The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-10-20
A QUESTION OF vERAC1rY.

The Mckinley administration is try
ing to vindicate itself from the charge
that it betrayed the Filipinos by Sc
curing their cooperation against Spain
on promising them independence, The
agents of Mckinley certainly encour-
aged Aguinaldo and his followers to
act as the allies of the United States
against Spain. Deny it as they may
they led the Filipinos to believe that
they had not come as their conQuerors
but as their redeemers from Spanish
bondage In letter addressed to Sen
ators Hoar and Pettigrew by J. Alex
andrno and published in the press OF
this country on the 22d of last July,
the writer says that he held an inter-
view on the Olympia with Admiral
Dewey in the bay of Hongkong and
was given an assurance that independ-
ence would be granted to the Filipinos
and that one inch of the islands would
not be taken from them by the United
States.
After three months, the state de.
partment ut Washington issues con-
tradiction by Consul General Wildman
who says lie is personally acquainted
with Alexandrino and conducted the
negotiations between himself and Dew
ey He starts out by saying that Dew
ey never saw him or had one word of
conversation with him, though he ad-
mits that he took him on a tugboat,
ut Dewey's request, to the Olympia,
in company with two compatriots, and
left them on board the flagship, and
yet he declares that Dewey did not see
any of the three men.
Wildman proceeds to quote from his
daily journal in which he refers slight
ly to Alexandrino as 81 young fellow
who had never smelled powder" and
adds that he was thoroughly disgust
ed with the outfit"-meaning the three
Filipinos-because they would not go
to Manila without going ashore for
clean linen and toothbrushes, some
thing, by the way, that savages do
not use very much.
Wildman initiates Mckinley in quot
ing from private documents that
have not been published. In his
letter ON the same matter In Senate
document G. he states the case differ
emily and refers to the Filipinos as
'insurgent allies" who "are fighting
for freedom from the Spanish rule, and
rely upon the well known sense of
justice that controls all the actions of
our government as to their future"
The fact is that Wildman believed
they would be given their independ,
ence and thought them worthy of it,
for in the same letter he says:
II wish to put myself on record as
stating that the insurgent government
Of the Philippine Islands cannot be
dealt with as though they were North
American Indians, willing to be re,
moved from one reservation to another
at the within of their masters. If the
United States decides not to retain
the Philippine Islands its 100000
people will demand independence and
the attempt Of any foreign nation to
obtain territory or coaling stations will
be resisted with the same spirit with
which they fought the Spaniards."
That kind of language was not rel
ished in Washington. 1t is not relished
to-day by Teddy Roosevelt who per
sists in comparing the Filipinos to Ap
ache Indians. We find that the state
department cautioned Wildmar
against making any pledges or discuss
ing any policy with Aguinaldo. Ii
replying to the telegram Of Mr.. Moore
Wildman denies that he made any
pledges, but quotes from a letter adj
dressed to Aguinaido in which he
said:
| do not forget that the Unite,