The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1901-02-01
- PHILIPPINE sIrUATIoN.

tween the British and Beers in South
Africa, only that the Beers are a Peo-
pie numbered by some thousands
while the Filipinos number millions.
There the war has been declared over
and the whole country annexed as the
colonial possessions Of Great Britain,
but the fighting continues, and the
generals in charge-Roberts and Bull
ler-gladly turn over their command
to others and sail for home, very much
as did Dewey, Merritt and Otis. The
generals now in the Philippines seem
tired Of their task and have asked to
be relieved, and enlisted men, as soon
as their time expires, refuse to re-en-
list, gladly take their discharge and
come home totally disguised with the
war and with the service IN the islands.
Neither the English in South Africa
nor the Americans in the Philippines
have any heart for the war they are
engaged in, for they know it to be a
war Of criminal aggression and conquest
caused by such men a ChamberIin and
Cecil Rhodes, in one case, and McKin-
| ley and his advisers Of the type Of
Mark Hanna in the the other case.
Now comes Judge Taft Of the Philip
! pine commission and advises that the
| military government in the islands be
superseded by a civil government, and,
he says, that the present regime is
unsatisfactory" He states that nei-
| ther the president as a military com
mander, nor himself as an appOintee,
can give the people constitutional
government; that it requires an act of
| congress, and urges that such action
| be speedily taken. In other words, he
| admits that he is acting without war
rant Of law or proper authority. He
attempts to paint conditions in the
islands in the most favorable light, as
is quite natural, but by reading be
tween the lines one can readily see
chat conditions there present anything
but a rOseate hue.
A special correspondent Of the New
York World recently had an interview
with Aguinaldo, who was in Manila
in disguise. He was surprised at his
familiarity with American history and
its system Of constitutional form Of
government, which he pronounced as
most admirable, but not as administer
ed by Mckinley. Washington was his
great ideal. He scored both Dewey
and Otis, and he declares that positive
pledges Of recognition Of Filipino in
dependence wa~ given him as a cOndi-
ton Of his becoming an ally Of the
United States against Spain. All the
circumstances of the investment of
Manila confirm this view, indeed, in
consular dispatches published by the
government they are called ''aIlies.
AgUinaldO declared he would not ac-
sept amnesty and that neither he nor
MS people would ever stop the conflict
short of independence.
Judge Taft informs the administra-
ton at Washington that throughout
the entire archipelago there is a secret |
organization equivalent to a Malta
pledged to aid and abet the insured /
ton and to avenge 1t against traitors (
The authorities at Washington, in |
army and army appropriation bills, so
that troops may be raised at once to /
be sent to the Philippines to replace |
the volunteers whose terms Of service /
have expired 1t will be remembered I
that state volunteer regiments are no /
longer called for. It would be useless, /
for there is no public sympathy for 4
the war, and state troops have such an
unpleasant habit Of asking what it is
all about, while regulars are supposed
to ask no questiOns-@theirs not to
reason why; theirs but to do and die"
Only regulars and national volunteers
are in the islands now. Even old reg
ular soldiers refuse to re-enlist with
all the extra inducements offered to
them. Recruits for the army in the
Phi ippines are gathered in with a
recruiting drag net, in the great cities,
and are made up mostly Of the shObO"
element, to the disgust Of both the
officers and men now in the service.
These are the plain, unvarnished
facts; the people are Disguised with
the Philippine war; the army is dis
gusted; the Philippine commission
asks speedy legislation and a change
as soon as possible from a military to q
civil and constitutional form Of gov
eminent; the administration is wOr-
ried; the prospect for recruiting men 4,
for the Philippines is not Inviting; ad-
ded to this the tremendous cost OF
carrying on the war, the great mortal
ity and fatality Of the service; al these
things conspire to weary the people to
such an extent that they have almost
ceased to read about it any longer.
The whole thing IS a disgrace TO our