Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-08-07
wArrERsoN TO THE RESCUE.

Mr.. Mckinley with his un-American
and unconstitutional war of conquest
in the Philippines is unquestionably
sadly in need of defender other than
the regular administration organs
whose perfunctory so-called arguments
carry no weight with the people. He
should be grateful, therefore, to Col.
Henry WatterSon, of the Louisville
Courier-Journal, long reputed one of
the ablest editors in tine country, for
Editor Watterson, who is saturated
with the imperial idea, has taken up
the cudgels in behalf of Mr. Mckinley
war for the benefit of "big syndicates
and capitalists as Gen. Funstan puts
it, just as the same able Kentucky
editor took up that other battle in be-
half of Wall street-for the gold stand
ard of money.
The Register is indebted to the es-
teemed Intelligencer for calling its at
tention to the lengthy editorial article
it had overlooked in the Louisville
Courier-J Journal in which Editor Wat
terson takes issue with the Register as
to the right and wrong of the admins
tration's position in the Philippines.
The basis of Col Wattersons plea in
justification of the administration
Philippines war is that the war was
forced on the Americans by the overt
act of the Filipinos and that our troops
in Manila could have done nothing but
defend themselves and hence drift into
the present war of conquest Here is
the kernel of Mr.. Watterson's argu-
ment:
The Register calls this. "a bloody, costly.
and un-Amerlcan war OF conquest That
But, to so describe II, is TO fly in the face
of all the facts of the case
Before the treaty of peace with Spain
was concluded, and whilst the Americans
In Manila slept upon their arms awaiting
the final result, treacherous midnight
leaders who had been rescued from Span
ish dominion, and this failing, an actual
descent and attack was made all along the
American line. What We're the Americans
to do? Were they to lie down and allow
their threats to be cut, or stand up and
shoot back? Were they to run out white
flag and ask terms of Aguinaldo? They
did no more than brave men should have
done; they held their ground and met bull
lets with bullets; they rallied about the
haS of their country and hoisted ii high
above them that all the world might
see the stuff Americans are made of.
How can our esteemed contemporary call
r. this "a war Of conquest? In doing so,
does he not ally himself with the enemies
of his country, giving aid and comfort to
rebels with arms in their hands who are
vi nm h.a 40 Of he mi
and shooting down our soldiers in the
field? What provocation had Aguinaldo
TO precipitate state of war?
This is Col Wattrson's version of
how the war started. Even if it were
the true version it would be no more
than pleading the baby act in behalf of
the administration and the doughty
kentuckian should be the last person
to do that. But this is not the true
version of the acts-t that brought about
hostilities between the Filipinos and our
troops, according to the official record
and to unofficial witnesses, in
Guiding Mr.. Sylvester. a prominent
merchant and military contractor, who
was on the ground and who is an
American citizen. He says:
las to the act that brought on hostiities
the attempt of two Filipinos to cross the
American lines, being fired upon and with
some companions firing upon the Ameri-