The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1901-04-12
o, X. & N. Time Gard.
AguinaIdo Is Learning.


1t was a significant remark which Ag-
uinaldo made to Chief Justice Arellano,
when the latter was explaining to him
what the Americans had done for the
Philippines and what they proposed do
ing: 81 never believed the Americans
would be 80 fair and liberal" This is
the key, so the Post lnteligeDcer
thinks, to the long continued and hope
less struggle which Aguinaldo and his
followers have kept up against American
authority, since it became apparent to
them that his dream of being a perpet-
ual dictator was over. 1t is apparent
that if Aguinaldo had been aware how
fair and how liberal the policy OF the
American government would be to the
people of the Philippines, he would have
ceased his opposition long ago, would
have accepted the new conditions, and
would have lent his aid toward restoring
peace and putting in effect the new sys-
TEN OF government.
The responsibility for Aguinaldo's
want of faith in the fairness and liberal
ity of the American government and the
American people, and the consequent re-
sponsibility for the bloodshed, the de-
vastation and the enormous expense
which have followed his long resistance
to American authority, lies squarely at
the door OF those people in the United
States who, for partizan reasons, have
persistently misrepresented this country,
and misled the Filipinos as to American
objects and American methods. The lu-
rid rhetorical figures of speech of dem
ocratic orators have borne very different
meaning to the FilIpinos and to Aguin-
aldo, their leader, and to the Indifferent
or amused American auditors of cam
paign speeches. When the organs, Alt
gelds and Pettigrews of this country
were announcing from the stump or on
the floors of congress that with the sup
preston of the insurrectioD in the Phil
ippines the people there would be sub
jected to an intolerable tyranny; would
be ensaved; would be denied all rights,
and would be the mere playthings of an
imperialstic government worse than
that of Spain, which had been over
thrown, the American people, accustomed
to such mock heroics, simply smiled in
diligently and took little thought of the
possible effect of such Incorporate ut
terances.
All OF these speeches, however, were
promptly translated, forwarded to the
Philippines and spread before the insur-
gents in the field. Chains and slavery
we're not mere figures of speech to
Aguinaldo and his followers. Tyranny
was something of which they had ex-
perience. They knew only too we'll what
the government of Spain had been, and
it is little wonder that for a time they
preferred to resist to the end rather than
to accept a government which they we're
assured, on apparently good American
authority, was to be infinitely worse
than anything which they had suffered
under Spain.
1t is little wonder that it has been
long and at times an apparently hope
less task to convince the Filipinos of the
good intentions which this government
has constantly entertained towards
them, of the fairness and liberality with
which they we're in truth to be treated;
when large class of American citizens,
posing as the particular friends of the
FilipinOs, and indirectly in constant
communication with them, we're pouring
out their streams of lurid and mislead-
ing rhetoric, holding constantly before
the FilipinOs the fear of an appalling
fate should ever the insurrection be SUD-
pressed.
Why is it that Aguinaldo never before
believed "that the Americans would be
so fair and liberal?" Why is it that
when he becomes convinced, as he has
been, of the fairness and liberality of the
Americans he promptly takes the oath
OF allegiance to this country? The truth
is that the Filipinos have simply been
victims of constituencies politicians and
sentimental rhetoricans in this country.
who have sought to gain local and tenn
porary partisan advantages, absolutely
regardless of the bioodshed and suffer-
ing which their reckless and false utter
ances have caused.
The actual damage which has been
wrought by democratic partisans and
eastern sentimentalists can scarcely be
overestimated; and the worst victims of
their false pretences have been Aguinaldo
and his followers, who are now seeing
the error in which they have been led.
Months of patient work have been re-
quired to overcome the distrust of this
country, engendered by the ISLANDERS of
partisan Americans; aside from the
heavy loss of life on both sides, the de-
struction of property, the expenditure
o. treasure and the widows and orphans
who have been bereft OF their protectors.
The larger share of this is directly
chargeable to the ISLANDERS of their own