The Tucson citizen., 1902-04-29
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
MR.. SlBLEYS PROTEST.

Congressman Sibley OF Pennsylvania
gave proper expression to the en-
lightened public sentiment OF the
United States Yesterday, when he de-
clared that General Jacob II. Smith
was a disgrace to the uniform of an
American soldier Smith is the gen.
eral officer who issued the order to
make Samar a "howling wilderness
and ''kill all above ten years of age.
He is now undergoing trial by court
martial before men who are probably
as guilty as he is, but whether he is
convicted or acquitted the imperial
policy of the Republican party must
be held responsible for the disgrace
that his barbarism has brought upon
the country.
President Roosevelt pretends TO be
getting busy very suddenly in the
matter of suppressing torture and ar
bitrary executions in the Philippines.
He gives the impression that he never
heard of them before, and yet every
body who reads the newspapers knows
that reports of the water cure sys-
TEN have been common for months in
letters from soldiers and other
sources. There has been no secret
made of it, and there has been none
about the general policy of cruelty
pursued.
From the very first the shooting OF
natives was compared to rabbit shoot
ing, and the assumption has been that
anything done against such enemies
as the Filipinos was justifiable. BY
the general proclamation of the United
States all enemies found under arms
apart from an organized force were
barred from any rights as prisoners OF
war. In his speech at Chicago Gen
eral Funston said:
We are informed that Major Waller,
one of the bravest and best officers In
the navy. is to be courtmartialed be-
cause he shot some natives who stole
the food from his starving men. II
that is true, | say, Bully for Waller.
l am glad he did it."
That has been the openly expressed
sentiment. and it has been in keeping
with all that has been reported con-
cerning the method of warfare in
vogue The Citizen has heretofore
called attention to the statements of a
Republican congressman who had vis-
tied the Philippines and described the
process of determination in northern
Luzon under General Funston and
others, which appeared in the New
York Evening Post few weeks ago.
We quote further extract from it:
But will the moral sense of the
American people stand a policy of ex-
termination? | dare say. The Amer
lean people have stood it with the In
dian. although today We are treating
him pretty well; he is star board
err, and we are supplying him with
schools and all sorts Of things he has
no use for. We are planting him, as
far as possible, on the lands that we
do not wish for ourselves. If Amer
lean investors find property they want
in the Philippines, do not think they
would be embarrassed by any sentl-
ment at home against sweeping off the
Filipinos."
This is only evidence of the general
Republican policy Of determination.
General Smith, in ordering that Samar
be made a "howling Wilderness" and
that "all above ten years of age be
killed" was only giving practical eff
feet to the Republican purpose. 1t is,
therefore encouraging to the friends of
liberty and civilization that at least
one Republican congressman, in the
person of Mr., Sibley, should raise his
voice in emphatic protest.