Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-11-23

was made to enforce law and order.
The public schools were abandoned.
Forced contributions had been wrung
from the people at the bayonet point,
until many of them were ruined. I'M
willing contributors had been punish
ed by having their hands hacked off
and even being buried alive. The indi-
vidual houses in such important towns
as Taal were intrenched in order that
the inhabitants might defend them
selves against their neighbors. The
military governor of the province, al
though Tagalog and an insurgent,
had characterized the condition exist
ing as complete anarchy, and had re-
peatedly sent in secret to Manila ask
ing for aid to restore order, and prom
Using to surrender his troops if we
would only dispatch a small force to
his aid.
Many Friendly Filipinos.
The speaker denounced as false state
menss that the Americans had no
friends among the Filipinos, and de-
clared we had many good, true friends
among the leading Filipinos. He con-
tinued:
Il hearsi it said, that if only a small
fraction of the Filipino population is
in arms against us, and if the great
majority of the people are ready to ac-
cept. American sovereignty, why is it
that we are compelled to send great
army to the islands?" answer first
because we are wasing the most hum
ane war in history. If it was simply
matter of killing we should not need
so large an army. Two regiments OF
troops could go where they chose in
the island of Luzon today and kill to
their hearts content, without serious
risk. It is because we are attempting
to protect the peaceable inhabitants
from the depredations of the lawless
that we require so large a force.
Finally a word as to the way out.
Is it conceivable that we should with
draw our troops, abandoning our
friends to the certain vengeance of our
enemies and the people at large to civ
IL war and utter anarchy? There can
be but one answer to this question.
Our troops must stay until armed resis-
tence has ceased and public confidence
has been fully restored. The day will
come sooner or later when native sol
diers, under American officers, or un-
der officers of their own, will do q
large share of the work that remains
! to besdone.
in the. matter of autonomy we have
already made safe beginning, and the
experiments in municipal and provin.
cial governments which are even now
in progress will eventually furnish a
safe basis for congressional action.
| "In closing, let me say that there
does not live an 'anti-imperialist' who
has more sincere regard for the people
of the Philippine islands or a keener in
terest in their resent or future well
fare than myself. have great faith
in them. believe that under our guild
ance they will make rapid progress in
civilization and will soon be able tc
take an important share in the burden
of their country; but I know that il
the full weight of that burden were
thrown on them today they would in.
evitably sink under it.
Encouraging the Rebels.
"Those who affect to believe that we
ARE creating bloody disorder by our
presence in the Philippine Islands;
that the natives would continue to hate
us even if we gave them good govern.
ment; that they would be better oil
under very bad government, entirely
their own, than under very good one,
administered in part by others; and
that the only logical and honorable
n 10 10 In, xr,;{ 1,<l,,
forces and leave the peaceable and law
abiding natives Of the Philippine Is
lands at the mercy of Aguinaldo and
his army, may be sincere in their con
yictions; but, by freely giving voice to
them. they are encouraging the ambi.
tious Tagalog leader to prolong a hope
less war. The prolongation OF this
struggle is costing US millions of dol
lars, and, what is far worse, good, red,
American blood. Let history fix the
responsibility for it.
'Those of us who believe that the
! flag should stay in the east, and that
under its shadow we should patiently
teach to our new wards the lessons
they must learn ere they can take
their place in the great family of ma
tons as free and united people should
stand shoulder to shoulder. There is
work for us to do. Let those scott who
will. The future of 100000 of hui
man beings and the honor of great
nation are in our keeping, and the eyes
of the world are on us. Let us moi
prove unfaithful to our trust"
ACTIVITY OF BOERs.