The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-05-02
FRIDAY, NAY 2. boz.
HUNTING FOR U

H. f6IOA mAV4 & ESOZs ~ E
HUNTING FOR ISSUES" 4l
Only the venting of party spleen
and partizan venom can be urged as
causes Of the senseless attacks the
democratic newspapers and some of
the democratic members Of congress
are making On the president and adj
ministration because of the actions
Of some of the army officers operating
in the Philippines. Not a word of
testimony has been produced by them
to show in any manner that the pres
ident or members Of his cabinet are
responsible for the alleged violations
of the rules of civilized warfare of
which it is charged some officers are
guilty. Instead Of approving or COM
mending the acts charged against
General Smith and others, as the
howlers in the senate and editorial
rooms would have one believe, the
president has shown his disapproval
and condemnation by ordering instant
and full inquiry into the charges by a
military court convened for that pur-
pose. He wants the whole truth and
nothing but the truth brought out and
may be relied upon to see that the
guilty ones, if there are any, will be
punished in accordance with their
meet, so far as lies in his power.
But the course cf Carn1ack and the
Others who are joining i'm the persecu-
ton of the administration is only in
line with the ,policy Of the party they
represent. They want tissues" and
to make them do not hesitate at any
step o. any extreme, no matter how
dishonest or u%ntruthful. The presi-
dent having deprived them of their
: thunder in the direction of actions
against the trusts and combines of all
kinds and having instituted the very
proceedings which they have been de-
claring he dared not institute and
thereby refuted the SANDER that he
was owned and dominated by the
various combinations of capital, they
are now on another tack and hope to
find an tissue" in the conduct Of Ger
tain army officers in the islands,
pacification and civilization of which
the administration has undertaken in
accordance with the expressed wishes
and desires of the majority of the
people of the nation. But their cries
and charges will deceive very few.
The animus behind it all is so very ap,
parent and plain that even the most
dense of intellect can but perceive and
understand the motive that prompts
the noise now making.
If General Smith believed that by
issuing his noted order he was per
forming his duty as a soldier toward
the government in whose service he
is, it may be taken for granted thai
he would not have refrained from is
suing it had a democrat instead of
republican been in the white house
and consequently commander-in-chie1
Of the United States army. 1t is rea
sonable and safe to- assume that wher
he gave the order the thought as t.
who was president or which politica
party was in power at Washington
lever eutered~his mind. He believed
that the conditions confronting hin
justified such extreme measures as h,
resorted to and he acted on his owl
motion. 1t has been proved beyont
q shadow of doubt that nothing in tn
general orders issued from Washing
ton for the direction of the troops IL
the field in the Philippines contained
anything which may be taken as
ground or basis for the order of Gen
eral Smith. The contrary is tn
truth. Every order from headqual
tiers has been in strict conformit.
with the rules of warfare as now cor
Quoted by civilized nations and j
cases have occurred where, drive,
to desperation by the t~reachery an
cruelty of the foe, individual soldier
and officers have transgressed thos
rules, it is manifestly wrong and III
just to charge the administration wit
responsibility for such breaches.
But tissues" are wanted and legit
mate ones being lacking, a disconcer
ed and disorganized enemy is takin
advantage of every pretext. no matte
how trifling or f%atuous, to gain syn
En IL
pathy and q following in a struggl
for which he is now preparing.
SUSTAINING THE NAME.
It is . remarkable day indeed whe