Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1902-02-13
ANTI lMPERIALlSTS UNWISE.
General LawtOn's Letter Hnd Its
Awful Charge Against Amer
lean MaIcOntcuts.

The recently renewed attempt of
certain auti-imperialists to revive dis
cussion over the Philippine question
has drawn out some effective replies.
And perhaps the most effective is the
publication of the letter by the late
Gen. Lawton condemning the Ameri-
can sympathizers with the Filipino
insurgents. The letter is given in the
Louisville Evening Post, to which it
was furnished by Gen. Lawton's
widow. 1t will be recalled that the
letter was written from the Philip
pines. where he was actively engaged
in supprcssing the insurrection, by
the general only a short time before
he was killed in battle. He declared
that if the antiimperialists would
honestly ascertain the truth on the
ground they would be convinced of
the error of their exaggerated state
ments and conclusions, and of the
cruel and unfortunate effect of their
publications here" The general add
ed that if he were shot in the Philip
pines he would feel that the blow
came from his own side, because, as
he said, II know from my own obser-
vatons. confirmed by the stories nf
captured Filipino prisoners, that the
continuance of the fighting is chiefly
due to reports that are sent out from
America and circulated among those
ignorant natives by the leaders, who
know better"
Commenting on the appearance of
that historic letter at this time, the
st. Louis Globc-Democrat says:
"These are the words of man who knew
the situation in the Philippines as well as
any other person in the United States serv-
Ice, and better than it could be known by
the little juntas of fag-furlcrs in Boston,
Chicago and the other centers of anti
Imperialism. lie knew the Filipino as a
civilian and as a soldier. In Manila and
its envirOns. as well as out In the jurges
and mountains of LuZOn, Gen. Lawton
had met the natives of the islands, and he
was fully Conversant with the things that
made them rebel against American author
ity and which made them keep up the re-
bellon after possible hope was ended of
success from fighting The general, as
well as every other American in the IS
lands, soldier and civilian, was well aware
that 1t was the slanders and the promises
of the little band of 'anti-imperialists' in
the United States which precipitattd the
insurrection in the first place, and which
renewed IL several times after serious re-
slstauCe to the Americans had been tenn
porarily crushed. Moreover. all this was
plain from the beginning to a large major
. ity of the Americans at home.
Gen. LawtOn's letter. now known to
everyone in the United States to have been
genuine as ii was quoted year and more
ago is crushing condemnation of the cor
poraHs guard of implaCablcs who mis- sep-
resented the motives of their own govern
ment and melted the ignorant FIlipnos 70
rise against its authority. The blood OF
every AmCric AT soldier who has been killed
In the Philippines. froA Gen. Lawton down
to the priVates in the ranks. is upon the
hands of this coterie of mischief makers.
The ignorant bolomen in the swamps and
the hills of LuZon and other ccnters of
disturbance were led to believe that they
had powerful allies in William j. Bryan
and his party, assisted by a Cabal of re-
publican malcOntents More interest was
felt in the juEgles of LuZon in Bryan's can
vass than was entertained in the United
States. The wishes for his victory We're
more ferVent there than they were here
Bryan's election would have been hailed
with more delight among the land and
water pirates of Luzou. Samar and the rest
of the seats of disturbance in the Philip
pines than il would have aroused ever
=
Gen. LawtOn ought to have been given
to the public earlier, but il is well to have
1t even at this late day as a refutation and
rebuke for the little gang of viifiers who
have raised up enemies to American sway
In the Philippines and who have indirectly
sacrificed the lives of hundreds of Amerl-
can soldiers"
This is pretty strong language
says the Troy Times. Yet it would be
difficult to successfully challenge is
truth. The American people have
passed upon the Philippines ques-
tion and all the ''imperalistic' non
sense in connection with it, The eIec-
tion Of 1900 recorded their emphatic
Overwhelming verdict. But there is
an element which is apparently de-
termined to resurrect the issue, if
possible. 1t is composed principally
of supporters of Mr.. Bryan in the
last campaign, who do not seem to
be satisfied with the crushing rebuke
they received at that time. They are
very unwise and are inviting their
own undoing. The letter of Gen
LawtOn and the corroborative evi-
dence of anti-imperialistic aid and
comfort to the enemy that can easily
be furnished will be sufficient to
arouse loyal and patriotic Americans
to higher pitch of Indignation than
they have previously attained. Bet
ter let "imperalism" alone.
POLICIES OF M'KINLEY.