The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1899-02-17
A soANDALous spEorAoLr.

Chicago Inter Ocean: The piratical
attack on the American troops at
Manila is an outrage without reason
or excuse; the intrigue behind the at
tack is worse. The conspirators and
adventurers who have spurred on
Aguinaldo at Manila and the lawyers
who have coached Agoncillo at Wash
ington are playing with the American
people as they would with some little
republic in Central America. They
have no conception of the issue in
yOlved, no regard. for consequences.
tion ON the western continent, just
emerging from victorious war, is beset
by gang of plotters, hoping to en-
barrass the government to their own
profit.
These low schemers are conspiring
20 perpetuate turbulence in the Philip
pines because the war is more profit
able to them than peace. They thrive
on disorder and lawlessnes as did the
slave traders of Central Africa on the
barbarism and savagery of the Nah
dis hosts i'm the Soudan. They are
striving against American control be-
cause they know that our flag will
carry with it peace and prosperity.
The pirates and smugglers of the
Chinese coast do not want the strong
hand of the United States government
striking at them from the Philippines.
The half-breed Observation-Disclosures OF
Manila will lose their calling if a
stable government is established in
Luzon. The Sulu buccaneers will be
i'm danger with American war vessels
in Philippine waters. The Hong
Kong dealers i'm firearms will lose
half their disreputable trade when
peace is established in the Philippines
and when American gunboats patrol
the coast.
The riflraff of Manila, Spanish adj
yenturers, Malay freebooters, desper-
ADDE'S from all lands who have left
"their country for their country's
good'-all who have preyed upon the
Filipinos, contemplate the orderliness
of American rule with dismay. Span
jards who have hoped to regain what
their country lost In war; other Euro
peans who hope for interference from
their own governments in case of pro-
longed disorder; all are interested in
preventing the peaceable tranfer Of
the islands to the United States. The
evil purpose of secret agents plotting
against the United States was served
by delay in the ratification of the
treaty of peace, and the civilized world
was treated to the scandalous specta
Gle of conspirators abroad and score
of United States senators standing
side by side to urge Aguinaldo on tC
futile violence, simply to defeat the
treaty of peace.
Dewey and his men, Otis and his
soldiers, our army and navy, the pres
ident and the government, all are
made the playthings Of sordid specu
lators and schemng outcasts. Had
the treaty been ratified the day it was
presented to the senate, every one
knows that there would have been M
trouble in the Philippines. There
would have been no smuggling OF
Maxim guns to Aguinaldo, no hiring
of Chinese and European gunners t
intimidate the United States, no farci
cal outburst of war on the eve of the
senate's vote on the treaty.
But he that fires on the American
flag or that kills or mains an Ameri
can soldier, strikes at the heart of the
American people. ID required the
shots at Sumter to rouse the north in
1861; the destruction of the Maine
stirred the people to war in 1898; the
outlaw attack ON the Americans in
Manila fastened the ratification of the
treaty of peace. If the people rise in
their wrath, as they did ten months
ago, even the vainest of the political
hucksters in the senate may shrink
from further ofiense. Then will the
scandalous spectacle on which Spain
is now looking with jeers and the
world with wonder come speedily tC
an end.