The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1902-03-26
FUNSTON DEFENDS ARMY
Aguinaldo's Capturer Discusses
Its Philippine Policy.

He Declares Every Insursent Leader
Is n Murderer and That FiIiDinOs
Are United For Self Government.
His Opinion of Americans Who En-
courage the Insurgents.
General Frederick Funston was the
guest of honor at dinner given the
other night at the Lotos club, in New
York.
General Funston was seldom inter
rupted by applause, the company being
too deeply interested in his address on
the Philippine instruction. He said:
"There are few facts which should
be laid before you. When Manila sur
rendered to Admiral Dewey and Gen
eral Merritt, there were many Spanish
families, men and officers, with their
wives and children there. 1t would
have been the blacklist page in Amer
lean history if we had surrendered
them to the insurgents, blot that we
could not have wiped out in thousand
years of good conduct among the ma
lions of the earth. The whole civilized
world would have regarded it as such.
j don't suppose that AguinaldO and his
officers would have countenanced it,
but there would have been a slaughter
without parallel. One has but to know
the pitiful story of 1899 and the butch
cry of Spanish troops to realize this
Joint administration of the city be-
tween the Americans and the insur-
gents was not possible. The dema-
gogue Aguinaldo ordered trenches dug
about our lines frozn so to go yards,
and he filed them with an army of
over 10000 men. The insurgents in
suited and provoked our men. The ex-
IRENE discipline enforced by General
Otis kept the armies from conflict.
There was the greatest patience, and
finally sergeant on sentry duty, with
two other men, met some inSurgent Of
Ificers and men, who insisted on cross
ing a bridge He challenged them
three times, and then at one shot he
killed with his Krag one insurgent
lieutenant and one insurgent private.
The Nebraska soldier knew how to
shoot, and within a minute or two the
rifle pits of the insurgents were blaz-
ing against their liberatorS, and the
war had begun.
IF that sergeant had not fired that
good shot he would have been liable
to discharge, dishonorable discharge
from the army. He would have suf-
fered the same if he had not killed his
own captain If that officer had refused
three times to answer the challenge.
"At the time of the outbreak of the
war in the Philippines the Twentieth
kansas had seventy-five men outside
the lines on patrol duty. l was in Ma
Mia sitting on porch with Major Met
calf. had fallen asleep, and he woke
me, saying that the dance had COM
menced He was right. There was
the rattle of the Mauser coming from
intrenched insurgents, and the trouble
had begun.
1--WE hear of the abuses and eXtrava-
gances of behavior of our soldiers in
the Philippines. | want to testify that
out of our regiments SO per cent are
brave, humane and a credit to their
country. The other 8 per cent who are
writing to the newspapers, telling of
alleged abuses. have served more time
inside the guardhouse than they have
in the field.
But l would like to say word
about those who died in the island for
their country. There was Captain
Godfrey of New York. beloved even by
the natives, q humane and just man
without malice in his heart. He died
in an ambuscade and, dying without
hatred in his heart. heard the curses
of his men and saw the tears in their
eyes There was Sergeant O'Brien,
who had been in the service of the
flag for twenty-five years. He was i'll
in the hospital when he learned that
his company must go to the front, and
he told the doctors to so lowell,
different place from the one | believe
ne went to. He was shot through the
heart.
I'VE who have seen those we loved
killed know that their deaths were due
to what has happened in the United
States since January. 1900 and we
know that the deaths of the enemy
were due to agitation in the United
States because they had been misguid-
ed into the belief that there were many
in the United States who wanted to
see them free.
Can you say that these Fflipinos
who died fer a dictator can be COM
pared with the men who fought for
and made the United States?