New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-24
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
FLIP1Nos AND INDEPENDENCE.
EVIDENCE THAT THE LARGE MAJORITY ARE oP'
POSED TO THE PRESENT INsuRRECT1oN.

To the Editor OF The Tribune
Sir In to-days paper I find an editorial on IN
dependence" II Is a criticism on Professor NOT
tons Ashhed speech urging that the Fihplnos
should be given their independence You sIate
that this would be unjust because only minor
fly" Of the inhabitants are in revolt and because
the vast majority Of the inhabitants FAVOR our
efforts 10 put down the insurgents NOW III a
matter OF such Importance we cannot taAe 10
for granted. In "Harper's Weekly" tAugus' 40
page 500 Is a letter from John F. Bass he i inc
imperialist correspondent OF an imperialst paper
and has been on the ground for nearly year
He writes: The whole population Of the isanus
sympathzes with the insurgents; in every pa
OF the islands where ships have sone ,e sds
have found only hostile natives VINO gooTySernment
"the people OF the Philippines do not WIS" ;"
An Army officer. in The Army and Navy J Isye
nal" says. every town and village wh.r we
have passed the waters roll in behind ana Ions
as II we had never been there Ihesss go-o tirne
to time viii not assume that you denoera'eV
ignore II. but you certainly DO not i ans s true
your argument is shattered II you claim ma a. e
Is false on what counter evidence 40 ,iSor fairly
your claim? VIII you meet this quessi n A.
Painhed n J., August n, 1899
rMr Andre the Belgian Consul at Mania
competent and impartial authority
soon after the outbreak Of Aguinaldo's ihsui
ton that the natives rule did not oeS'e -
dependence The present rebellion he ~
represents only one-half Of ! per cent oi liz
inhabitants. and II would not be right 10 ool'ee
100000 people to submit to oO'Vn reoei'
Professor Dean c. Worcester. who was seIeClou
as a member Of the Philippine Commission Oe
cause Of his established reputation as one Vi
the foremost authorities on the subject anu q
man Of unchanenged accuracy and tru'nlui
ness wrote from Manila on June last HI Io'
lows: ct is a great mistake 70 suppose w a" ~
fighting the Fillpinos as a whole. Al least o.
per cent Of the population detests the war III"
+bs only serious trouble is in a few Tagaios
nrovtnces in Luzon . Even among the
Taealoss the common people want peace e
The var Is kept up by a few leaders, and only
with the greatest difficulty" on June l. ias'
the Manila CORRESPONDENT Of The New-1orA
Evening Post" a paper certainly not 70 De sus
pected Of irnperalstic bias. told how those II"
leaders kent up the war One prominent citzen
~ Manila who went 70 Aguinaldos camp 10
urge the making Of peace "summarily be-
headed by order Of Aguinaldo. These, cohIin
ued the correspondent, ARE the methods useu
by the insurgent leaders 70 stamp out al opPO-
sition to the instruction. man OF lhHue"O7
who asked for peace was beheaded. the coiriiioh
man or citizen who refused TO night Win inc
Insurgents had his throat cut. In this way the
,ns,,rrection was made strong" The Tribune
estimate OF the number Of Filpinos not in sym
pathy with Aguinaldo in the article 10 ~hlch
our correspondent takes exception was the
vast mAtority-four- ffths." That exactly ta1Iies
with Professor worcester's 80 per cent" and
falls far short OF the estimate made oy MT
Andre-Ed.l