New-York tribune., 1902-12-09
A CRIME IN THE PHILIPPINES.
More Boston Views About It.

| VlolC toSGVA fiOWS Guous &t'
| To the Editor of The Tribune.
| Sir: 1 have read your comment upon my letter
| concerning Father Augustnes case. in last Fri
days Tribune. l submit that it is unfair, and 1t is
| to my mind-you will pardon me the same frank
which you uexercise-characeristic of the spirit
! and method of the defence of misconduct in the
Philippines against the just criticism of earnest
and patriotic men, If any condemnation of this
outrage was just it is not germane and 1t Is not III
| order say do condemn outrages in Massa-
] chusetts. And what right or ground have you 10
/ say to think that do do that? AS a matter
| OF fact L do it ten times as much as condemn
! dstane evils. Lawlessness at home, misrule or
| mischief in Boston, the hoodlumism or our New
England villages, the mob spirit everywhere, South
ern lynchings outrages on the one side or the
other in industrial crses-these are things against
which my voice is constantly raised. The inelosed
| pamphlet, ION LawIessness' directed precisely
against these evils, which you gratuitously assume
| do not affect me or enlist my attention. is
simply representative of my controlling spirit and
my everyday activity But that has nothing to do
with the question whether the outrage under dis
! cussion is to be condemned and to be dealt with
adequately by law.
| 1 say by law. The heading which you chose to
give my letter quite misrepresents its purpose
said nothing to what should be done law
law My precise contention is that 1t Is
utterly unreasonable and premature TO conclude
that there is legal way of dealing properly
with crimes 50 gross and awful l believe that
the trouble is not with the law. but with our
selves. we have grown callouS ABOUT hie-
When the negro was burned at the stake In Paris.
Iex half dozen years ago hait ol US s., IN ,orror
OF 1t; now such burnings once month do not dis
turb breakfast. We have gone on weakly
in the Phiiippines. scores IS and hundreds Of them,
until our very moral fibre as people is becoming
We are rude and simple folk in ! Boston ana al
ence OF proved and confessed crimes like this :. I
any OF us. Let US not quickly or easily Jump 10
honor are nVolVed. as in this case that we
nothing against itnueh less accuse &C ,1 these , VINO
The main "a hsg & for n,5 70. ana and rs fGr 9 II d IS
e eef Gse for this and
to lay them before the people Then we can n,s see
has t. hands letter Pq5lslhsd in ph The
The United States gqnboat Paragua in November
murdered day Or two later was CAPTURED. the
tehant Whom The es written fne no Ait
house-spbjecting the priest to most cruel indig-
ons nss to ce en- y be
perpetrated on the morrow from reaching General
Now, of course, there may be no such man as
Be ne Gnd 81 and
may be no Lieutenant AT Althouse But suggest
No. 20 Beacon-st. Boston, Dec. 3. 1902.
1.-The trouble with Mr.. Mead again is exactly
what The Tribune said in commenting on his
nrSL letter. his instincts are rlSHI-anO SlilCS
he seems TO think doubt It, we take pleasure
in saying that the weight of his character and
ability has been frequently effective in behalf
of good causes. while nobody doubted his
honest and sincere desire to do good. But as
The Tribune said before, in becoming overex-
cited he has lost both his sense of proportion
and his exactitude in the perception of facts.
The present letter illustrates afresh both de-
fects in his work. He fancies that he has a
dispute with to whether the outrage un-
der discussion is to be condemned" Yet the
very paragraph TO which he was replying began
with the words Nobody apologies for the kill
ing of the Philippine priest. 1t crime de-
serving of severe punishment" He fancies he
has dispute with TO whether it should be
dealt with adequately by law" Yet the very
next sentence in our article whether or not
punishment can be inflicted is purely question
of law. If the law as it stands is inadequate to
deal with the case, the fact is to be regretted
and the law should speedily be amended. as 1t Is
reported Secretary Root will recommend He
ina gnes that the whole spirit of his former let
ter was to urge strict procedure according to
law: and vet in that letter he replied to the
statement Of the Secretary Of War that further
proceedings cannot be taken against the Of
fender in this case by this outburst: do we
not all know that among any people of common
sense and of virtue there is always law enough
deal adequately with every grave eXlgency,
if SO he the public mind and conscience are
properly aroused insight and to resolution?
And as if this declaration of the duty 10 invent
law if none could be found were not sufficiently
plain he went on with the p6Ttentous assertion
that I'VE were the eve of startling reveia- }
ton of it THAT is that there is always law
enough to deal adequately with every grave
exigencyl if the arbitration of the coal strike
had been refused a fortnight longer" If this
means anything, it must mean that the public
mind and conscience to be properly aroused
10 end the coal strike either by force or by
fresh legislation. Yet. if Mr.. Mead is calling
not for force but for fresh legislation to punish
the officer responsible for the killing of the Phil
ppine priest, is he that he is proposing to
which prohibits ex post facto legislation? Or !
was it merely The Tribune said at the out |
set Mr.. Meads screaming rhetoric?
So much to illustrate his exactitude in the per- |
ception and statement of facts. Now as to his |
sense of proportion: He has found a case clear
" proved OF a crime by United States officer
against a Filipino. The facts came to light after
the officer had been honorably mustered out OF
the service, and the Secretary of War there
fore found no means of furnishing him under
military law. Now, crimes of equal or greater
atroeity have been unfortunately frequent not
nine thousand miles away from Mr.. Mead, as
this one was but all about him-crimes GER
tany more cruel, occurring not among semi
barbarous people, but among ourselves; not
among harried soldiery struggling against q