The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1900-11-03


The extremely well-iuformed London
correspondent Of the Manchester Guardian,
Mr.. George Russell writes that after eur
Presidential election revelations about
the bad state al affairs ia the Philippines
win be made which viii astonish people
both in the United States and in Europe.
This. he says, he has been told by people
intimately acquainted with the actual Phil
ippine situation. The censorship and otiIclal
terrorism now keep back information. but
once November Is safely passed the whole
shameful story will come cut. Then, re
marks Mr.. Russell. 'the new Imperialism
win have to Justify itself as best it may,
Be this As it may. we need no ore TO
rise from the dead to tell ,r- thai things are
going badly in the Philippines Mistake
and failure are writ large ON American -
eupation Of the islands from the hrst day
until now. Granting that At was not
huge blunder to take the archipelago at all,
the record of our attempts 70 govern the
inhabitants is an unhappy melanee Of T.
noranee. ineptitude and disappointment
FeebleneSs alternating with feroeity, threats
following Establishments, vaeillation and ~
Consistency have marked car oourse, and
now the last state IL the Islands Is werse
than the 6rst. As conqaer,rs, a cnloni-
zers. as a boassful world power, We are
ridiculous failure in the Philippines. Vol
taire said that there are only three ways
of subiugating a people. One Is by means
Of law, another by the and 1t religion, aud
the third Is to cur the threats Of a part
of the nation in order 70 govern the RET
We have tried little Of each, though our
main reliance has been throat cutting; but
by neither method. nor by all three to-
gether. have we won any apprsciable cue
cess.
Among the accommodating proofs OF tins
we note an interview with Mr.. Spencer
Pratt in the Singapore Free Press Mr..
Pratt was formerly United States Consul
at Singapore, and had much Ia do IN get
ting Asuinaldo to 90 back To Manila. lie
was ON terms Of friendship with many FIJI
ipinos. and spent some time in the Philip
pines this past summer. Condensing what
he SAYS of the state Of affairs there we find
him declaring that .'the situation, from
the military point Of view, Is very unsatis-
factory : that there is 'eross maladnIn-
istrafion' and corruption in the civil
government that the army, from top to
bottom, has strong ''distaste for their
present work, one officer telling hun tina.
sat least 100, 900 men will be required 10
effect the pacifeation Of the islands
that the President amnesty proclamation
was mot taken seriously, and fell abso-
lutely fiat that the natives do mot te
lieye that the American people know the
facts Of the situation, or that they had
given any moral authority for the things
that were being done. Ex-Corsnl Pratt
said. in concluding his Interview 1T L
a great pity some one was not sent to learn
the truth and tell it to the American
people the present state OF things would
then never have been allowed.
Prof. Ferdinand Blumentrltt, OF the
Berlin Society of Ethnology, is the leading
German authority on the Philippines. We
have before cited his writings lie has
now issued pamphlet covering the latest
Developments, which has been translated
bv DIR. d. j. Doherty and published by
Donohue Brothers, Chicago. It ought to
be read by everybody DESTROYS Of knowing
the truth. Prof. Blumentritt closing
section is headed American Blunders.
II is not pleasant reading for Americans
but it would be wholesome reading for
them. It is an impartial account Of the
friehtful results of an ear-to he-ground
nolicy when the welfare of 3, 900, 600 hui
man beings is involved. The Government
fumbIed and backed and filed through all
the critical months; the American officers
in Manila fumed and fretted, and were
evasiye or tongue-tied in their dealings
with the natives: then when, at last, the
United States made up its mind, 50 fatally
late. to keep the islands, the GROWING
blupder was made of riding pughshod over
the inhabitants, of neglecting native ad-
vice and assistance, of crushing instead Of
cherishing an existing local government, Of
hunting native trusted leaders to death--in
short of floundering about in domineering
Ignorance and brutality as if the A 3 Z OF
colonization and government of protector
ates had vet to be learned by the United
States.