The age-herald., 1900-01-18
THE HALF>CASTE
 TACAL LEADERS

Edwsrd Wildman. in Harper's Weekly
 My object is to establish in the minds of those not personally acquainted with the Filipinos, the distinction between the ma tive and his present master, the Mestizo. and to show how absolutely the Mestizo has forced his stewardship upon a race with whom, in normal conditions, he rarely consents to mingle except for gain. The Mestizo is ambitious and corrupt. To rich his pocket, and to gain importance, and perhaps recognition by the United States, he has plunged the natives of the Philippines into desperate struggle. He was successful in the first revolution, and with the advantage of experience he hopes ito accomplish his aims in the second. He rroved himself the equal of the Spaniard in duplicity, and he thinks to bring us to like terms. In this ill-starred struggle the Fll- ipino is the victim. He is led by the half caste. Ignorant of the alien thoughts and aspirations that are at work in the mind of the Mestizo.
 The language the color and the habits of the Mestizo are so like his own that he is easily led to believe that his words ring true, and that his lofty proclamatons of brotherhood and liberty are the honest ex- pression of brother. It is the Mestizo who is entirely responsible for the revolution in the Philippines It is the Mestizo we must punish With the skin of a native and the heart of traitor he works damage incal- culabe. Clever cunning and rich, he must be thoroughly subdued. if not banished, be- fore we can hope to affect his pernlcious in fiuence over the natives and bring him to his senses If the Tagalog races are not fit for self lf-government-and no one ac- ouainted with them for a moment thinks they are-then the Mestizos are thousand times less capable of governing them.
 Paterno like nearly all of the Filipino leaders, is half-caste. For years he mas actually controlled the Fdlipinos. That he could do no wrong was and is their oeiiel. Stain gave him the ''Grand Cross, and the University of Manila the degree of IL. D. When in the first revolution Asui- naldo compromised with damages" Spain buying out the Filipino leaders, Pedro Pa terno was so well poised on the fence that he was able to draw a double commission for his services. Despite his open dickerng with Spain and his acceptance of money from the Spanish government, the Childish confidence Of the natives was unshaken. They rejoice in his Spanish-given honors. and point to him as the most eminent Fill dpino, which he undoubtedly is. He has published several novels and books of poetry, and is the acknowledged authority Ei1iOinA folk He pOnfr0iS Aoui- naldo writes his bonabastic pronuncia- mentos and is the head and spirit of the revolut4en. Revolutions are in nis Fine, for he has found them profitable, and boasts of an income of $25, ,0OO year. His property includes real estate, business blocks, plantations and steamships, all at present netting good profits managed and operated by his family and his agents.
 General Luna was a notable specimen of the Mestizo class Of good birth, morally and intellectually, he might have been the leader of his people had not the treachery that is characteristic of his race dealt him a death blow. He was brother of the cela- brated Juan Luna, an artist of European renown. whose pictures have hung in the French salon. Another brother was vio- linist of more than ordinary fame. By pro- fession General Luna, like the eminent Ri- zal was a chemist. He was educated in Madrid and Paris, and while abroad pub- lshed a book Luna reorganized the insur- gent army upon European methods, which he had carefully studied abroad, and the discipline and military tactics shown by the insurgents so often to our surprise, were due to his skilled hand. In battle he dis
 oh fhof soon made him hated rival to Aguinaldo, who found himself obliged to raise Luna to the rank of command er-in-chief of the army At Kabanatunan, on June T. one of Agulnaldo's sergeants provoked quarrel with Luna, and ran him through with bayonet. Had Luna lived it is probable that the cause of the Filipinos would have been staked in one decisive battle, and the Fdipino war would have ended with some credit to their valor Luna is the only gen. eral of the Filipino army worthy of the title.
 Aguinaldo, although the figurehead of the insurreotion, is not of the same class CT caste as Luna. Aguinaldo is unscrupu- ious politician, who by cunning craft has been able to hold the Tagalog race united under his influence, misled with chimeras and dreams of independence the portent of which they as ignorant as children. Aguinaldo is the link between the Mestizo element and the masses. The puppet of Paterno, he possesses a certain oracular influence over his people, for to him they look for guidance, blind to the fact that the words that emanate from him are the results of Paternos lessons. Paterno is the '.boss," Aguinaldo the mask. He has the cold keen eye of leader, and the quiet, self-contained modesty of his humblest fol- lower. Aguinaldo is not a pure Tagalog. His maternal grandfather was a China man, and from him he inherited the stoical qualities and craft of speech that have made him such a power among his people. His ambition is to lead, and his heartless- ness enables him without compunction to cause the assassination of all who threaten