The Springfield herald., 1904-11-04

'In order to please few admirers
he Parke) decided the destiny and i'm
periled the welfare Of several millions OF
people without regard to the facts or con-
siderng the consequences. He accuses
President Roosevelt Of reckless speaking,
hut Roosevelt never made half as reck-
less a speech. Judge Parker demonstrat-
ed with his own tongue that he is not fit
to exercise the authority and assume the
responsibilities of the presidency.
He is either demagogue without
conscience or else the victim of malici-
GUS enemies or foolish advisers. The
statements he utters are so false and
absurd and ridiculous that he deserves
more pity than blame. For example. he
tells us that We have wasted over $780,
100000 of the peoples money and sacri-
feed over 100000 lives in the Philip
pines. Mr.. Bryan, Mr.. Hill and several
other gentlemen have asserted that the
Philippines have cost the people of the
United States $60O,OOO.OOO. Mr.. Olney
put the figure at $7O0,OO0.OOO. Judge
Parker splits the difference. 1t would
be interesting to know where lie gets his
figures.
"A resolution was introduced in the
Senate in the spring OF 1902 inQuiring
of the War Department as to the exact
amount OF money expended for military
purposes in the Philippine Islands from
May /, 1898, and detailed statement
was then submitted by the Secretary of
War which foots up S170,32G, ,5S6.11.
The principal items are as follows:
Quartermnster's department ... .s74, ,344. .395
subsistence department ......... 2l,212,2I2
Pay department ................ 262
Medical department ............ 3.S7S, 1856
Ordnance department ........... 4.sn2.03:s
Signal service .................. l,322, III
Amazing ExaERerntion.
''That brings the accounts down to
April 80, 1902. Since that date the ex-
penditures have probably been 10000
600 year. At the outside figures the
total expenditures of the United States
government since Admiral Dewey en-
tered the Bay of Manila with his fleet
the $2O,0OO,OOO paid to Spain under the
treaty, and every other charge, direct or
indirect, that could possibly be construed
as connected with the acquisition and
retention of the Philippine archipelago.
civil, naval and military. If Judge
Parker should add to this total all the
money that has been spent since May j.
1898, for the support of the army and
navy, for the construction of ships, for
tifcations and navy yards. and for the
pay of the clerks in the War and Navy
Departments ut Washington, he could
not pile up the figures as high as he
makes them in his speech.
His assertion that 100000 lives have
been sacrificed is even more absurd and
sensational, and it would not be true if
every man, sol6ier, sailor and civilian.
who has gone to the Philippine archi
pelago for any reason since May 1, 1898
had died and were buried there. The
total number of soldiers. regulars and
volunteers, that have served in the Phil
tppines at any time does not exceed
10000. l cannot get the exact figures
since the islands were turned over to
civil authorities, but between June 30.
1893. and July 4, 1902, 4,O67 officers and
, 122, ,4O1 enlisted men were sent to the
Islands. or these 2,1S5 officers and
47.S8I enlisted men were volunteers, and
1850 officers and 74.534 were regulars.
Total Is Less Thnn $500.
"Of these the entire death list, in
Guiding those billed in battle, those who
died from wounds, disease, accidents,
homicide, suicide. drowning and all other
causes was 140 officers and 4.234 enlisted
men.
"The mortality for the year ending
June 30, 1903, was thirteen officers and
457 men. and for the year ending June
10, 1904, it was two officers and seventy
eight men, making the total number of
deaths in the army in the Philippine
Islands during the six years of American
occupation 1855 officers and 4,769 enlisted
men.
THE number of pensions applied for
by soldiers who were engaged in the
Spanish war in Cuba. Porto Rico and
the Philippines and by the families OF
those who died in battle or from wounds
and disease up to date is 6S. 1913. This
includes men, women and children.
Hence you will perceive that Judge
Parker has either been betrayed or is
guilty of gross prevarication. Which
ever way you look at it everybody will
agree that such absurd and reckless
statements do not recommend the man
for President of the United States.
Too Preposterous to Deny.
Judge Parker quotes some anony-
nous person who has been giving him
Information about conditions in the is
lands. II he would name his informant
the public might judge OF the value of
the statements, but he appears to youch
for them, and may therefore be held re-
niponsible. Some of them are Infamous
~some Of them are ridiculous, and some
are too preposterous to deny. They are
quite as reckless as Judge Parker's own
assertions to which | have just referred.
II would be difficult for anybody to
crowd 80 many falsehoods into the same
RARE PRESENCE OF MIND.