Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-08-24

the natives themselves. The American
government learns as it goes along. We
made mistake in the start in dealing
with the Filipinos. The mass of them
are no more civilized than the savages
of Africa. Their character is that of an
irresponsible child The Spaniards
looked on them az southern planters
looked on the negro slave before the
war. They were as fit to be treated
with politically as a southern slave be-
fore the war would have been.
When Dewey had orders to lombard
the Spanish forts here, he was short
handed of men, coal and provisions He
did the best he could under the circum-
stances and accepted all the help he
could get from the rebels. 1t was neces-
sary. He did the work he was set to do,
but turned Spanish prisoners over to
the rebels for safe keeping. He did it
because he could not keep them him
self There are various and conflicting
stories as to the way the Filipinos
treated their late masters. Some say
they did the best they could for them,
others that they paid off old grudges
by inhuman treatment
At length the American land forces
came. The services of the Filipino in
surrectionists, such as they We're, were
again accepted. Our general officers, no
more than the American people at
home, knew the Filipinos. Consequent
ly they chummed with them, treated
them as equals. The eyes Of the old
Spanish residents fairly turned inside
ont with horror when they saw an
American officer walking along the
street arm in arm with Filipino. 1t
was as if member of the New York
Four Hundred should introduce his
valet at his club, or it, again, southern
planter before the war should have
given banquet to his negro slave hos
tier and invited his own swell friends
to be present. Distinguished blueblood-
ed American army and navy officers,
distinguished American civil officials,
treated with Aguinaldo and his fellows
exactly as if they had been responsible
civilized white people.
The mistake was disastrous though
fortunately not fatal one
The result was that the childish Fill
Pine head was completely turned. The
natives began to think they We're some,
body, like white folk Having no more
idea of the real power of the United
States than of the complexion of the
man in tho moon, they sweled up like
the frog that tried to be an OK. Agui-
naldo himself is an ignorant native boy.
Behind him are men Of mixed Chinese
| blood, far shrewder and more capable
than he, For their own purpose-that
Of making good thing ont of this fuss
they egg him and his deluded natives
on to fight the Americans, They ex-
pected to be bought off handsomely.
Even treated with on such an impossi-
BILE basis, however the Filipino leaders
would not have been quiet Today there
is in a Hongkong bank the sum of
$500, 600 which the Spanish government
paid Aguinaldo to cease fighting before
the Americans came to the Philippines
Aguinaldo took the money, made his
promise and continued the insurrsction
precisely as before. He had no more
regard for his word than q guerrilla or
professional politician has. This ia
the gentleman and patriot whom our
American officers mistakenly took to
their arms when they came to Manila.
1t is certain that if in the beginning
we had treated the Filipinos like the
irresponsible children they are this in
surrection would not have started. As
it is, the only thing now is to give the
"niggers, as they are called here. a
thoroughly good beating till they are
well cowed, then treat them kindly.
but strictly as interiors, afterward till
they gradually learn civilization. The