Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-08-19
DEspoT1c AND CRUEL.
Inent's Treatment of the People
of the Philippines.

Senator Teller is justified in repel-
ling the accusation that those who
condemn the cruelties which have
been perpetrated in the Philippines
traduce the American army. There
is no denying certain most deplora-
BILE facts. They are admitted by the
very men who are charged with re-
sponsibility for their occurrence, says
the Chicago Chronicle.
AS Senator Teller says, the recital
of these facts involve censure of in
dividuals in the army, but it does not
involve censure of the army as a
whole. Senator Lodge stated only
the other day that more than 800
/ officers and men had been court
martialed for wrongs done the ma
tives. Here was censure of individ-
ual soldiers by army courts, but it
did not involve censure of the army
as an organization.
Mr.. Teller spoke the undeniable
| truth when he said: "The very pol
| icy of this government in dealing
with these people is calculated to
make cruel and vindictive soldier"
1t is not that the officers and men
In the army are exceptionally in
clined to be cruel and vindictive.
They are very much like the rest of
the American people in character and
disposition. 1t is the system of arbi-
trary and irresponsible military gov
eminent in the islands that has been
productive of cruelty and vindictive-
ness.
The senator suggests the eXplana-
ton when he says to the republicans:
"You have got to face this PROPOSE
ton. Give these people free gov
| eminent or declare that they shall
| never have one"
From the first there has been no
frankness in dealing with the people
of the Philippines. The republican
leaders who have shaped the policy
have carefully abstained from indi-
eating a purpose to give them free
government such as other people I'M
der the American flag enjoy.
So far from indicating any such
purpose, they have pursued a course
calculated to make them believe they
were never to have an American free
government. Their policy has been
such as to make enemies of the en-
tire population, including those who
J were disposed to welcome us as
friends.
There is too much reason to be
! lieve that in consequence of this pol
: icy the Americans in the islands with
whom the natives have come much
in contact have fallen into the habit
), of treating all of them with con
tempt or as enemies, with the excep
) ton of few Macabebe heather who
are hereditary enemies of the Tagals
: the civilized and Christianized people
I, of the islands.
= In this way enemies have beer
made of the people until, according
to Gen. Chaffce, they are PRACTICAL,
all hostile. The hostility thus engen
> dered has been reciprocal and ha'
seemed to our officers and men t.
. Justify extreme measures of cruelt.
S and vindictiveness.
e II we are ever to have genuin
peace in the islands-anything NOR
than sullen truce or submission I'm
der silent protest-this policy mus
give place to a frank declaration o
l. purpose to give the people of the is
q lands free American government n
q the earliest possible moment.
% This declaration must be accom-
> panied by such course of conduct
: both civil and military, as will sat
Z isfy the people that we mean wha
we say and that they will be n
truly free and much better off in ey
: cry way under the American tial
S than they ever could expect to be un
der any other.
!. This is the only path to peace wit,
i honor. 1t is the particular pat
i which Elihu Root refuses to walk il