The Tucson citizen., 1902-07-08
SEDITlON IN MANILA.

At last we have had the privilege oi
examining, in all its original iresh-
ness and luxuriance thanks to an
army friend in the Philippines, the edl-
torial article in the Manila newspaper,
Freedom which caused the ill-fated
owners. editors. managers and writer's
of that publication to fall under the
ban of our benevolent dispensation in
our eastern possessions. Our readers
will not have forgotten. We hope, that
the suit was brought by the Philippine
civil commission under the enlightened
and benevolent sedition law Our
readers, We again hope. will remember
that the alleged offense consisted of a
plain but respectful criticism Of the
civil commission because of their
dealings with the natives.
No doubt it is an old story We are
quite prepared to believe that humane
and earnest persons have been be-
fooled ere this by the objects of their
misguided aitruism. Experience has
taught us that if there be one thine
more than another which the really
alert pagan longs for it is good
humored and credulous missionary
In certain God forsaken localities th'
peg&ns Eat them; in others, less be
niehted they make the evangelist
their loot. not to say their pudding
acaiu. in times of special stress an'
military demonstration. the worn
turns and the heather are thrown
down. with their pockets wrong-side
out. and their wallets left upon th'
ground, limp skins without an homes
: entrail to their names. And so !.
goes. A humping see-saw. and no
body the wiser. But all this is besid
the question. The Manila newspaper
the Freedom, has been put in chancery
Our civil commission has frowned upOI
it as an evil thing, and there we are.
We have carefully examined the ar
ticle which brought on the trouble, |
is lengthy. as is the average utteranc'
of the colonial and therefore garrulou
organ But we really can not see tina
IT carries with it anything dangerous
or dreadful We are prepared to prov,
that criticisms Of our policy in th'
PHILIPPINES infinitely more severe ar,
published in the United States ever!
day. if not oftener. We can make o
ii nothing more seditious than tn
proposition that Acting GovernO
Wright and his coadjutors in the civi
commission have permitted themselve
to be deceived and that. instead of lis
tening to the councils of wisdom anC
experience. they have blindly clung tC
their false idols and so closed the doc
TO betterment Whether this be or b.
not the case is a matter of no presen
Importance. The fact remains tina
the Manila newspaper pleads for diff
uibpSHSdllOH, diLu lIldL IL Iilu'
its recompense in arrest and pressure
under the so-ealled 'sedition laws"
If there be any case against th'
newspaper, Freedom, then there mus
be one law for American citizens in the
Philippines and another law for Amer
leans at home. Then what is innocent
if not eommendable here is mischiev-
Gus and wicked at Manila Then We
are not setting up in the Philippines
the institutions and the liberties which
are our boast in North America. but
on the contrary. subjecting the islands
to despotfsm which we should be
ashamed to put upon the primeval say
ages of Alaska.
There is no escape at all from this
hypothesis.
-v-O-------