Sunday Washington globe., 1902-05-11

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Infamous Stain on the Republic.
The Republican attempt to defend the
atrocities of Smith, Waller & Co., in the
Philippines by citing the cruelties of the
Filipiuos towards our soldiers is a challenge
OF our higher civilization and demoustra-
tion of an immoral axiom that two wrongs
make a right Commenting on this feature
of the defense we may be permitted to ask
why the military adjunct Of our superior
civilization is susceptible or so readily in-
Aueuced to initiate, if not exceed the praC-
ticas of a barbarous aud savage foe' In
other words is our higher and undoubtedly
superior civilization for times Of peace only
and like a thin veneering easily penetrated
or cast off in times of war?
The savage instinct in man the higher
civilized man-has been illustrated in that
homely and well-known epigram Scratch
a Russian and you will find a Taratar," "
And, indeed, it follows, and every war has
demonstrated its truth that the most civili-
zed nations have justified their military
arm in the field in fighting the foe with his
own weapons. Courtesy for courtesy
Murder for murder Hence the army in
the Philippines is not condemned by the
American people or as Senator Lodge as
serts by the Democratic party, because it
treats the armed Filipino as the armed
Filipino treats the AIMED American soldier.
No condemnation has been offered the
brave and gallant soldiers of the Republic
where they have fought and accepted the
savage terms of their foe-no quarter
Ten thousand Filipiuos put to the sword
under these conditions would neither evoke
condemnation from our people nor accusa-
ton Of barbarity from other nations.
The American soldier in the Philippines
rs not condemned for this mode of warfare
gyeor for llis prompt and natural action in
Ahiking few if any chances from the hostile
FCl94ffves albeit he is an invader and hire
lug lighting for pay the men defending
their native land. There is no glory but
the glory of valor for the American soldier
in this war of conquest and invasion He
is not defending his flag, his home, his
Country or his Government. Neither the
one nor the other is assailed nor in danger.
But notwithstanding all this the American
people Justify him and the Democratic
oarty does not condemn him for any of the
methods he has put in practice to save his
life and take the life of the hostile or armed
foe.
But the roads fork at this point and the
military arm is required to show cause for
the slaughter of non-combatauts, for tor
tures inflicted on prisoners, for the FIRE and
sword with which provinces were made
vvilderuesses and for the unparalleled (since
Eerods solitary examplel and infamous
order of General Smith to his delegated ex-
ecutiOuer Major Waller to kill everybody
over ten years of age and make Samar a
bowling wilderness" There is no military
necessity, no acts of the enemy, however
arrocious, which can palliate nor justify the
uaequaled barbarity of such an order.
The Flipinos, it will be remembered,
have committed all the atrocities enumer.
a.ed by Senator Lodge and the Republican
administration upon American soldiers in
the field whom they captured or who fell
into their hands. The soldiers accepted the
chances of the invader and were full grown
nlen who knew the dangers incident to the
service they voluntarily sought for so much
per month in a distant country ten thous.
and miles from their native land. It is
absurd to speak of their patriotism, under
such conditions, and il is an insult to classify
them, except in the matter of their inherent
vslor characteristic of the American SOL
d,er) with the survivors of the Civil War or
the gallant and liberty-loving men who
sprang to arms in behalf of our neighboring
Island Of Cuba. They are simply machine
soldiers serving for pay, who either en-
listed to be sent out to the Philippines as
hirelings, or who were already in the ser
vice as regulars and consequently 'profes-
sional" soldiers animated by the love of
arms irrespective Of the cause for which
they fight
Now, having fairly stated their status and
conceded their valor and splendid endurance
we take issue with Senator Lodge and the
Republican administration that the killing
o. these soldiers in violation of the rules of
civilized warfare, their torture as prisoners
in the hands Of people they are endeavor-
ing to conquer and subdue, justifes the
order of General Smith, the butcheries Of
Waller or the murder Of natives and their
priests by the water torture. The hostile
male Filipino put to the sword in battle,
and even shot hanged and imprisoned as
he has been by the hundreds on charges
proven before the military and civil
tribunals established by the invaders, has
not been questioned by even the Demo
cratic party, which while regretting and
cOndemning the fatuous policy Of the Re-
publican administration in this expensive
unwise and wholly useless colonial armed
enterprise, recognized the exigencies aud
natural results incidental to such condem
natory policy, and both the American peo-
pie and the Democratic party looked mourn
fully on hoping against hope that the end
was at hand.
No the American people are too intelli. .
gent to confound the necessary severity and .
hell of war with the blood-thirsty and Atina .
order Of General Smith to kill, burn and
slay all over ten years of age" They know
that this was not making war upon male