The age-herald., 1902-05-09
Washington Day by Day

washington, May S.-(Specfal.) )-Some weeks ago there was ventured in this correspondence the statement that in so far as concerned our occupation of the Philippine Islands, not nearly the half had been told. Subsequent developments, supplied under oath to the committee of the Senate, have more than substantiated that view. And yet It may be stated in all sincerity and conservatism that the half has not sbeen told up to this time.
 The American people will probably be unable to accept as facts the astounding truthfulness of the Philippines situation. | Certain facts that have been sworn to, and facts which are yet to be sworn, are to the average American mind quite unbelievable The fear Is that our peo- pie will be unable to grasp the truth of American oppression and wrong of the Fillpinos.
 Take for example the island province of Mindanao in this province of a million or so of inhabitants, one hundred thou sand neople have been killed. or their deatb caused directly by the American occupation. It appears that Chicago cap ita1ists desired to make certain indus trial developments in this unhappy pro- vince. These capitalists purchased, or claim to have purchased, 10000 acres Of land. When .ley attempted to assume possession of this land, they were re- sisted by the people; the claim of the reonIa heinz that no owner and no au- thority whatever had transferred the titles to the land in question. The rep resentative of the Chicagoans appealeo to the military authority of the Oniteo States in Manila for support in their con tention for the possession or the iahu' This support was readily given by den- eral Chaffee, or some person Of lower rank subject to his authority. The re- su1t of this was one of the bloodiest and most oppressive of all the Liliputian cam paigns of outrage, oppression ana re- pression undertaken by our soldiers since we undertook the occupation of the Fhil- ippine Islands It may be repeated that more than one hundred thousand or the natives were slain in order that the Chi- caeo capitalists might obtain possession of the land they had or had not purchas- aa tho question of that purchase being 
 stl.. at issue.
 Tn onotber instance in another province of two million inhabitants, the American army has destroyed, or caused to be destroyed, more than two hundred thou- sand lives.
 These astounding and practically un- believable facts have not yet been pre- sented in Congress to the satisraction or any citizen desirous Of the truth con corning our occupation of the Philip hines. But they will be presented, they must be believed they must be accepted as tho truth, however shameful 1t may seem to us, however degrading 1t may be to our sense of national and racial pride that love of fair play and honest fighting held for thousand years to be eminently charact eristic of all races of Tetutonic origin, such as most of us Americans are.
 The authority for this brief reference to most astounding and disgraceful facts concerning our oppression of the Fili- pinos are given to me by a leader Of Congress from the west, whose word no man may reasonably doubt. This story appears here for the first time in print; 1t will appear hereafter in larger volume and in such manner as will make all the republic ring with denunciation of the outrage, the wrong, the murder, the des- potism, that we have enforced and com- mitted against the hapless Filipinos
 Again is 1t declared here, as 1t was de- l,oIf ,Nf frftf h concerning our occupation of the Philip pines has not been told. The whole truth will, within the coming weeks, be related upon the floor of the House of Represen- tatives Nothing will be suppressed, glcssed over, or dodged. Upon the faith of honest and honorable men, all the truth ascertainable or obtainable will be told when the Philippines government bill passes from the Senate to the House. AL though the House Is a mcls servant of one man, the automatic machine for reg istering the will of Speaker Henderson, there are members CT the House, anG many of them, who will make opportunity to tell the truth concerning the Philip pnes to which truth the speaker and ell the Republican leaders, including the President himself, object.
 It is Q fact of history, of more than passing interest, that one member of the House began three years ago the parlia- mentary warfare concerning the Philip pines which has since assumed such vast national and international proportions. This man was Congressman Wheeler of Kentucky, of whom all newspaper read CTS have heard much. When. in 1899. the general deficiency bill was sent back to the House from the Senate, with an amendment appropriating S2O,OO0,0OO for the purchase of the Philippine Islands from Spain, Congressman Wheeler raised the point that the Senate's amend ment was out of order. The speaker &C., cording to the plain letter of the law, was compelled to sustain MT. Wheeler's point of order autocrat. master and owner of the will of the House, as the speaker was then and Is now.
 The House having rejected the Senates | amendment for carrying out that clause of the treaty of paris, which required the | American government to pay to Spain s2o, GOO for the '1awful' possession of the Philippines, a special bill was intro duced in each house providing the neces- sary money. The passage of this bill was sought by means of unanimous consent in the House. MT. Wheeler objected. Then