Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-09-27
A FLIMSY CAMPAIGN SCHEME.

II Showed the Made-to-order Character OF
the Commissions Hopeful fermentation
of the Season-To Continue War Means
Heavy Cost and Many Lives.
Baltimore Sun Special.
Washington, Sept. 20.-Quite wide
comment has been caused today by the
report of the Philippine Commission
which the Sun 80 aptly characterizes az
campaigning by CABLE" The pur-
poses of this extraordinary document
are SO palpable and its extravaganza
statements 80 evidently concocted for
effect that 1t cannot fail to produce
results exactly contrary to what have
been hoped for.
The charge was freely made it had
been doctored up here, but it is not
likely there'is any ground for this sus-
picion. The members of the COMMITS
sion knew what was expected of them
and have responded 10 the fullest OK
tent. But it is certainly not good politi-
cal judgment for the administration to
put out such q document at such
time aud in the face OF facts which
cannot successfully be disputed. No
intelligent reader OF the news from the
Philippines can for one moment be
deceived by the pretenses of this
document.
As recently set forth in this corre-
spondence, if there was the least APP
proach to tran utility in the Philip
pines Gen. Macarthur would never have
protested against taking any OF his
60, 600 men for Chinese operations. The
members Of the Philippine Commission
have not been outside the fortified
limits of Manila since tLeir arrival.
There could be no hotter prof of inse-
cure conditions than this. Every pri-
vate letter coming from Officers aud
enlisted men in the islands tells Of con-
slant turmoil and apprehension, and
not one Of them breathes any hope of
cessation Of hostilities. The press dis
patches are of the same tone, and Gen.
Macarthur, as he has no good news to
communicate, has continued to con fine
himself to cabling the list of deaths by
| disease and wounds until today, when
he was forced to send some very bad
news. II the American People vote to
sustain the policy Of imperialism, they
will do il with their eyes open.
| 1t will mean an expenditure Of al
least $500, O0O, 900 during the next term
of Mr.. Mckinley and the loss of no one
knows how many thousands of lives.
| 1t seems rather unfortunate for cam.
paian purposes that, simultaneously
with the publication Of this tissue of
fancies Of the Philippine Commission
| today, there came news Of fresh upris.
ings. 1t is not reassrring intelligence
that thousand insurgents fully armed
are intrenched near Manila that the
railroad in Its vicinity is threatened;
that the natives in Mapiln are restle
and leaving the city, and much uneasi-
ness is ielt thele.
The rainy season will BIO over before
| very long, and as IL to mark its close
armed bodies Of insurgents are, hydra
headed, springiug up all over half a
dozen provinces. The Filipinos are
not waiting to be attacked, but are
boldly attacking American gairisons,
sitting behind formidable intrench-
ments and with big guns. The Presi-
dent sat 10 his private room at the Ex-
ecutive Mansion today reading this,
and it could not have been very graft
flying. AS if the Philippine situation
was not CROUCH TO disturb his medita-
tions he had also the unpleasant news
from Cuba to con over. k)uban affairs
are bound to to vexatious, and the
President realizes he must move most
carefully if he does not want to preju-
dice his political prospects. The adj
ministration programme is 10 hold on
to Cuba for an indefinite period, on
one plausible pretext or another, but
the Nationaists have evidently deter
mined to make Mr.. Mckinley show his
hand