New-York tribune., 1899-07-20
PLATT DEFENDS M'KINLEY.
A CHARACTERISTIC STATEMENT FROM
THE SENATOR.
HE cHEERFULLY EMBRACES THE PRIV
LEGE OF APPLAUDING THE ADMINS
rRATIoN AND ITS WORK IN
TILL, DILL IppINES


Senator T. c. Piatt gave out the following state
nent last night:
.I rurnose herein TO answer certain criticisms
which are being directed the conduct OF the
war IN the Philippines. do not refer TO the cru.
cisns of those who in the name OF hoer'y anu
philanthropy are advocating policy OF Nat'ohai
cowardice and dishonor. Their ugly motives oo.
trude from everything hey say. To make an
end Of the rebellion, to bring about condtion Oh
order and peace in the Philippines. is not their oo
1ect On the contrary nothing Is clearer tina"
the fact that they want their countrys arms 10 DC
defeated Every little difficulty. every sheht ois-
aster is to them a source Of immoderate satstac-
finn and the character Of the work they are DO
ing appears In Aguinaldos latest proclamation,
where he tells the Filipnos that some states Oh
the American Union have already risen IN our
favor To argue with these people would De hhe
coddling a copperhead
But theye other critics who. entirely con-
vnced of our duty and responsibility in the Philip
pines are apprehensive lest the Government mas
not appreciated the size OF its undertaking. They
forget the history Of the matter They forget 'he
limitations OF authority from Congress and OF gooo
faith TO Spain by which the Government has been
embarrassed. They are inquiring why Generai
Otis has not had a larger army at his oack', 1hey
want to know why there was not sufhcient iorce
present in the Island of Luzon to crush the re-
bellion upon its first appearance. And, stirred py
sensational newspaper stories and by the recent
are asking whether the situation is even as good
as has been reported whether the Government
has not allowed itself TO be misled. ana whetner
the military forces now being enlisted VIII surely
he great enough for the task on hand Ihese are
the Inquiries to which purpose TO submit an
answer.
NOT CONFINED TO OTIS.
ut should be borne in mind in the first place
that the Governments means of information con-
cerning what has occurred in the Philippines Is
not confined to General Otis The Navy Depart
rnent has its agents there. The President Is d.
rectly represented by Mr.. DENLY who was for four
teen wears our Minister China, and by Professor
Worcester who resided in the Philippines for four
or Ave years who speaks the Tagalog languages
and who knows the native character and habits
The Philippine campaign is receiving the Presi-
dents constant personal attention He is in direct
cable communication with Manila. and receives
daily reports from all sources The possibility OF
his being misled about the facts in the case Is
scarcely worth considering. The precise fact as
he obtains It, not only from General Otis, but
from each of a dozen or more of his official In
formants is that for a distance OF fifty miles
north Of Manila and of twenty miles south OF
Manila, and eastward into Laguna Province our
armies hold the territory; that the insurgents are
scattered beyond our lines in bands of from fifty
10 five hundred their only considerable force con-
sistine Of about four thousand men, who are en-
camped In Northern Pampanga. The southern
army of the insurgents. possibly two thousand
strong is badly demoralized by recent defeats.
The Presidents advisers report to him that In