Evening star., 1900-10-20
The Philippines and the FiIipinos.

Ihe philippines and the FiIipinOs,
To the Editor of The Evening Star:
1t has been of interest to me during the
present campaign to try to find a demo-
cratic statement in regard to the Filipinos
which had the shadow of truth in it, and
for this reason 1 have been prompted to
write this letter.
l spent nearly ten months in these is
lands, traversed considerable country and
noted closely the people and their condi-
ton. l found a people not much more
tran primitive, with no knowledge of gov
ernment and no idea of the meaning of
freedom; a people divided into nearly ltsJ If
lerert tribes and as many languages. these
tribes are more or less at war with each
other and adverse to confederation. The fury
OF their Jealousy would only be increased
to its utmost bitterness were the power
vested in themselves to govern their af-
lars. III this power were given these peo-
pie to whom could it be given? The tribes
could not be brought together and to give
authority to the whole people would ony
be the just way. The population is reputed
at 100000, and many of our good people
no doubt, believe we have just this many
enemies
1 don't believe the insurgent army at any
time has numbered 50,OOO which is putting
the figure high. but taking this as bass
and estimating that one out Of every ten
of our enemies Is able for service, and null
tiplying 10 by 50,040 we have JO0OtO But
In order to satisfy the most critical 1 will
say one out Of every twenty of our enemies
IS able for duty, and multiplying 20 by So
GOO we have 1,ooo.0o0. Suppose, ow, we
have l,0Go,c00 enemies and we have left
100000 friends, would you think it just
that one person dictate for ten? No rea-
sonable man would think 1t is the rule
in America with no exceptions that ma
jority rules. Then why do Americans ask
that the minority rule in the Philippines
. This insurrect!on would long ago have
been finished, and the battlefie!dS been
otlSi fr,,it Il h,l
pinos who are wag. ng war been led to be-
ieve they have a friend in the democratic
party. They have been led to hope that
the democrats will be successful in the
coming election, and will withdraw from
these islands our soldiers, thus giving. to
these disciples Of Agu.nado freedom to
carry on their deDredations and escape
punishment for their crimes.
1t has been asked. Why don't we finish
the when are much better pre-
pared for fighting than our enemies and
greatly outnumber them? l will answer
this question by asking one: Why was it
that certain gang of men robbed right
and left in the very heart of our country
for over twenty years, although very re-
source possible was used to capture or kill
them?
1t has also been mooted question, where
do these people procure their means to
carry on this warfare? Well 1t doesn't
take much means and what they need they
extort from any with money who
comes under their notice.
At Mexico, Luzon. ] saw an old man who
was made to pay 1000 pesos under a threat
that unles. he did so the army would de-
stroy his property. This is only cne of the
many ways that the Filipino army is main
tanned.
The history of the past is the history of
the future, and have we ever found the
American solder fighting in the wrong?
No, his bayonet has always been fixed 1or
a purpose, and his gun loaded with a prin-
ciple. Furthermore, history repeats itself:
Never has the American soldiers gone in,o
the field in defense of ''old glory but what
among his own countrymen he has had
enemies the Tories In '76, the Copperheads
in 81 and the anti-im mperialists in 1900.
LA MONT A. WILLIAMS,
Late First Lieutenant 51st Iowa U. S. V.