Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1900-10-15
AS TO AGUINALDO.
Character of the Democratic George
Washington" as Seen by
Major White.
Threats, Murder and Other Forces Ex-
erted by Him to Retain
Leadership.
A Self Constituted Dictator, and not
the Leader Desired by
the People.

a SAA-$oAS eASuISo DAStaIOGS anu uOL
the Leader Desired by
the People.
When Major Frank White was IN
the city last week, says the Richland
County Gazette, the writer obtained
from him an account of the organiza-
ton and operation of Aguinaldo's
government, in order to have informa-
ton at first hands from one who was
on the spot at the time, and who was
prominent enough in army circles to
have definite knowledge of what was
going on >..e
Aguinaldo, says the major, was a
voluntary exile when the Americans
went to Manila, he having sold out TO
the. Spanish government for 100000
in gold, and left the Philippine islands,
promising to return. Soon after the
battle of Manila he came to Manila
from Hong Kong on the United States
boat Mccullough, and landed there and
established himself at Bacoor, near
Manila, where ne consorted with sew
eral Filipino leaders who had collected
bands of insurgent troops, several
thousands in all, with which they had
been camping around Manila. /.
1T was not long before Aguinaldo is
sued the proclamation of independ-
ence of the Filipino republic, which
document was signed by himself as
provisional presid -that is to say,
he assumed to be acting as president
until some one could be duly chosen.
His next step was to appoint his rela-
tlVes and friends from the different
provinces as members Of, the Filipino
congress and assemble that body at
Malolos, an interior town BY the
appointment of his military associates
to this congress he gained control Of
the troops which these men had gath
cred together. y 5s 4 (
When the congress assembled at
Malolos, Aguinaldo brought out a con
stitution ready made, and caused it to
be adopted by the assembly Of men
| whom he himself had named. When
| it had been so adopted, he advertised
for the people to come together at Ma
lolos and ratify it. Several thousand
people did assemble at Malolos for
that purpose, and they, with a large
force Of soldiers assembled there, lis
tened to the constitution and went
through the form of ratifying it. 1t
| is hard to see how they could do any
thing else but ratifys it, with several
thousand rifles and bolos waiting to
support and propagate it. Aguinal-
do was named as president by the men
whom he himself had selected.
The crowd assembled at Malolos to
Iratify the constitution was not more
than 5 per cent OF the population OF
the archipelago, even if women and
| children and the entire resident popu-
lation of Malolos be included. Here,
then, was a constitution ostensibly
ratified by per cent Of the people
who were supposed to be governed by
1 it. There was no general election
held to vote on the constitution, as is
done in civilized countries, neither
have the people ever had an opportu1-
4 ity to vote on it.. Sin # t .8s..;
At that very time, the major says,
nine-tenths Of the people. Of the
islands were opposed to Aguinaldo's
government and favorable to the Am
ericans. They wanted the Americans
to protect them from outside enemies
and from the disorderly elements
among themselves; they wanted TO
learn western arts and sciences from
the Ameicans;; they wanted the
friendship and assistance of the AM
erican people.
i Notwithstanding the hostility Of
nine-tenths of the natives, says the
major, Aguinaido was able to main
tain his government among them for
a time, because he had an army, while
the people opposed to him had not
been allowed by the spaniards to carry
arms, and consequently they were
4 were powerless to resist Aguinaldo's
demands. He could impress them
into his army. He could force them
ito pay taxes to him. He could and
i did resort to fines. Imprisonment, rob
berry, torture. and death as penalties
for those who would not support him
in his plans. Thousands OF men who
hated him were compelled to serve IN