The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-30
Parker, Wright and willis.


$3.50, 900 900 more Of the peoples money, p
and the "over 10000 lives sacrificed"
in the Philippines, added these observa-
tons made by "a student Of conditions
there:
"of the character OF many in once too little
cannot be said. At the best they have been In
efclent; at the worst. dishonest, corrupt and des
potic. The Islands seem to have succeeded In
getting the very dregs Of our people.
The situation In the Philippines to-day is so
terrible that II passes the comprehension OF our
people at home. Alphabetically the country Is
for the time ruined Land Is going out Of cultiva
ton; the population is III fed. and In some places
unable 70 get work. The country Is overbur-
dened with taxation disease Is prevalent the farm
animals dead the towns In many places In ruins.
whole districts In the hands Of ladroncs, the price
Of products poor and unremunerative.
Public opinion has free expression. news
papers arc bought UP or are browbeaten into 81
lence; men Of influence who criticse the commits
sion are ostraczed: the plays produced In the
theatre are censored: there Is not an organ OF ex
preston Of the popular voice that is controlled
In private life men are subject to complete. far.
reaching, thorough system Of espionage. Detec.
tves appear In the gulse Of servants. and the oath
OF single one Is enough TO destroy a mans repu-
ta,ion. property. liberty, or even life Itself
A cablegram sent from Manila. Oct.
20, to the Secretary Of War by Governor
LUKE WRIGHT. was published Oct. "a.
1t was a categorical denial of every
assertion made by the Student of con-
ditions." Oct. % Judge PARKER put
forth this extraordinary defence of his
student Of conditions:
The Administration also puts out a cablegram
from Governor WRIoHr OF the Philippine Com
mission. In reply TO some quotations made by me
In q speech delivered on Oct. is. The words quoted
were the careful utterances OF man who has spent
four months In the Philippines studying the.
conditions there. He is vouched for by CHARLES
FRANCIS ADAMS. CARL ScHuRz- EDWIN BURRITr
SMITH HERBERT WELSH and MooRrIELp STOREY.
In these words:
go He has had exceptional opportunities for
learning the truth. For his entire honesty. his
skill as a trained Investigator his Judgment In
weighing evidence and his reliability a witness
vouch.'
The evidence upon which his conclusions were
Post of to day. and probably in other papers The
article Is too long TO be quoted from in this bref
address. but I ask you, and through you the Amer
can people. to examine Governor WHroHTs cable
gram In connection with that report and then
answer these questions:
Do you believe the man thus vouched for by
six hvel of the best citizens OFT country Which
is likely to be prejudced the man having no mo-
tive but to learn the truth, or the Governor. who
may be In some measure responsible for unforl.
nate conditions"
The Evening Post reveals the student
of conditions as Prof HENRY PARKER
WILLIS Of Washington and Lee Uni
versity, "a gentleman Of high profess
sional standing as an economist, warmly
indorsed by Gen. ScHURz, MooRFIELD
STOREY, CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS and
HERBERT WELSH An investigator
recommended, that is, by some of the
most wrong-headed, passionate and
ferocious anti-imperialists in the coun-
try. who's Who" gives us further
light upon Prof. WILLIs's qualifications
for independent and impartial study OF
the Philippines:
Leader writer Nev York Erenno Post, 1912;
Washington corr. Springfield Republicans. 1so2-s.-
Prof. WILLIS is 80 years old. He was
in the Philippines four months. The
impressions he would get there might
have been guessed from his associations
and his hackers We say and think moth
ing against his perfect intellectual and
moral honesty. But nobody expects a
member Of the little anti-imperialist
coterie to be open to any information
that would interfere with his mono
mania.
The Hon. LUKE WRIGHT Is a Demo-
crat, although he was not silver Demo-
crat, like Judge PARKER. He has been
Attorney-General of Tennessee. He is
81 years old, He has been in the Philip
pines more than four years. II Judge
PARKER were still on the bench, still
capable Of weighing evidence, would he
prefer the testimony OF Prof. WILLIS to
that of LUKE WRIGHT? Would he regard
the guarantee Of Prof. WILIIs's impair
TALLY and judgment given by notorious
anti-imperialists?
Judge PARKER has said many things
that are amusing or pitiable, according
to the sense Of humor and the charity
Of the hearer; and to loser much may
be forgiven. Much Of his talk about
the Philippines is 80 ludiGously contrary
to the facts that even the moralist can
only grin, as at romancing child. But
In trying to discredit the American Gov
eminent OF the Philippines, In swallowing
the palpably extreme declarations Of
four months observer with the anti
imperialist maggot in the head Of him,
in assuming that unfortunate condi-
tions" exist in the Philippines and that
Governor WRIGHT is in some measure
responsible, Judge PARKER Is more than
a humorist He makes himself the ally
Of the American abettors Of instruction
in the Philippines. He does his poor best
to foment disorder and to bring about
the conditions which he assumes.
Judge PARKER is much distressed be-
cause the Government expended sew
..oI hnndrad dollara IN cnhle n mr. pf