The Atlanta constitution., 1902-04-14
The Facts in the Philippines.

When The Constitution last sum-
mer sent it's Washington special rep
resentative to the Philippine islands
| its purpose was to inform itself and
it's constituency of the true status or
affairs i'm the archipelago. Mr.. Ohl
wrote and we published series OF
letters that gave a detailed and COM
prehensive relation of conditions ex-
listing i'm the several great provinces
of Luzon and Mindanao and in other
of the more important islands. Those
letters were widely read and exten-
sively quoted by the press OF the
country.
The letters were purposely written
| in the most conservative terms.
Abundant material that could have
been worked into sensational form ana
aroused heated discussion at that time
was discarded. and an honest endeavor
made to present only straightfor-
ward story of what was to be seen
and heard in the Philippines-such a
story as an eminently impartial stu
dent of conditions would write to his
| familiar friends.
I
by those letters was that we have been
operating too largely along military
| lines in the administration of the Phil
/ ippines We had taken possession or
! them as an act of war and We held
them by officers and force that had
gone out to make war and were Itch
| ing for "a baptism of blood" and some
stars of conquest. They seemed rath-
er to welcome than deplore the revolt
/ of "the niggers," as they promptly
named the Filipinos. Since then the
guerrilla warfare has been aggravated
| between our soldiers and the native
/ insurrectos and a great mass of en-
\ mites, cruelties and revenges set
down to the account of both sides.
! And we are told that the things that
! have been revealed are not comparable
with the things that have been con-
I cealed by our authorities in the
I islands.
Now we have publicity given TO the
report made by Major Cornelius Gar
dener, civil governor of Tayabas prov
ince. That report fully and circum-
stantially corroborates the things
written by The Constitutions repre-
sentative and which many republican
Z journals were disposed to treat as
partisan attacks upon The officials in
I the Philippines Major Gardener is
well-known in Atlanta, served with
distinction in the reconstruction of
Cuba and then went to the Philip
pines, where lie has been one of our
most successful administrators.
He does not mince words. He
speaks his mind to the secretary of
war with ccmmendable boldness and
clearness He believes our strong de-
{ pendence upon militarism IN the Phil
/ ippines is n wrong policy. that it is
embroiling us more deeply with the
Filipinos every day and is sure to re-
suit in a widespread hatred of Ameri-
cans that Will keep up constant revolu-
tiCn in the island as long as we claim
sovereignty over them. He frankly
says:
The work of the Philippine commission
and the Laws that have been enacted bN
Il are everywhere favorably commented
upon by the natives. The efforts being
made for the general education Of the
people are appreciated by all The pro-
vnriaI government and thu municipal
governments established are slowly
bringing ortler out of chaos and anarchy,
and there begins to be visible everywhere
in this province progress and prosperity.
True Loyalty and contentment can only
come under a benign civil government
Major Gardener Is right in his dag
nosis of the situation, and all who are
not of the army or blind partisans
of military government know it. Con
gress cannot afford 10 ignore his tes-
timony and General Miles did a dis
/ tinct good service when he forced the
publication of the Gardener report.
IL will lead to two strenuous de-
mands by the people. One will be for
I a thorough investigation and uncover
I ing OF our past administration of the
4 islands. The people are coming to
suspect that atrocities and oppres-
siOns have been committed by our
army that are abhorrent to every
I genuine American. They are weary
of these suspicious and want the truth.
/ The whole truth. and nothing but the
/ truth,
Then they want "A radical change of
methods in the Philippines. Believ-
\ ing that all sane people prefer peace
/ to war. they want the civil method of
! governing tllt II lllplllOS gwen the pref
/ erence over the military plan. The
I latter has failed of success and is of
1 fensive. Let the army, as Major Gar
dener suggests, be corralled for emer-
gency uses alone and let the civil au-
! thorities. wisely chosen, be given am
pie opportunity to try the process of
/ winning the cooperation of the Filipi-
nos i'm local civil governments. If these
are established in harmony with Amer
lean principles they will via the sup
4 port and patriotism of the island peo-
pie, satisfy their longings for liberty
and in no wise endanger the sover.
eighty of this nation. The opinion is
growing IN this country daily that the
I Filipinos will respond to kindness
sooner than to Krags; and make bet
/ ter Americans under such a man as
/ Gardener than under such a one as
Waller,
The Appalachian Park.
The agricultural committee of the
national house of representatives has