Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-26
CASE OF SKTO LOPEZ
Attempt to Evade the Oath Of
Allegiance.
DETAINED IN HARBoR
PREVENTED FROM LANDING HE
WENT TO HONG KONG.
The Industrious Junta-Issue of Bonds
Trial for Sedition Of
DR.. Gomez.
BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Sta

BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star and
Chicago Record Herald
MANILA, April "a, 1904.
The junta at Hong Kong has been dimin-
ished in number during the last year by
the desertion of several Of its members
who have come to Manila, taken the oath
of allegiance and have since behaved them
selves and have kept out of political affairs.
Shortly before he resigned Governor Taft
received messages from Apicable and Agon-
clio, the two most prominent members, who
expressed a desire to make peace with the
government and return to their homes.
They distinctly repudiated all connection
with recent conspiracies and the ladrone
leaders, whom they characterized as cattle
thieves and not worthy the support Of men
of honorable motives. Judge Taft assured
them that they might return to Manila at
any moment they were willing to take an
oath Of allegiance, and that they would
not be prosecuted OF otherwise disturbed
as long az they conducted themselves like
law-abiding citizens.
The junta has received recruit also dur
ing the last few months In the person OF
Sixto Lopez, an apostle of Filipino freedom
who has been spending two years of exile
in Boston, where he has posed as martyr
among the anti-imperialists, and has been
supported by their charity. firing of him,
they sent him home. Having reached Hon
olulu about the first of January last, he ad-
dressed letter to Governor Wright, asking
permission to return to his home without
taking the oath of allegiance.
He declared that he recognized the full
and complete sovereignty and authority OF
the United States without reserve, and ut
is no new admission or new submission on
my. part" he says, 'but you will, 1 fear
cause me to continue exile unless you
yLof rney0r
as simple justice, but what you may con-
slider an act of grace, namely, freedom TO
return home without being required to take
at the port of entry, the oath prescribed In
act $50.
Explains His Appeal
ITO you as an American citizen, Mr..
Lopez continues at may seem unaccount-
able that any Filipino should have conscf-
entious or other reasons against taking an
oath of allegiance to the United States,
/ can only give you my bare word, without
the hope of entirely convincing you, that
have such reasons, and it is immaterial
whether they are due to conscience, to
pride to stubbornness, or to disinclina-
ton to abandon, in appearance, even though
not in fact, an inspiration which means so
much to me, but which, in itself, consti-
tuted no disloyaHy to the sovereignty or
the authorities of the United States.
There are circumstances in which l should
legiance to the United States, but to urge
all my fellow countrymen to do so also,
but 1 should prefer to wait until l could
do so conscientiously and in response to
heartfelt desire. - The people are now
in a less disturbed condition, and little
concession, If that is the proper word to
use In regard to the granting of this re-
quest, may contribute to a greater meas
ure of peace and good will which for one
desire.
May I in conclusion be permitted to
point out that under other laws, apart from
any oath taken by me, should be liable to
much severer penalties for any act of dis
loyalty or treason than are provided for
under act 265. The oath, therefore, would
not furnish any Difference additional to
that already existing. Indeed. a person
bent on melting the Filipinos to insurrec-
ton might find 1t to his advantage to take
the oath in question. At any rate he would
not do as am doing. He would not draw
suspicion upon himself by making re-
quest such as I am making. On the con-
trary he could take the oath, or any num-
Der of oaths, and profess great love for
everything American, as the best means of
disarming suspicion, and then proceed
secretly to the accomplishment of his pur-
pose secure in the knowledge that in thus
disarming suspicion he had not added to
his own risk.
n~i~;o.