The Washington times., 1901-07-08
Circulation Statement.
New AguinnIdo story.

4 New AguinaIdO story.
AS the poet very appositely remark
ed: The time has come, the Walrus
said, to speak of many things-of ships.
and shoes, and sealing wax, and cab
baees. and kings; and why the sea is
boiling hot. and whether pigs have
Wings The silly season is upon US
with all its 6earth of news, when
statesmen. diplomats. and all the gen
erals. who can be spared, are taking
the waters at Ems or Carlsbad. or
hunting the wild tiger in his lair at
Monte Carlo. or doing Norway, or loit-
ering around in cool country places, or
blowing the briny in steam yachts
Such time is obviously one for
stories. generally works of fiction with
perhaps a grain Of fact at bottom, or
OF pure imagination like one in regard
to Aguinald0's capture by General
Funston which was cabled from Lon
don the other day. From the British
point of view 1t was a good story ana
likely TO receive wide credence among
army people in England, who are
smarting under a sense of shame that
this country should have wound up its
Philippine rebellion in wOrlNmanlike
shape. while Great Britain still is COM
PEELED TO fight eight or ten thousand
Boer farmers with an army of two hun
dred thousand men, and with no I'M
mediate prospect OF bringing the war
10 a close. one Of the London papers
published an alleged statement made
BY an alleged merchant arrived from
Manila t. the effect that it was well
known u The Philippines that Funs-
tons brilliant exploit which brought
that brave little man the star of
Regular Army brigadier, was prear-
ranged humbug between Aguinaldo and
General Macarthur, who paid the rebel
without a following, and in hiding, one
million dollars 10 surrender; all with
the sdvice and consent OF President
Mckinley. OF course, it is unnecessary
10 comment on such an exudaloE OF
mendacity.
Now we are entertained with another
Aguinaldo romance, not quite but near
~ as impossible This new production
recites that. during the late Presiden-
tial campaign, when Mr.. Bryan, the
in New York, Two Tagal emissar!es
tried 10 approach him, but were re-
pulsed. one of Mr.. Bryan's personal
friends, il is said, met them to see what
they wanted, when, to his amazement,
they proposed on behalf of Aguinaldo
that he should contribute one hundred
thousand dollars to the Democratic cam
paign fund, and agree that, in the event
of Mr.. Bryan's election. the rebels in
the Philippines would make an uncon-
ditional surrender to the United States
Perhaps something Of the kind may
have occurred, but il is too improbable
TO believe in the absence Of convincing
proof. The story goes that the gentle
man Who met the ENJOYS told them
forcibly that Mr.. Bryan would have
nothing TO do with people in arms
against his country. and advised them
to get out of it. That would have been
the natural thing to say If the inter-
view ever took place: but did il?
We rather think not. All Of the Tagal
agents who have visited these shores
from the time Agoncillo landed, just
before the outbreak Of the insurrection,
10 the present time, have been under
the supervision and have acted by the
advice Of the Filipino Junta in Boston,
the leading members Of which were,
and, if they have not reformed, still are,
rank protectiOnist Republicans, as bit
terIy opposed 10 Mr. Bryan as they
were to 3Ir McKinley's Philippine pol
icy. These men might have been cap
able OF setting trap for the Candidate
of the People. but they never would
have permitted Aguinaldo' representa-
tives TO make such a proposition in
good faith. The narrative is very like
q whale" Aguinaldo has taken money
with extreme cheerfulness and avidity
whenever the opportunity offered He
never has been known to give up any,
and Those who know him well solemn
ly assert his incapacity to do anything
Of the kind. So, for another reason, the
story viii seem TO most intelligent peo-
pie 10 carry it's own refutation-