The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1903-02-19
THE WHITE PINE NEWS,
Thursday. Feb. 10. 1909.
THE STRICKEN FILIPINos.

The once prosperous Philippine Is
lands have come to sad pass. Alter
war, murder, torture, rapine and fire
have devastated the greater portion Of
these Islands, tho ineyitable plague,
pestilence and famine have followed ID
their train. Two hundred and fifty
thousand Filipinos are said to have
been killed in the war. and like mum.
Der have persisted from the plague.
How great is the number of widows and
orphans that have no providers Is prob
lematical, but the number must APP
proach 1000 600 of helpless ones. These
are now dying of hunger, and the num-
Der is added to daily for the plague
has not been stayed.
So desperate are the conditions that
President Roosevelt has transmitted to
Congress a message inclosing q letter
from Secretary Root describing the
terrible conditions that prevail, and
asking that special appropriation of
$1,000, 900 be made for the relief OF the
destitute The Secretary of War says:
'It seems to me that the conditions
resulting from the destruction by rim.
derpest of 90 per cent of the carabaos,
the draft animals Of the islands, and
the consequent failure of the rice crop,
followed by an epidemic of cholera. are
so serious and distressing as to call for
actions by Congress beyond that for
which the commission specifically asks.
~ think the occasion for relief in the
Philippines is now greater than it was
in Cuba hen Congress appropriated
$4,000, 900 for the payment of the Gu
ban soldiers out of the treasury OF the
United States, or than 1t was in Porto
Rico when hundred o. thousands OF
dollars were contributed by the people
of the United States and more than
$1,000, 600 paid out of the national treas.
ury for the relief of the sufferers from
the hurricane of August, $780,"
Never before has message of Pres
ident to Congress presented such sad
and disastrous condition as existing in
any of the territory OF the United States
worse than Cuba after the iron des-
potism of Spain and the brutality of
Weyler bad devastated that fair island.
The great hes 1T of the American peo-
pie freely gave relief TO the Cuban dis.
tress and now will respond with even
greater liberality, for Cuba was only a
neighbor in distress, but the Filpinos
are our own people, whom we have I'M
dertaken to provide for. We bought
them with u great price and have spent
hundreds of millions TO enforce our gov
eminent upon them. We have been
told we are to stay whatever betides.
The more reason they should be cared
for. There should be no delay In max
ing this appropriation to relieve this
distress, for which we are at least par
italy responsible. II 1000, 900 is not
enough, let it be doubled or even ten
fold appropriated.
The government we have instituted
In the Philippines collects all the reve-
nues, and, sorry to relate most of it is
expended on our own officials who have
been sent there to administer it. The |
Filipinos are helpless: their fate is In |
our hands.
Whatever disposition is to be made
of the Philippine Islands will be settled |
hereafter. The present is no time for
quibbing on political conditions when
thousands are dying of hunger and dis.
ease,
Is 1t to be wondered at that ladrones
are organized into bands, even for plum.
der with gaunt hunder stalking thro'
the land, up to the gates of Manila?
Government Of the people without
their consent has always been disastrous
to the governed and has usuallybrought
misfortune to those who have attempt.
ed it Eek.
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