The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-01-16
ofRY WAY OF MANILA m

The above evidence seems to us nior- l ally conclusive proof that the so-called
 water-cure torture has, during period
 of nearly two years, been systematical-
 ly used in the Philippines under the
 aegis of our flag to produce political or military results. It would appear that it was employed first by the Macabebe scouts (for whom the president asked,
 in his message, special recognition by
 Congress for their loyalty, and it also
 would appear that our own soldiers shared in the ghastly work It would also appear that the water cure is a
 Spanish torture, but, according to MT.
 Remnants informant, Spain used it
 more sparingly and considerably than
 we have done. It would appear that we
 have gone Spain one better in this busi ness-as we Americans are apt to do in
 those things to which we put our hand.
 There is, as we have said. but one al-
 ternative to this conclusion; it is that
 there is an extended conspiracy among
 United States soldiers to defame their
 flag, to paint out of it the stars and
 stripes, and to daub over it the red and
 yellow of cruel medieval Spain. If the
 conspiracy theory is to explain the facts
 then it is the duty of our government to
 vindicate its honor by letting the real
 truth be known, and by pun shing those
 of it's soldier servants who have circu-
 lated so cruel a falsehool among the
 American public. Under this theory the
 Outlook and MT kennan should not
 be forgotten in the work of just retri-
 button. But if the other theory is cor
 rect, if it be true that the United States
 military authorities in he Philippines
 have made use of savage allies' who
 in their warfare have revived the hor-
 hors of the Inquisition, then their in-
 famous policy should be fittingly be- buked by our government, recurrence of such wicked acts should be rigidly forbidden, and those who have justified and permitted them should be officially punished: but beyond that the stigma of outraged civilization should be stamped forever on their names; not oblivion but immortal contempt and execration, should be their reward.
 It will be interesting to note what view of our fellow -countrymen take of this question. These ugly stories have been leaking out of private letters for some time past. They scarcely excit- ed comment when the Outlook and MT. Kennan published them-and Mir. Ken nan gave them as truth-still they pro- duced no serious discussion or inquiry. Testimony that cannot be doubted of al most equally revolting cruelty now comes in the shape of the recnncentrado policy of General Smith in Samar-and | still no public outcry What is the sig | nificance of such silence? Do we realize that amidst all the sunshine of our rich, prosperous life we are being weighed in the balance of a true civili- | zation of eternal justice-and are be- l ing found wanting? Some good and | useful men, with the light of optimism | their eyes, have told us off, | ten of late that civil service reform was | coming to us "by way of Manila; but l it looks as though another and quite l different cargo had left that distant l port for our shores-one that cannot be | kept out by high tariff or rigid exclu- | sion acts, a product which cursed the whose name the islands bear, | and which contracted his empire to
 proportions, and has brought | 1t to the last stages of decrepitude and senility. It is the product of arbitrary vernment-authority without justice, force from which the life blood of | righteousness and truth has run out From the Philadelphia City and State.