Arizona daily citizen., 1901-04-03
NO STAINS
ON THE FLAG.


Another pamphlet has been issued
from the press of the Philippine Inform
alton society. The officers OF the society
are, in the main, residents of Boston,
their environment and associations be-
ing of character to inspire them to do
full justice to the Filipinos- They have
had access to all OF the information up
on which Mr.. Edward Atkinson depend
ed to substantiate the remarkable char
ges framed by him against the govern
ment that tolerated his presence. They
know all the Honorable Carl Schurz
could have known when he stumped the
country in the interest of William Jen-
nings Bryan and after painting the adj
ninistration in the blackest colors, con-
demning American army officers and
soldiers, individually and collectively as
murderous outlaws, or worse, dramatl-
cally exclaimed:
"Show me in the history Of the world
q single act OF perfidy committed by any
republic more Infamous than that which
has been committed by the Mckinley
administration against our Filipino al
lies"
After an exhaustive examination OF
all the evidence to be had, including Of
fetal reports and authentic Filipino let
ters, papers and proclamations, the So
ciety reaches this conclusion:
"With regard to the actual outbreak
of hostilities, there is sharp difference
of opinion. The United States press
dispatches announcing the outbreak
and the contemporaneous newspaper
statements by the Filipinos given below
are of interest as evidence that from the
very first each side claimed the other tC
be the aggressor. AS to which OF these
opposing claims is born out by the facts
the editors would say that after care
full study of all the accessible evidence
they find that according to the mos
authoritative statements the outbreak
occurred as the result OF a trespass by
four armed Filipinos on territory ad
mitted by the Filipino in command tt
be within the jurisdiction of the Unitee
States. The action of the Filipino tres
passers seems to have been an instanCt
of bad discipline in the insurgent army
Certainly it was not ordered on thai
date by the insurgent leaders, although
the indications are that the leaders hac
planned to attack in few days. Tht
claim that our forces instigated the at
tack for the purpose of securing tbs
votes necessary to ratify the treaty ii
absolutely unsupported by any evidence
which has come to the attention of thu
editors"
Under ordinary circumstances accord
ing to the rules which govern the act
of gentlemen, Mr.. Atkinson and th'
Honorable Carl Schurz would feel callet
upon at this time to apologize to thu
American people for the violent Ian
guage used by them in making charges
which have again been proven to be
without foundation in fact, but they
will not do so. The anti-administration
press is accountable to no one nor is il
governed by q code of honor. No cor.
rection of the misstatements is to be
expected from that quarter.
But the unofficial, and therefore the
unpreiudiced, conclusion reached by the
Philippine Information society will be
taken by the people as sound. Those
who have entertained the fear that ouI
government had entered upon the de
vious wavs of the strong oppressor, ant
that our soldiers had become mere fight
ing brutes without consciences, ma,
prepare to celebrate the coming of Inde
pendence day without shame.