The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-19

given a chance for their lives, must
have been an inspiring spectacle COM
pared with this massacre of prisoners,
whose only crime was love of country
and hatred Of OPPRESSION.
Lies or Satire.
Such was the salute of "noble SPAIN"
who, as we are told by Aguinaldo,
warmed the Philippines with the
breath of her own culture and civiliza-
ton" The Filipino leader can plead
no Ignorance of this. He knows thor
has acted. When he speaks of the
depth of spain's affection and love for
her ungrateful colony, he is either
openly lying for some deep purpose, not
apparent to the writer, or indulging
in what he intends for transparent
satire.
Why is it that Spain has had SO
many instructions to deal with? No
other country has had SO much trou-
BILE with its colonies. The explanation
is that the natives Of the Philippines
have been Systematically oppressed,
taxed. robbed, ill-treated in a hundred
ways, while most of the money raised
by taxatio has found its way into
the pockets of officials, and very little
of it has been expended for the benefit
of the islands.
DeSnutly TO be :" lsheu.
If Aguinaldo did not mean a piece
of mysterious pleasantly in his late re-
marks, heaven knows What he did
mean. To compare the United States
with Spain, to the detriment of the
former is SO preposterous as to be
laughable, and / am sorry to see a
man as able, intelligent and patriotic
as the Filipino leader descending to
such false and preposterous methods
as this to prejudice his people against
the United States. Oh, that he could
grasp and understand the power of
true American principles!
In view of the ignorance of Ameri-
can institutions existing among the
Filpinos, and the misconceptions into
which they have been led, the people
of this country cannot expect to be re-
ceived with open arms. Kindly as
may be the sentiment felt toward them
by the government and people of the
United States, they have no present
means of learning this sentiment. 1t
will take time, patience and fair deal
ing to bring them to just conception
of the purpose of their new masters.
At present all they perceive is that
attempt Is being made to subdue them
by force of arms. What has been
done so far, except as regards the
treatment of prisoners, does not differ
essentially from the wars of the Span
lard, and they are naturally .apprehen-
sive that, if they should submit, they
will find themselves tyrannzed over
in the well-remembered fashion. They
naturally feel like resisting to the Bit
ter end and possess fair share of
the belief, SO common among untried
peoples, that they are fully capable of
governing themselves.
AS matters now stand, only dis
play of superior force and able gener-
alship can bring them into submission.
This once achieved, they can be kept
in friendly attitude, and converted
from sullen hostiles into willing sub
jects, only by the experience of kind
ness. honesty and fairness in all deal
ings with them. If this course be
pursued the United States will find
the government of the Philippines an
easy and pleasant task. But If meth
DDS in any sense oppressive should be
adopted only sullen submission or
open hostility need be looked for, and
the last state of this affair will be
| worse than the first.-Ramon Reyes
Lala in the Independent.