The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-02-05
VOLUNTEER ON FILIPINOS.

Salt Lake City. Utah Feb. 3. 1900
Editor Herald: knowing the spirit of
fairness that governs you, 1 take the lib
erty of sending you this communication.
have watched with unabating interest
the attempt that is being made by certain
fearless men and part Of the press of
the country to get at the truth as regards
the tilipinOs and their status before the
instruction broke out. There are a few
facts that have not received much pub
lefty.
Long before the fall of Manila the Fill
ipinos had their army organized. At Ca
vite, after the American occupation. they
drilled every day-open order or skirmish
drill, and ali of their other tactics too
Ihey were unmolested-they did not give
allegiance to the United States. and they
were in open rebellion against Spain: and
they were fighting. not to become terri
tory Of the United States. but to be free.
They had their ''sO-called flag" as
certain supposedly leading American puts
it. To them it is as good as the stars and
stripes. They revere it more than most
Americans do our national emblem And
this "so-calleG flag" was allowed to float
over buildings where native troops were
CHARTERED, without any question as to its
right Of being there. And yet knowing
that the Tagals were after freedom the
Republican congress and Mckinley did
not have backbone enough to tell the Fill
ipinos exactly what the United States in
tended to do.
The Cubans were promised indeDend-
ence. And by what authority or form Of
reason We're they held capable Of self
government-aH authorities to the contra
ry-while the FiIipinos were kept i'm
darkness and ignorance as to their fate?
Truly. the ways of this administration
are past finding out.
II the graves of Washington. Jefferson.
Henry, Jackson and Lincoln We're to be
opened. we should find them face down
wards-having repUdiated our modern pa
triots and ideals
When Manila fell the FnipinOs occupied
about Observation-Disclosures Of the investing
line around the city The United States
gladly accepted their help. After the city
was taken and it was time for the second
act the aid rendered by the natives was
belittled They were treated with con-
tempt. aF
Yet, after the surrender Of the city. the
native troops were allowed to enter the
town. They occupied school house. and
other public buildings as "cuartels." and
their flag went up to the top of the mast
over every one of those buildings. too.
Some of the main streets Of Manila were
used by the Fiiipinos as drilling grounds.
They had sentries and outposts all around
such cUartels. Otis cabled s'AH is well;
and the Philippines are oursr' Yet Am
orleans were not allowed to 90 into some
Of the suburbs of Manila until after Feb.
5, 1899.
As everybody knows, the Fflipinos were
allOwedytO stay in Manila until the middle
of November and they wore their uni
forms, the officers their side arms. until
they We're requested to march out of the
city, which they readily did.
Even then they could come into Manila
in uniform whenever they pleased. The
soldiers on the south line had instruc-
tons up to Feb. 4. 1899, to allow certain
Filipino officers to pass with side arms
The writer saw a company OF Fllipinos
lined upon Aug. o. 1898, in front of the
Colorado quarters in Manila. They re-
ceived back over 100 stands of arms and
three wheelbarrows of knives and bayo-
nets.
Then American patriots get up and lay
the blood of that grand old veteran Law
ION, anu MS men Oh thS Hedus OF AHlefl-
cans who dare tell the truth, even though
they are called traitors and murderers for
it, They have good company and plenty
of it, too; most of the soldiers from the
Philippines say: Them my sentiments.
tew''
Who is 10 blame? The administration
brought on the instruction by double
dealing. representation, assembling and
vacillating 1t acted in bad faith from
the first, and Mckinley. the weak-kneedi
VIII the people reflect him2 Ask the sol
der boss; they VIII tell you a thing OF
two.
For the benefit of certain people J viii
say that the writer is not a sore head"
was never in the guard. and deals with
facts. One VIM was 1Sere.
PARKlsR b. PRATT.