The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-07-28
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dT6 uOlUluS XutLAlnlCy A~C5pOuSlDlc 1OL
what ever Of wrong has been lone and
what failure in wal operations may
have occurred in the Philippines.
McKinley's course in dealing with Sec
rotary Alger was false, vascillatrng,
paltry. Even so sympathetic a paper as
the Philadelphia Times is has not re-
Trained from speaking a plain word
to Mckinley"
THE war department does not be-
long to the president, nor does 1t be-
long to the secretary OF war, nor to
the Algers, the Eagans, the Carriers
and others who welded it's power to
the nations shame.
"The war department belongs to the
people. 1t is a great bulwark Of safety
or a fruitful fountain of sacrifice of
life and treasure in time of war, and
war is here.
1.-THE country has been ~dishonored
and President Mckinley belittled by the,
political shutting that has thus far him
dered the dismissal of Secretary Alger
from the war department"
At last Alger was dismissed, but that
does not relieve Mckinley of censure
and responsibility. He must shoulder
all the bad for he could easily have
prevented it. He could have found a
faithful, capable, strong man in the
north if he had elected to search for
one. Mckinley is fully as guilty and
as deserving of severe censure as AL
ger is. He kept him in his place all
through the disgracsful and disgust
ing period of failure aAd abuse and de-
hatchery and utter incompetency.
The scandal was great and ~inexcusa-
BILE. The war department was corrupt
and disgraceful to the American peo-
pie. The recent information given to
the country by the newspaper CORE
%spondents in the Philippines revealed
to the people what they had strongly
suspected, that the war news had been
so "doctored" as to be a repetition Of
lies, and that the real facts in the dis
tan islands were Systematically con-
cealed. If not all so suspected, there
were very many who did suspect. The
country has really a very gigantic
elephant on it's hands. 1t is said there
is a crisis in the Philippines, and there
is beyond doubt a crisis in the McKin-
ley gang.
Professor A. C. Wheeler, of Yale I'm
iversity, says that the fate of the Phil
ippines will be that the commercial
sharks will get them. Here are the
words Of his acute observer:
1--WE will forget a little while about
the Philippines, as we have forgotten
about the Alaskans. Who cares about
the Alaskans now? We will forget all
about the Cubans. We will absorb all
our energies and concentrate all our
attention upon ourselves. The COM
mercial sharks will get hold of the
PhiliL pines, as the seal sharks have
got hold of Alaska, and as the sugar
sharks have got hold of Hawaii already
ard the great multitude of people like
and l will care very little about it,
That is but one able mans view:
But others see that commercial schemes
are a the bottom of the war upon H.
OCO,O 900 Filipinos of average intelli-
gence and as we'll educated generally
as the white people in some of the
states of the American nation. 1t
used to be union"
1t is announced from Washington
that General Otis will have a free full
swing-that the department will not
interfere farther as to what he sends
or withholds-that all censorship will
belifted. Well, the country will see
how this will be. The news is that
Mckinley & Co., will in no event any
more interfere with General Otis. or
course Mckinley dare not censure Otis
for his lies sent out as war news,
when the little major was a party to
it all, and knew what was doing and
how false and misleading. The Balti-
more Sun says:
For months the censorship at Ma
Mia has been a matter of nOtOriety.
It's effect in depriving the people of the
United States of full or accurate infor-
mation as to events actually occurring
in the Philippines, and of the true sit
uation of affairs, has long been sus-
pected, and has been the subject OF
widespread comment and complaint.
The extent to which the news has &C.
tually and willfully been mutilated,
falsified or wholly suppressed, We may
now infer from the settlement Of rep
utable and responsible men, the cor
respondents of the leading journals OF
this country, who say: The censor
ship has compelled us to participate in
this misrepresentation by excising or
altering uncontroverted statements Of
facts, on the plea, as General Otis stat
ed, that they would alarm the people
at home or have the people of the
United States by the ears"
This is the state of affairs which the
administration, it appears, has formally
decided to ignore, and to allow to con-
tinue unchecked in the discretion of
General Otis as the American people
- 1..~ bo5 roocop 70 SIISOpct.