The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1899-11-09
THURSDAY, NOV. 9, 1899.
The Philippine Matter Made Plain.

InG E0lllpp1uG A1o"UO"@ ~
The report .of3.the Philippine Com
mission makes the country's relations
m the rebellion so plain that nobody
hereafter will have any excuse Tor
making any mistake on this suoJect'
In the first place the point is brought
ont clearly that Admiral Dewey made
no promises of recognition to Agu1n-
aldo. ''No alliance of any kind" says
+he commission, E'was entered into
with Aguina1do, nor was any promise
of independence made to him then or
at any time" This was the situation
inst after the destruction of the Span
ish fleet by Dewey in Manila Bay at
the time of Aguina1do's first appear
ance on the scene. There was no re-
be11ion in the islands at the time the
war between Spain and the United
States began. A rising occurred a
short time before, but it had been put
down by Spain. Aguina1do was not
in the islands at the time, but was IN
India. He did not arrive in Luzon I'M
til after Dewey's fleet subverted Span
;sh authority in the neighborhood OF
Manila, and virtually effaced it all
over the islands.
This is a fact of decisive Importance
in connection with the rebellion which
Aguina1dO raised afterward against
the Americans. The commission
points out that Aguina1do forced war
upon the United States instead of the
United States upon Aguinaldo. 1t
shows that at no moment after the de-
struction Of the Spanish fleet was 1t
possible for the United States to with
draw it's forces with honor to the cOun-
try or with safety to the islanders.
Only six provinces of Luzon are IN re-
be1lion, the rest of that island and all
the other islands being favorable to
American authority. The only thing
which saves the islands from anarchy
is the presence of the American forces.
On two other points of prime import
ance the commission is equally clear
and emphatic. The Fi1ipinOs are not
capable of se1f-government. Aguin-
aldo does not want to give them self
government. He knows they are not
fitted for it, and he would not give it
to them if they were, his desire being
to maintain his own despotic power.
Of course the country will accept the
Judgment of the commission with the
most implicit faith. It's acceptance
will be all the more prompt and EN-
phatiC on account of the fact that it is
in entire agreement with the judg-
unent and the testimony of every body
Dewey, Merritt, Greene, and all the
others who have had an acquaintance
with the Fi1ipinos on their own
ground-who has said anything on
the subject. There was no rebellion
in the Philippines at the time that
the war between the United States
and Spain began, that in which Aguin-
aldo figured having been suppressed
long before the destruction of the
Maine, and AguinaldO was out of the
islands. Nobody in authority on the
American side-neither Dewey, Mer-
rift nor anybody e1se-ever made any
promise to Aguina1do that the indie
pendence of the islands or of :any one
of them would be granted if IAguin-
aldo should take up arms against
the Spaniards. The Spaniards would
have been beaten in the islands if
Aguiua1do had remained in India
These are facts of the highest conse-
quence. There was no breach of faith
on the part of the United States in its
treatment of Aguina1do, but there
was fagrat treachery on his part in
rising in rebellion against the United
States. The report of the Philippine
commission will deal a staggering
blow to the "anti-imperia1ists. st.
Louis Globe Democrat.
ADMIRAL DEWEY may be StrdtepiSt