The Portland daily press., 1899-03-14
THE PHILIPPINE WAR.
Rev. Il. Fay Mills Speaks of IL ms "a
Great Blunder.

In Boston, on Sunday, the Rev b. Fay
Mills, who is 30 well known in Portland,
spoke at the Hollis Street theatre on
The War against War. ~ In the course
of his remarks he said O. the Philippine
| war:
I'VE seem to be engaged In an unjusti
| fable war of indefinite duration, without
| formal declaration, against a people VINO
are not Our foes aud whom most of us
desire 0 hefriend. / have kept silent on
this m tt for two reas ons: First, / have
not believed 1t possible that our army
could be drawn into conflict with our
allies and friends, and, second, have
thought that the President possessed in
formation that could not wisely be given
| to the people. But now the war Is on.
even though it still seems incredible,
and we are assured by the President that
we have all the in formation that ne pos
| sesses. He refers the matter to Congress,
and Congress has adjourned without
action. The time has come for the people
to speak with no uncertain sound. / re-
gard this war against the tilipinos as the
greatest criminal blunuer of our country's
| history. We have made other mistakes,
but nothing so colossal as this. There Is
| no reasonable excuse for 10. Practical
| justice and sympathy would have made
| 1t impossible; half the consideration we
| nave SHOWN SuDh WOulu lhNc HDsbpOntQ
violence Indefinitely: even kindly official
messages might have prevented our
| shame.
lit is barely possible we may be mis-
| informed in some particulars, but we
nave to judge us best we can, and surely
the main particulars are too sadly true,
and from all we know today while | DO
not depreciate the nobility of our officers
and soldiers performing tneir unwelcome
task, l would rather take my chances of
! immortal honor with the Inassacred
patriots of the army of Aguinaldo than
with our brothers who are siaying them
under what used TO he the starry symbol
OF freedom from oppression and the indie
pendepce of q nation from unwelcome
government of tyrsnts of another land. l
realize the EN- baTrassmeDts CT our Coz
eminent, and do not.wish to embarrass
IL still further, but rather 10 strengthen
1t, but l say to President Mckinley that
he cannot honorably shrink from active
responsibility longer, that his Admins
tration will DC glorious or infamous as
| he settles this Philippine question i'll ao-
cordance with barbaric principles or the
spirit OF human brotherhood Must We
go, shame faced and red-handed to the
conference at the Hague, traitors to our
selves and humanity No thousand
| times no. 1t is not yet too late to be kind
and just. Let us pay our Philippine
allies as We pay the Cuban soldiers. Let
| us welcome their chiefs as brother coun-
cilors with respect and honor. Let us
| confess our grief, our error and shame.
| IL selfish men seek only financial influence
in Washington If our brave army glorify
itself and over magnify its office, il IA
small portion of the nation has retrograd-
cd to the brute II the President trem bles
| where he should DO firm, and is 1rm
| where he should tremble, then let the
| people OF America speak in unmistakable
thunder, and way will be found 10 end
our present shame with the glory of
| human kindness, and we may bear our
laure1s to the great parliament which may
exert such ilimitable influence for good
toward the reign OF eternal peace.