The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-12

ambitions Of their puny President. and re-
garded him and his success as more inn
portant than a rightful treatment OF the
Filipinos.-
formation which he was seeking. whether
the President regarded the publication OF
II as compatible with the pubic interests or
not And he wanted II whether the Presi-
dent desired II should or should not be known.
If any amendment is TO be made to the
resolution" said he. lit ought to be made
70 read that Information should be trans
mitted to the Senate, If not incompatible
with the Residents interests as a candidate
Tor reelection. The fact Is this whole bust
ness is bound up In the Presidents desire
again TO be a candidate OF his party for
President
Mr.. Pettigrew then devoted some time TO
a discussion of the censoring of dispatches
from the Philippines. He declared that i'm
portant and significant facts had been
Mia and from official reports because IT
was regarded by the powers that be as
undesirable they should reach the Ameri-
can people. las an instance of this work,
said he, 1.-THE Sulu treaty was mangled
anu partly suppressed until after the
election in Ohio"
CoNCEALMENT AND DUPLICITY.
Mr. Pettigrew discussed at length the
proclamation issued by the ReSsident de-
claring that 1t was in such shape that
General Otis recommended it should be
changed I'm order not to provoke hostilities
on the part of the Filipinos. Subsequently.
he said II was altered materially and. as
altered. was published TO the Philippine
natives AS originally drawn IL was. to
his mind. fiat declaration of war, and
when AguinaIdo and his leaders came into
possession OF the original they so regarded
1t. The whole wretched business, de-
clared Mr. Pettigrew, vehemently, was
Of Ifrf- 1xaA
to deceive not only the people of the United
States, but also the islanders themselves"
In substantiation of his charge that
dispatches from the Philippines were CEN
sored in the interests of the administra-
ton, Pettigrew quoted from a letter
written by Robert NJ. Collins, Associated
Press representative at Manila. In this
letter Mr.. Collins related the substance
of an interview on the subject of censor
ing dispatches which he had had with
General Otis. Mr.. Petsigrew read the
statements OF Mr.. Collins, in which he had
said II was the evident desire of the Of
hcials to prevent certain information from
reaching the people OF the United States.
When he (Collins) had filed dispatch con-
tanning information which he thought was
proper to send TO the United States he
had been informed by the censor that he
had been instructed to cut out anything
that might hurt the administration. Sub
sequently, when he had desired to send a
story relating To the use of silver in the
Philippines, the censor had told him that
his instructions were to allow nothing 10
pass him which would be helpful to VIII
liam Jennings Bryan in the United States.
On this point Mr.. Pettigrew became partic-
ularly sarcastic and again adverted to
what he termed the Presidents desire to
succeed himself as President, even though
essential information had to be suppressed
To accomplish that end.
Mr. Pettigrew declared that the President
himself really began the war in the Phil
tppines and was responsible for it. IF,
said he, 1.-The administration had had a
spark of honor in dealing with the Fill
pinOs IL would have told General Merritt
TO lay the whole truth of the intentions
of the government before Aguinaldo and
his associates" Had this been done, Mr.
Pettigrew believed that half the trouble
might have been averted. That We had
fired the first shot which had precipitated
hostilities. nobody denied. Even after the
fighting had begun, he said, effort was
made by Aguinaldo TO secure a suspension
of hostilities. but had been told by Gen
eral Otis that now that fighting had been
begun * must continue to the grim end.
If" said Mr.. Pettigrew, II were a Fill
pino would fight until / was gray against
the unholy aggression of the United
States. If this country is wrong, this
country could take no grander position
before the nations of the world than tC
the turning point. We must decide wheth-
er We are to pursue course of rapacity
and aggression on the British principle
or to pursue a course of justice and
right No nation long can pursue such a
course as the imperialists have marked
out for us-a course OF wrong and treach-
cry to friends-and hope to stand we'll be-
fore the nations OF the world" Mr.. Pet
tigrew cut off by the expiration OF
the morning hour