Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1900-07-10
NOTES FROM WASHINGTON
Items of Interest from the Capital
City on Current Events of
Political Import.
REPUBLICAN ADMINISTRATION BLuADERs
The Rule of Gen. Otis in the Phillip
pines. Rank Failure-Corruptfop
Unearthed by New Civil Commits
ston-Consress to BE whitewnshed
-.--Democf rats United.
Especial Correspondence.

Gen, Otis is back from the Philip
pines and is having himself interviewed
to the effect that he has crushed the
instruction in the islands and left
everything on a peace footing.
His ignorance of the situation may
be pardoned from the fact that he con-
Quoted his campaign from the depths
of his armchair in the palace at Manila.
His mind appears to be not altogeth-
er easy as to the quality of the peace
that he left behind, because he adj
mitted, reluctantly, that we could not
spare any of our 10000 from the Is
lands in case of trouble with China,
because "an army of suppression"
would be needed in the Philippines for
several years to come.
Gen. Otis was received at the white
house with great cordially, and he
ought to be, for has he not been the
faithful servant Of the administration
all these months? Has he not done
what President Mckinley has ordered?
Hash not suppressed any news that
the Administration thought disquiet-
ing? Has he not censored the reports
30 that it was impossible to discover
how many lives were being sacrificed
and how much money was being spent
in this attempt to crush people who
only desire an opportunity to govern
themselves in their own way?
Indeed, Gen. Otis has been IL loyal
servant of laundering administra-
ton, and the abuse which has some
times been heaped upon Otis should in
Justice have been meted out to his
master in the white house who direct,
ed the Philippine war. Now that Gen
Otis is back, his optimistic statements
will be used by the republicans as cam
paign material. That they are not
true will not matter to the republican
leaders. On their side the campaign is
to be prosecuted with promises for the
future and evasion and misrepresenta
ton, in order to conceal anything
which might damage McKinley's
chances of reelection.
Otis n Rank Failure.
In sharp contrast to Gen. Otis self
sufficient claim of having put dow1
the rebellion in the Philippines comes
the wall from the new civil commits
sion which recently landed in the is
lands. Judge Taft and his colleague
on the commission are assured by higl
army officers that the present force il
the islands is utterly inadequate t.
suppress the Instruction; that eve,
In the southern portion of Luzon tn
insurgents are in entire control.
Gen. Otis municipal government
have been rank failure. They hav,
simply been used by the Filipinos as re
cruiting stations for the insurgents.
The commission has been in Luzon
week and up to this time not singh
Filipino has approached them with a
offer of surrender or submission o.
any terms.
The commission is simply amazed q
the conditions of bribery, corruption
and general rascality which prevail
wherever the Americans have left thei
trail. The Cuban frauds are nothin
TO the corruption which has been goin
on in the Philippines.
The Filipinos have had so bitter al
experience with imperialism that the
propose to hold out at least until afte
the fall elections. If Mckinley is re
S1ectSu, bhfs huoN lueS may eSptCu
condition of seryitude worse tina
Spain ever dared to impose, and the
will keep up their guerrilla warfar
Indefinitely. If Bryan is elected the
have some hope of being allowed t
govern themselves and receiving I'll
protection which should be given thel
by country which processes respet
for the principles of liberty and ind
pendence on which its own institution
are founded.
The new civil commission is givin
the people glimpse OF the facts. OF
misrepresents everything, from tt
condition Of the Filipinos to the COZ
of our war of determination
General Corruption.
The more the Cuban affair Is probe
the more clear it becomes that the DO
tai frauds are only a small part of IL
general corruption which has becon
rampant under military control Of II
island
The administration is looking su
prised and grieved and, orderi1
prompt Investigation and retrenc
ment in the postal department, hopir
by that ruse TO keep the countr,~in i
norance of The frauds in other dir
lions.
II there could be searching inves1