The Irish standard., 1902-01-04
AFFAIRS IN THE PHILIPPINES,

h'AN ISttNS 10 p1bNlttlli III lIc IcIllOlt
future they will have cost this country
as much as the Boer war has cost
England. But the cost of subjugatine
the natives will not consist alone il
dollars and cents or human lives. The
greatest cost to this republic will be
the loss of it's good name; and the
good name of nation as we'll as of
an individual is ''better than great
riches"
For over hundred years the
American republic has been the refuge
of the oppressed, and it's basic princt.
pies have been admired by liberty,
loving people the world over. All
mankind recognized the United States
as the abode of liberty and justice.
The Declaration of independence
adopted by congress on July 4, 1776,
ELECTED the highest encomiums in for
eign lands. Every weak nation strug-
Cling for freedom sought and found
sympathy in the republic of Washing
ton. Whether it was the Greeks
against the Turks, the Magyars against
the Austrians, or the Irish against the
English, they were certain of obtaining
both moral and material aid in this
land of promise and opportunity.
Up to 1893 this republic had been
the champion and eXemplar of liberty
for all nations of the earth. Alas! it
is so no longer. In a fit of passion
over the explosion of the Maine, war
was declared against Spain, ostensibly
for Cuban liberty. Before long the
war of liberation was converted into IL
war of spOliation. While the Cubans
are not yet free and independent"
the Filipinos are being enslaved and
eXtcrminated. Weylerism was sup
pressed in Cuba, but is now inaugu-
rated in the Philippines under the
name of Chaffeeism.
In our last issue we quoted the Ma
Mia correspondent of the Philadelphia
Ledger who declared that the soldiers
of the United States are indiscrimi-
nmtcly killing ''men, women and chill
dren, prisoners and captives, active in
surgents and suspected people," and
using violence and brutality" to in
spire the natives with fear. General
Claffce called them TRAITORS in war"
and accused them of assimilation and
hypocrisy. He said they were good
for nothing, and that ''no powerful
state was ever erected or ever can be
erected on such immoral and unen-
lightened foundations" Granting that
such is the fact, is there any justifica-
ton for this military tyrant to exter-
inmate young and old of both sexes in
the name of American liberty and CIV
iliZatiOn? Is it the purpose of the
United States to treat the Filipinos as
it treated the Indians? If not, why
allow this military governor to de-
stroy "our wards" in this brutal man.
ncr? General Kitchener, "the butcher
of Omdurnan," has a counterpart in
General Chaffce, the butcher of Tay-
tay.
The special correspondent of the At
lanta Constitution in the Philippines
corroborates what the correspondent
of the Philadelphia Ledger says of
American barbarity to the natives. In
Il recent letter he (NIr. Josiah ObD says
of conditions in the island Of Cebu:
"Thc highly civilized and altogether
humane methods that characterized
the rule of the gentle Weyler in Cuba
are being resorted to by the American
army in it's efforts to subject the Wis
ayans of this island of Cebu, of Bobol,
and would be put into effect in Samar
If the conditions were favorable.
Whole villages have been burned by
order of the general commanding the
district and the rccOncentrado policy
of which we heard so much in Cuba is
about to be put into operation hcre-if
indeed. it cannot be said to have al.
ready been instituted. General Hughes
believes that war is hell" us Sherman
said, and he is giving the people of
Ccbu Il taste of the birthstone. Only a
few nights ago an American officer
boosted that he is known as the Wey.
Ter of the district where he is in com
mand. He also said-although it may
seem incrediblc-that he was proud OF
being so called.
General orders have been ISSUED
that whatsoever shall in any way give
aid and comfort to the enemy shall
be visited with dire punishment; thai
his house shall be burned over his
head and that he himself shall bt
dealt with as severely as is possible
The officer commanding the battalion
over on Bohol has been given instruc
ton to kill off everybody suspected Of
connection with the insurgents. H,
has been told that these orders Civ,
him the widest latitude; that he is no
Ito Ma uasy ssaari1 cnlarg whether Ahessu