The Bemidji pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Beltrami County, Minn.) 1896-1917, 1900-10-04

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gor. They planned to burn, sack and
loot the city, and to strike down and
slaughter every living human being in
1t, except their own people; and two
brutal, though abortive, attempts We're
made to carry out the harbarous and !.
demoniac plan.
IL we study the records and proceed
ings Of their so-called government, it 4
is apparent that it Is nothing but
pure relationship mere military
oligarchy of Aguinaldo and his chiefs
tall Chinese Mestizos) with no basis
of choice or consent among the masses.
1t exists and Is tolerated. such as it
is, through fear and ignorance. Ig-
norance of the Americans. their char
acter and system of government; and
fear Of Aguinaldo, his junta and armed
followers. is it not plain to any I'M
biased mind. after studying the record
of Aguinaldo and his junta ever since
the insllrrection of 1896, that it is as
much our moral duty to relieve the
Filipino people from the incubus and
tyranny Of this military oligarchy as
of Spanish rule? 1t would be greater
misfortune and greater calamity to
hand the Filipino people over to the
mercies Of such a government than to
have left them in the hands OF the
Spaniards. Is 1t not our moral as
well as our legal duty to suppress, first
OF all. this insurrection, started under
such false pretenses, with such treach-
cry and under such auspices and lead
ership as this Tagal rebellion in Lu-
zon?
Bryan Indorsed ADMINISTRATION.
We acquired the islands fairly by
conquest. ratified and confirmed by
treaty. which had the Endorsement of
Mr.. Bryan. He was at Washington on
the eve Of its ratification and urged his
party to Join In ratifying the treaty.
The instruction OF 1898 would never
have had an inception nor fiourished
but for the fact that our flag was in
the islands, and permitted Aguinaldo
and his chiefs to land. s.. III
Coming into the islands under our
|. flag, orr protection and our assist
ance, as they did, Aguinaldo and his
chiefs had no more legal or moral
right to set up claim or title hostile
to the United States than a tenant,
coming into possession by the permits
sion of his landlord, has the right to
question or set up hostile title to the
latter. We acquired, by conquest and
treaty, as complete title to the Phil
ippine islands as to Porto Rico, and we
have taken no more steps to obtain
the consent of the Porto Ricans than
OF the Filipinos. The government we
have established for the Porto Ricans
is a government we have given them,
and not government they have given
themselves. ~.
IT, Merely "a Tagal Affair.
According to the most conservative
data, the Philippine group embrace an
area of about 5000 square miles and
population of 100000. Luzon has a
little more than one-third of this area
and a little less than one-half OF this
| population. There are three different
races and over eighty different tribes.
Of various degrees of civilizations, In
the group. Most Of the people belong
to the Malayan race; less than one-half
million belong to the other two races
The principal tribe is the Visayas, oc-
cupying the Visaya group Of islands,
situate between Luzon on the north
and Mindanao on the south. The Wis
ayas occupy an area of $4,000 square
miles. number about 100000 and are
as civilized and intelligent as the Ia
gals. The next tribe. in numbers, Is
the Tagals, who occupy Luzon, and
number 1864, 000-about one-half OF
the population of this island
The insurrection Is Tagal insur-
recton, and the insurrectionary gov
eminent is Tagal government. The
other tribes and the people of the other
islands had no voice and were not rep
resented in the formation or manage
ment of this government The Tagal
government of Aguinaldo In Luzon
originated in and rests wholly upon
military force. and has not, even in
Luzon, to say nothing about the many
other important islands, come into ex-
istence or continued by the free choice
or voluntary consent Of the people
sought TO be governed. It's scope and
authority is limited to the territory oc-
cupied by its armed bands and detach-
ments in Luzon. The consent OF the
governed is neither asked, sought nor
expected. The great mass of the peo-
| pie are as helpless and where within
reach OF the Tagal government under
as abiest subjugation under Aguinal-
| dos military oligarchy as they ever
were under the Spaniards in the years
| that are past.
Bryan Would Haul Down Old Glory.
| 1t is to such an insurrection and to
such q government that our adversa-
ries would have us lay down our arms
and surrender our control and author
| ity. 1t Is this instruction and this
| government that we should have en-
couraged and set ND as permanent
| establishment and have made our
selves the protectors of. It is to this
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