Washington sentinel., 1900-03-24
Filipiuos Haye Had their lessons. |

FilipinOs HaYe Had their lessons.
Professor Schurman's sugges-
ton that bad faith shown the Porto
Ricans in the matter Of promises
is likely to prove an instructive
lesson 10 the Filipinos, and en-
courage them IN continuing their
blind resistance to the blessings de-
sired to be showered upon them
by their great BENEVOLENT Assim-
ilator, is worthy Of all ccnsidera.
tion, but somewhat late. The
Filipinos have had a little expert
ence OF their o vn already. Gen.
Anderson, the first American gen
eral in the Philippines, and the first
with whom Aguinaldo had deal
ings, owns, in an article IN the
| North -AWeyfcaR Re01cay for Feb
ruary, 1900, to an "evasiye an
swer" given to the Tagalo lead n.
in reply to the direct question
whether the United States intended
to hold the Philippines as depen
denotes. Having on preceding
page admitted whether Admiral
Dewey and Consuls Pratt, Wild
man and Williams did or did not
give Aguinaldo assurances that a
Filipino government would be rec
ognized, the Filipinos certainly
thought so, probably inferring this
from their acts rather than from
their statements" hegoes on to in
qrire what could be inferred from
the fact that AgLinsldo and thir-
teen other banished Tagals were
brought down on a naval vessel and
landed in Cavite2" where they
were given arms by Admiral
Dewey and also by himself, at
DeweY's request, allowed to or
ganlze three brigades, and also to
arm a small steamer they had cap
tured. Yet, he says Il was the
first to tell Admiral Dewey that
there was any disposition on the
part Of the American people to
hold the Philippines, if they were
captured. The current Of opinion
was setting that wav when the first
expeditionary force left San Fran
cisco, but this the Admiral had
had no reason to surmise."
Alter so informing the Admiral,
what was the reply made by Gen.
Anderson to the downright, ad-
mittedly Embarrassing" question
asked by Aguinaldo on July I,
1882 Why, that "in One hundred
and twenty years we had estab
lished no colonies" when "he
(Aguinaldo) then made this re-
markable statement: L have stud |
led attentIvely the Constitution of |
the United States and 1 find in it |
no authority tor colonies, and |
have no tear
Not to correct this impression |
was to confirm it.
Tha. General Anderson las a |
conscience is evidentir from his weak |
confession: at may seem that my |
answer was somewhat evasive, but
l was at the time trying to contract
with the Filipinos for horses, car S, !
fuel and forage" In common law
this would perilously resemble an
attempt to obtain these under false
pretences. In what condition he
keeps his conscience IS to be qucs-
.ioned, when, after such admis-
'ions, and others no less confirm
ltory ot the contention OF Anti
ImperialIsts, he goes on to speak
ot our retention Of the islands as a
task imposed upon US bV a COM
'ination of circumstances we must
low carry to its logical and legit
mate conclusion. 1T is a part OF
he white mans burden which we
annot lay down" With him and
is conscience we are not con.
erned. The fact remains that, as
1dge Harmon admirably said at ,
lie banquet to Judge Taft in Gin I
nnati some days since, promises 7
the Filipinos were not needed. >
ur whole history, the principles /
our political lifetime, we're r
-cmises which it is as much our 4
plain duty" to keep as those made I
our name by General Miles in :
orto Rico. To fail to do so will
onsign our country to a position s
infamy in the future history Of a
ltions. n
How to Win the Next Election. 4,
The arnnnrFa,k ~,,,.-ts- - A.