The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1902-05-09
FROM TIE CAPITAL.
Our Correspondent Talks in
General About Wash
ingtOn.
(Guuiulunicated).
" ASHINGTON,


May 9TH. 1902.
"The editor or the citizen who
undere'timateS the Philippine
question, who fails TO appreciate
that it is Of paramount impor-
lance, who imagines that Sena
tors, in ventilating and opposing
the Philippine policy of the ad,
miniStration. are losing sight of
the interests Of our own people is
short sighted. He does not grasp
the true import of the situation,n
said Senator Clay, in reply to
question | put to him Saturday.
lis an undertaking which means
to the people of the Unitad States
an annual expenditure of $50 600.
600, and which means that eX-
penditure not for one year but
continuously a question of minor
Importance? Aud that is not the
most serious phase of the situa.
ton. Reflect for moment upon
the effect of the war on our
American soldiers, officers and
men. 1t is brutalizing them as is
plainly shown by the evidence
which has been given before the
Philippines Committee. And why
this cruelty! Is it in accordance
with tie past histories of our army!
No! And for good reason. In
the Civil War men fought for the
principles in which they believed,
the rights OF the sovereign states
on the one side. the preservation
of the Union on the other. All
were sincere. All were fighting
for their convictions. Ministers,
doctors, chants, farmers. the
best men in the country on both
sides, made up he rank and file
of the armies. To a certain eX-
tent the same was true in the
Spanish War when the best of our
young men enlisted to uphold the
flag and to free Cuba. But who
have we in The Philippine! Men
who enlisted for Sl3 per month.
Men who enlisted generally only
because other means of gaining a
livelihood were barred to them.
Stop and think Of the men you
know who have enliSted-not as
volunteers in the first fever of the
war-but as regulars. Tor the pal
try pay of a private. w hat man
ner Of men are they? Is it any
wonder that their officers cannot
restrain them and that they prac-
tice cruelties and avail them.
selves of mel hodS of torture! The
FiiipinoS are human beings with
hopes and aspirations like our
own. They have seen the ligh
as the American coloniStS saw it
i'll 1175 and now is il to be wreSt-
ed from them and are they to
yield up their hope of liberty!
'Pacified! Yes. Temporarily,
perhaps. at the muzzleS Of Ameri
can rifles. but let those rifles be
turned away and their hopes and
ambitions will return and they
willrenew the struggle. We have
killed their men and sometimes
their children and even. perhaps,
though accidentally, their women.
Will they forgive us and accept
our rule! Never, except III the
presence of large armed forces.
TO preserve peace in the Philip
pines we must maintain an army
of from forty to fifty thousand
men in the islands for years to
come, perhaps, forever; and this
to conquer people to whom
liberty Is as dear as it is to us.
Can the Philippine question be
said to be one of minor Importance.
AprOpoS of the Philippine ques-
ton there has been adopted by
the Senate a resolution calling on
the Secretary of War for a state
ment of the expense to which this
country has been put i'll the adj
miniStratiOns of the military af.
fairs of the islands. Secretary
Root has shown decided ten
dency to avoid making this report
during this session and would
doubtless like to postpone the
statement until after the fall
campaign. He has magnitied the
difficulties and Ill the meantime
has refused to furnish even an
approximation, which is all the
Democratic Senators who father
ed the resolution desire. To the
$50, 100000 paid as a purchase
price for the islands may be added
the 500, AS, $50 expended for
military purposes for the first six
months, from May TO November,
1898, but from that time on no
figures are to be had and the most
persistent inquiry by Senators
and correspondents has failed to
secure any competent information.
1t is estimated that the total cost
mn to November. 1890 was S100