The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1902-02-04
ANTI IMPERIALlsTs UNWIsE.
General Lawton's Letter and Its
Awful Charge Against Amer-
lean Malcontents.


The recently renewed attempt of
certain ant-imperalsts to revive dis
cussion over the Philippine question
has drawn out some effective replies.
And perhaps the most effective is the
publication of the letter by the late
Gen. Lawton condemning the Ameri-
can sympathizers with the Filipino
insurgents. The letter is given in the
Louisville Evening Post, to which it
was furnished by Gen. Lawton's
| letter was written from the Philip
pinss, where he was actively engaged
| in suppressing the insurrection, by
| the general only short time before
he was killed in battle. He declared
| that if the antiimperialists would
| honestly ascertain the truth on the
ground they would be convinced of
| the error of their exaggerated state
ments and conclusions, and of the
cruel and unfortunate effect of their
| publications here" The general add
| ed that if he were shot in the Philip
| pines he would feel that the blow
came from his own side, because, as
he said, 81 know from my own obser-
vations, confirmed by the stories of
captured Filipino prisoners, that the
continuance of the fighting is chiefly
due to reports that are sent out from
America and circulated among those
| ignorant natives by the leaders, who
know BETTER"
Commenting on the appearance of
that historic letter at this time, the
| ST. Louis Globe-Democrat says:
"These are the words of a man who knew
the situation in the Philippines as we'll as
any other person in the United States serv-
| ice, and better than it could be known by
| the little juntas of flag-furlers in Boston,
| Chicago and the other centers of anti
| imperialism. He knew the Filipino as a
| civilian and as soldier. In Manila and
| its environs, as well as out in the jungles
and mountains of Luzon, Gen. Lawton
| had met the natives of the islands, and he
! was fully conyersant with the things that
made them rebel against American author
ity and which made them keep up the re-
| bellion after possible hope was ended of
success from fighting. The general, as
we'll as every other American in the is
lands, soldier and civilian, was we'll aware
| that it was the ISLANDERS and the promises
| of the little band of 'anti-imperalists' in
the United States which precipitated the
| insurrection in the first place and which
| renewed it several times after serious re-
| sistance to the Americans had been tenn
porarily crushed. Moreover, all this was
plain from the beginning to large major
| ity of the Americans at home.
| Gen. LaWton's letter, now known to
everyone in the United States to have been
/ genuine as it was quoted a year and more
ago. is crushing condemnation of the cor
ovid Of oyNl ,l,o,
resented the motives of their own govern
ment and melted the ignorant Filipinos to
rise against its authority. The blood Of
every American soldier who has been killed
in the Philippines, from Gen. Lawton down
to the privates in the ranks, is upon the
hands of this coterie of mischief makers.
The ignorant bolomen in the swamps and
the hills of Luzon and other centers of
disturbance We're led to believe that they
had powerful allies in William j. Bryan
and his party, assisted by cabal of re-
publican malcontents. More interest was
felt in the jungles of Luzon in Bryan's can
vass than was entertained in the United
States. The wishes for his victory were
more fervent there than they were here.
Bryan's election would have been hailed
with more delight among the land and
water pirates of Luzon, Samar and the rest
of the seats of disturbance in the Philip
pines than it would have aroused even
among Cookers janizaries. This letter Of
Gen. Lawton ought to have been given
to the public earlier, but 1t is we'll to have
1t even at this late day as a refutation and
rebuke for the little gang of vilifiers who
have raised up enemies to American sway
In the Philippines and who have indire city
sacrificed the lives of hundreds of Ameri-
can soldiers"
This is pretty strong language,
says the Troy Times. Yet it would be
difficult to successfully challenge it's
truth. The American people have
passed upon the Philippines ques-
ton and all the ''imperialistic" non
sense in connection with it. The cleo
ton of 1900 recorded their emphatic,
overwhelming verdict. But there is
an element which is apparently de-
termined to resurrect the issue, if
possible. 1t is composed principally
of supporters of Mr.. Bryan in the
last campaign, who do not seem to
be satisfied with the crushing rebuke
they received at that time. They are
very unwise and are inviting their
own undoing. The letter of Gen.
Lawton and the corroborative evil
dence of anti-imperialistic aid and
I. comfort to the enemy that can easily
be furnished will be sufficient to
arouse loyal and patriotic Americans
to higher pitch of Indignation than
they have previously attained. Bet
ter let imperialism" alone.
POLICIES OF M,KINLEY.