The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1899-04-29
War in the Philippines.

The war in the Philippines goes on daily,
with fights more or less serious. Daily the
slaughter in the Philippines is reported, and
the average daily loss of the United States
soldiers in killed and wounded is about TWEEN
ty-fve, besides the victims ofdisease. In one
engagement, about week ago, six United
States soldiers were killed and ninety five
wounded.
The President, it is said, is much worried
over the situation in the Philippines. Well
he may be, for he has put the United States
in the position of undertaking to subdue a
people who are struggling for independence,
and in doing so he is offering up daily the
lives of brave and chivalric young men OF this
country, as well as adding to the debt and
taxation of the people.
The slaughter of our own men is needless.
The slaughter of the unof'ending Fihpinos Is
a disgrace to our CIVILIZATION and a negation OF
our principle that all just governments derive
their power from the consent of the governed.
Our interference in the affairs of the Eastern
hemisphere is a notification of the Monroe
Doctrine and in opposition to the advice OF
Washington and other patriots in the eall y
history of this government
The United States may exterminate the
Filipinos, but it is not likely we shall be able
to subdue them and make them submit to our
authority. They struggled for centuries
against the Spanish yoke, and when SPAN was
rich and powerful, and with the further ad-
vantage of being closer TO the scene of the
struggle, and they will not quietly submit to
our domination just as they never submitted
to Spain's.
According to private letters from our sol.
diers our treatment of the Filipinos Is
eqnal to the worst crimes charged against
Spanish in Cuba. We protested against
Spanish cruelty and atrocity there, and went
to war to put an end to it. According to
Capt Coughlin, of the Raleigh. every Euro
pean government, except England, IS I'M
friendly to the United States, and should one
or more of them protest against our war upon
the Filipinos. we could not complaint; il IS only
what we did with Spain.
After the destruction of the Spanish feet
at Manila our ships should have sailed away
Instead, we stayed, sent over an army and
took the city of Manila from the Spanish.
After driving out the Spanish We set to work
to subdue the natives clear case, as Presi-
dent Mckinley put it, of criminal "ggres-
sion."
We do not need the Philippines. In fact
our best interests are against their posses
SION After the taking of Manila We should
have turned the islands over 10 the natives,
reserving eoaling station ifone were needed.
We should then have secured the lasting
friendship of the FHpinos and their trade.
whereas we have now incurred their lasting
hatred and brought upon ourselves an unne
cessary war, costly in blood and treasure, as
well as placing ourselves IN a position that We
will be constantly exposed to foreign contro-
versy and war, position for which we paid
Spain twenty millions Of dollars.
The war with Spain was buuder. and the
Mckinley Administration has been blunder-
ing in every move since. Let the war ceass,
the sacrifice Of life be discontinued, and our
army and navy be Withdrawn. Every conserv-
alive, patriotic and liberty loving citizen
knows our course is wrong. Even Mckinley
is reported to be much worried over the war,
and the fighting is continued only TO serve q
false pride, pride that says although we are
wrong, having begun the subsection OF the
FilipinoS We cannot cease until it u accom-
plished, in order to preserve the prestige Of
our arms.