Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1899-06-01
SEDITIOUS AGITATION.
Effects of the TrensGnabIe Efforts of
the American Agui-
nuIIoists.

The deplorable results of the sedi-
tious agitation in this country on the
subject of the Philippines could never
have been set forth so conyincingly as
they are now in the interview with John
Barrett, ex-minister to Siam. People
who have ridiculed the idea that the
utterances of such men as Edward At
kinson were essentially of reasonable
nature would do well to ponder what the
eX-minister says and to realize if they
can how advisable it is to measure the
consequences of rhetorical inebriety be-
fore an indulgence therein.
Mr.. Barrett, who comes from close
study OF the situation, is positive that
the natives would never have made war
nad il not been for the encouragement
they received in the senate debates, and
that they would not have protracted
hostilities as they have except for the
inspiration they received from Bryan,
Atkinson and all that class. He says
that the Boston mar pamphlets were
"meat" for the Fjlipinos. Mischief
making Spaniards at Manila seized upon
such literature, had it translated and
saw to its distribution in the quarters
where it would do the most harm. Not
only We're the insurgents persuaded that
they had powerful allies in this country,
but sC-le of the documents sought to
make it appear that Americans outside
the select circle of the natives friends
were tyrannous and cruel. Spite of
the remnant that would save. they
were harsh to subject and inferior
races, and the Filipinos might read
their own future in the story of the
negro and the Indian.
In the freedom of our own debates
it is of course permissible for us to
criticise our own policies even in eX-
aggeratcd terms. But for a faction to
20 with these criticisms to an enemy
in time of war is infamous. The effect
which Mr.. Barrett witnessed was in
.vitable. \ wiser people than the Fill
pinos might have taken comfort from
the wretched pamphlets, might have
looked for aid to those who were at
tempting to create diversion against
the government in the United States.
How any American can think of the
matter without experiencing a feeling
of disgust and repulsion it Us difficult
TO conceive.
But for others than the anti-eXpan-
sionists it will be pleasing to learn
that the success of sedtion with the
FiipiDos was abundantly offset by its
failure with the American troops. Our
soldiers were not only true to their
duty and the law of military discipline.
as they might have been if they had
had no relish for the war, but they
responded intuitively to the true SEN
timent of the people on this side of
the water and jeered the specious adj
dresses that were sent out to convert
them into mutineers. Their reply in
action was to fight all the harder. The
volunteers whom Mr.. Barrett consult
ed scorned the idea of returning home
if such a course would embarrass the
campaign, and all expressed a perfect
willingness to await the arrival of
more regulars. Their spirit is revealed
in the following:
when the fighting was begun on Febru-
ary 500 men who were on sick leave ap-
piled for permission to return to their reg
iments and got it. OF the Minnesota regi-
mcnt, to which Gov. Lind's statements at
tracted attention, can only say that while
the regiment was doing patrol duty in Ma
Mia scores of men took the first opportu-
nifty to skip out and go to the front and
fight When men viii risk court-martial
to fight it does not look as if they wanted
to come home in a hurry"
A review of the whole case should
make the agitators long, like Dickens
haunted man, for loss of memory
Chicago Times-Hcrald.