The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-10-29
A REPLY 10 JUDGE TAFT.
Charged With incorporating Facts
m His

ana VINO Is now attacneC 10 the literary
bureau of the Democratic Congressional
Committee has given out the following
statement concerning conditions in the
Philippines:
Judge Taft, of :Iss Philippine Commits
sion, has Informed President Mckinley
that all northern luzon. except two prov
inces, is substantially free from insur-
gents This Information may be true, but
even If 1t is, it is misleading In the north
half of the island of Luzon there are but six
provinces. Two OF these Drovinces-Caya-
gan and Isabella-ara still infested ac-
cording to Judge Taft. These two prov
inces are double Ile area of the four prov
inces he claims are substantially free
from Insurgents. The morning des-
patches from General Macarthur, how
ever, would indicate that Iloeos Sur, one
of the four provinces Judge Taft claims
have been pacified, is one Of banner oppo-
sition to American rule, since 1,400 in
surgenIs are reported to have defeated
large force of american troops in that
province on October "a
Judge Taft also informs President Nc
KinIey that the railway and telegraph
line from Manila to Dagupan has not been
nolested for five months. This, also,
may be true. but il it is. it is likewise
misleading While / was In Manila, the
railroad tracks were being torn UP daily.
and as q means of preventing it, an or
der was made permitting all natives to
ride from one end of the road to the other
free This order effectually put a step
to the wrecking of the road. If this order
was reseinded today, tomorrow would see
the road torn up in twenty places. and the
military authorities know it. So does
Judge Taft
President Mckinley in his letter Of &C
ceptance says that for the American people
to make the Filipinos the architects OF the
new Philippines commonwealth would
make possible and easy the commission OF
such atrocities as were secretly planned.
to be executed IN the 22d OF February, 1888,
In the city OF Manila. when only the vigil
lance of our army prevented the attempt
to assassinate our soldiers and all foreign
ers and piilage AID destroy the city and its
surroundings The truth of the matter Is
this: On the 22d day of February, 1893,
poster was found on the walls of the city
of Manila calling upon all patriotic Fill
pInos to rise and slaughter the Americans
and foreigners then in the city
Strange to say, the military authorities
would not permit these posters to be torn
down, but left them on the walls OF the
city as a means TO fire the American mag
ination and set all soldiers and foreigners
against the Filipinos, The native press
and called upon the military authorities TO
remove the posters from the walls of the
city, charging that this scheme had been
adopted by the American authorities for
no other purpose than TO influence the
soldiers against the native people This
view is entertained by every fcreigne who
was in Manila at the time they pointing
out that it was absolutely necessary TO
adopt some scheme which would keep down
n @ CF
1t was stated by every soldier then in the
Philippines that they had enlisted 10 re-
member the Maine and no. TO shoot down
/, the HbeTty-Ioving Fiiipinos. They openly
proclaimed that they had no quarrel with
men that desired freedom and who had
already enlisted their sympathies and ad-
miration by their piucky and determined
struggle for liberty So great was the
opposition to further service in such a
cause that mutiny was openly talked. even
in the ranks Of the regular regiments. 4
desperate remedy was needed and applied
as above.
President Mckinley says that when
the city of Manila was taken the insur-
gents took no part in the attack No at
tack was ever made on Manila There was
a complete understanding between the
Spanish and American officers that each
army was TO fire a few y01leyS into the
air the SpaniarTss were to run up 9 white
flag on Fort San Antonio and the Amerf-
cans were to march into the city. But
the necessary orders were not given to the
right wing of the American Army. and
this wing, including, the Astor Battery,
armed only with revolvers. was pushed
forward with orders to charge, and soon
found themselves mixed Up in actual war
fare. General Merritt for the sake of
military glory, decided that some OF his
men must be killed and consequently
news was sent to the United States OF a
great battle President Mckinley know.
this to be q fact; he also knows that for
| their share in the farce battle of that oC-
casi0u the Spanish officers responsible fol
| it are now serving life sentences in mill
tary prison in Spain. This, too, in the face
| Of the testimony taken at the court mar
tial which showed that the Spanish sol
| diers could not have held the city of Ma
Mia against Aguinaldo another week The
Spanish soldiers had all been in open
trenches, Tained upon continually without
relief or proper food for fifty days.
| President Mckinley says that the Fl.
! iipincs wanted to share in the occupatio,
| Of Manila with a view TO looting the city.
/ Mr. Mckinley knows that during the tel
months OF Filipino reign in the islant
outside the city Of Manila no charg
! Of loot or plumber was brought agains
any OF Aguinaldo's soldiers. The rich cit
! les of Malabon, Caloocan, San Pedro Ma
| cate, Pasig, and dozens of others held b,
| Aguinaldo's troops testified to this fac
| On the fourth day OF February. 1899. Blu
! now. let the mute, ruined walls. violated
| affairs and desc Grated toTnts Of these cite
testify to the triumph OF American civil
| zation over Filipino barbarity.
THE love Of liberty is not exclusivel.
| an American sentiment, and Presiden
| Mckinley should remember this truth
| When Dr. Rial, the Filipino patriot AM
| martyr. was offered up as a sacrifice t,
| Spanish tyranny, his blood became a
once holy libation to liberty. When h
| said to those who tainted him. that 'EV
| cry drop of NY blood will become a
| armed soldier to avenge my country
I wrongs upon you. he spoke an inspire
truth. Every Filipino Invocation to lib
erty since then has been made in hi
| name
so long as this martyrs example
fresh in the memory of the Filipino PEG
pie, end so long as lifeblood springs froI
| the heart of the meanest of their rae
just 50 long will they fight for their lib
| erty. And Just so long as the reading @
| the Declaration of Independence is no
prohibited in America just SO long vii
our people sympathize with and applau
them in their fight for independence
rTp EMIT unMNR