In the
Negroes group local government bill
prepared by Col Smith was rejected be-
cause IL was thought best to await the
determination OF the hostilitses led BY
Aguinalde
Similar uncertainty Of purpose was
manifested prior To the outbreak Of Feb
ruary last. II has been evident ever
since In almost all aspects az the Ameri-
can operations In the islands. The cam
raixn has moved b. jerks. one strong
rertans commands. and the soldiers GO
ms hack 10 their camps or their hospi-
tails 60 live under the harasssng and de-
ratriostrinx influence Of desuisory ffe-
sng and shaspshooting attacks
The volunteers have heea ordered
home aud then ordered not "a come
Of pert aud then prohibited from
taktuH u. Retnfereem~uts have
heen decided apoe enc day. tn be
d~cis~A axaswss the next dag. And
now that the new regiments are
hcsax organized and prepared for
early departure, the question of re-
sao~iax the general Ina command IL
hetnx handled hack sna forth be-
tween the executive sfaee. snd the
newspapers. natii the Earepean
press saa governments tein the I'll
tpsncs Tn shisItsG that che rsft~a
asatea has q task an Its haaa. which
IL does not knew how se approach.
aaa n property worth s.a.oao. aao in
ssssss which 10 doe. not know what
Co 10 with
For In. good - IRE administration,
ans. for The solidarity - the party which
Il represents, IL would be better - osns,
statements sY senator pisss and give
policies nv the president.