Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-07-29
THE I<ICiN on OTIS

Tho average American citizen is natu-
raj .1,icker." The disposition to kick
e. horn in him. Moreover he regards IL
as his constitutional right to give that
disposition play. No amount u military
training or discipline can eradicate his
Kicking" propensity or induce hun TO
relinoalish the prerogative in question
While under the authority OF shoulder
s,rapisrn he may assume the virtues OF
docility and remuneration in respect to this
matter. hut once foot loose nc proceeds
10 do the '1dcking' act with all the Vim
that IS in him. As rule, the per
formauca Of an individual Kicker just
released from arbitrary restraint is not
worthy of much attention. He may have
a grievance against the object OF ms
..kick." and therefore the latter should
be given the benefit Of doubt. but
-yben q 10, Of Americans kick In unison
along the same lines it is a demonstra-
lion worthy Of serious public attention.
A case IN point is the "kick' on OTIS,
I'm the shape of criticisms 10y SICK ana DIS
abled soldiers. who have just landed al
San Francisco from the ship Morgan
CITY. en- route home from the Philippines
San Francisco correspondent of the
philadelphia North American had inter
views with a number Of these. and we
give in part what several of them said.
A private In a Kansas regiment declared
that "the worst reports that have
reached the United States regarding Cen
eral Otis's conduct are tame compared 20
the truth. and that we could have had
the Filipinos thoroughly whipped long ago
had there been a competent officer i'm
command of the Americans" \ corporal
who is represented as having splendid
military record. asserted that Otis Is tho
most incompetent man" lac ever served
under. and sis entirely unfit for the posi-
ton ne holds" \ South Dakota soldier
said che campaign has been nothing but
n series of blunders and mistakes.
'grwioe or three times we had the niggers
cornered" he added, land especially at
Calumpit. when II they had only let us
80 I'm. we could have scooped the whole
outfit" Another soldier from the same
State affirmed that otis Is systematically
coucealing the actual condition from the
authorities at Washington. lie knows he
Is a failure. and ne is afraid tho people
in this country will find it out" A Cali
fornia private. after expressing the opin-
ion that we needed a fighting general in
the Philippines. continued: III You can
find man who came by the Morgan City
who will say word IN commendation of
General OTIS YOU will more than surprise
me" 4 Ncbraskan declared that 1.-The
Americans got the Filipinos in q corner
and lee them 60" and other statements
were thar 'Iho war would have been end
ed long ago If there had not been tool
al the head OF tho army; that ''it is
wonder there has not been a mutiny
among tho troops long ago; that lit is
q good thing for otis that he never went
out on the firing line for ne would so
back feet first if any OF the boys ever
got a chance az him; that "we had the
enemy completely surrounded AT Para
naoue. and then the troops were with
drawn; that there Is something rotten
in Denmark. and everybody in the Phil
sppines, men and officers say IL Is OTIS;
that ION number Of occasions We had
the F1lipinos pcnned in. and then orders
came 60 stop firing; that 'it IS the ox-
preston of both officers and men that
otis Is not III 20 command an army" and
that 1T is pretty hard 20 climb over
trenches with rain Of bullets driving
down on you chase lot of Filipinos tin
you get them into a corner, and then get
orders 20 let up"
Even II the charges Of incompetcncy
made In these interviews were not sup
ported IN other quarters-even were they
open 10 discredit-as an indication OF the
spirit that prevails among our troops IN
the Philippines. they call for the removal
OF Otis; for, obviously. no army can be
expected TO accomplish the bes, results II
IL capable Of accomplishing when sucn
iack 81 confidence in and respect for its
f,cncral exists.