The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-05-01

StINtl tilul ! lie iistE
~ not yet become wildly excited
over the alleged misdeeds OF
General Smith and other American
soldiers of good reputation in the past
who have been doing Il difficult work in
the Philippines with scant encourage
ment from home and still with eXcep-
tional success. 1t may be true that
General Smith is murderer. bastard,
double-dyed villain and numerous other
things that are odious and vile, as mos t
of the Democrats at Washington and
some of the spectacular and gallery
playing Republicans have been passion
ately proclaimng during the past few
days, but in view OF the fact that he is
undergoing courtmartal before i dis
tinguished tribunal whose proceedings
are 10 be reviewed by the president of
the United States we think it would do
no harm and possibly be fully as fair
and just to await the completed testi-
mony and the expert judgment before
giving way to furious denunciations of
the army, the administration, the Phil
ippincs. expansion and everything else
in sight
1t seems from his own admission that
General Smith made Il mistake which,
If it had been unprovoked by in
describable native atrocities ana per-
fidy almost, it is believed, without
parallel III the annals of warfare. would
have been unpardonable. He aimed to
make war so hellisf to those who We're
numbering his countrymen under the
guise of friendship and subiecting their
dead bodies to unmentionable desecra-
tion that they would be deferred from
their villainous ways In response to the
only kind Of treatment which. according
to many experienced observers of this
type OF the Oriental character. is eff
fectivc and lasting; and if the cabled
reports which tell of the clearing of
Samar and the surrender Of the last
armed 'pactico" be correct, it would
seem that there was IL good deal of
practical merit in General Smiths plan,
barring the ugly look which it has to
eNcitable critics viewing ii from the
soft and dreamy bowers of peace II it
was stvere it was because In the iudg-
i'''ht Va t'iiS tHi'tlicilctu ana ulllllllcn-
ing officer severe measures We're called
for. They seem to have won at about
the same time that the man who put
them in operation is subjected to Il
furious fusllade of attack and vllilica-
tion from home, participated in by os-
tenslbic friend as well as open foe.
We do not defend the order to Kill!
,,l., an
the age of ten years. women excepted |
1T typlfies Il sternness alien To the |
American character and not to be ac-
cepted in this country, no matter what
the proVocdtion. 1t is the judgment of |
an overwhelming majority Of the |
American people that they would rather |
abandon Sa,nar and all the rest of the |
Philippines than to be credited with |
such ferocity. Hence ii is certain that |
the policy confessed To by General |
Smith will not be sanctioned nor con-
'tlnued. 1t WAS Il mistake in judgment
natural 10 man whose atmosphere is |
wholly military and not civil, and who |
has been in the thick of the most try-
ing times in our military history But
let those who have never made mis-
takes east the first stone. Let the per-
feet man ana the perfect soldier among
critics in congress and
elsewhere leave the luXlries of peace.
HE them TO the far-oT archipelago, and
assuming some of the heat and burden
of the day, show Generals Smith, Chat
fee and the other bronzed veterans how
TO ,baitlc for the flag yaliantly and ef-
fectually in manner to please all con-
cerned, including the enemy.
The shadows at Washington are