Willmar tribune., 1900-10-20
4 FILIPINO lei TER.

~ Ae'eA " Unls StOry, 1Or am q FIJI
ipino and q rebel, and the subject of
my story is nothing but rebel FIJI
ipino brat.
1t is very wicked of her, of course,
to hate the noble soldiers of the
benevolent Mckinley. I have not
word OF excuse or extenuation for
such Infamous conduct. All want is
to present the facts.
Before the soldiers came we saw
ages lived in neat little village
whose most important building was
big stone church. Almost every grown
person could read, at least, and many
write. But not English. Hence I say
advisedly, 1--WE savages." Nor did
We have single saloon or house of
Ill fame. Hence, you see, we had lit
tie of what the Anglo-Saxon calls
civilization. But that was before the
soldiers came.
We had plenty political pamphlets
to read. The wicked rebel press set
us savages reading first what Presi-
dent Mckinley SAID about ''criminal
aggression" and "plain duty" and
afterward what he DID. am sorry to
say that so low is the state of moral
the connection between promise and
performance. Indeed we are so bar
barous that were a swineherd in this
country to exhibit such marvellous
moral logic, he would soon be a
swineherd without an occupation. He
would be Stunned, not for being a
swineherd, but for being liar.
We also read Senator Hoar's
speeches. It warmed our hearts to
listen to his grand phrases. We en-
joyed to find a man who shared our
low and vulgar superstition in favor
of liberty and self-gover nment. SEN
Ator Beverages great oration was
also read, but it's logic and eloquence
were far above our poor, rebellious
heads. One of the most convincing
proofs of our low stage of culture is
the fact that we resent being called
barbarians. I understand that all
truly enlightened nations delight in
being called inferior races, bowling
savages, and irreclaimable vermin.
Well, thus we read and discussed
and feared and hoped-but that was
before the soldiers came.
The soldiers came. Just exactly
how, nobody knows, but a soldier was
killed in our village. Who began the
fight no one knows. No one knows if
the victim was drunk and had insulted
the wife or daughter of his slayer. No
one knows how many the American
soldier killed before he was killed.
But an American soldier was killed.
Most of us in the village did not
even know that. I was at the table
with my family when suddenly gatling
balls began to swarm around us. My
poor rebel heart breaks to record
what happened. My wife was killed
and the infant in her arms. Two
children and myself escaped death by
crawling away into the brush. In a
few moments our village was shot to
pieces, and the church was a heap of
ruins. There a great number, espe-
cially of women and children, had
taken refuge when the attack began.
They are there yet as mangled corpses
under the ruins. With an internal yell
the magnanimous Americans were
over us, shooting the fleeing wretches
rs if they had been pigeons. Yes, sir.
The villagers were shot from behind
when fleeing. Such conduct is, by the
way, not restricted to the baser pri-
Yates in the American army. Colonel
Roosevelt in his book, "The Rough
Riders" not only admits but boasts
of the fact that he shQt'a fleeing Span
lard. Among the Filipinos a man
that had done such thing would be
stunned as a leper. But then, we are
nothing but Apaches and Boxers,
according to this same Roosevelt,
which may account for the difference
In ethical standards.
Crawling away with my two chill
dren, had just come to place which
considered comparatively safe when
a nearly spent bullet literally Drained
my Oldest child, a girl of twelve years.
Did I weep? No. But I blessed the
benevolent Mckinley who thus con-
clusively provede to me the truth of
the American preachers words, -
ssEvery bullet sped means righteous
ness.'' ~. &Yss.s. x#
I almost forgot my own sorrow in
the heartrending scene I Witnessed the
next moment. A crowd of sobbing,
aeeing children sought refuge il the
same direction as we. It seems that
the soldiers shot by. preference the
bigger game. Hence these children
we're freshly made orphans and knew
It'll! o, the horror of 81! Are any Of
the American lords married menp
Have their wives one spark of com