Gloucester County Democrat., 1905-07-13
our former friend and fellow American.

cur former friend and fellow American,
Datto Grande:
Datto Grande. by the way is waning
IN the confidence of the colonel of the
Twenty third infantry He has borrowed
money from numerous officers and failed
to repay, attempted to run glandered pack
ponies along the Malabang- Wears road,
lost by contractural failures his wood and
packing United States contracts, probably
been skinned at gambling and cockfghts
by both the Chinese gamesters and the
sultan of Gsnassi. Some of the officers of
the Twenty-third predict that Grande
won't pose long as the friend of Amer
leans
1t is such backsliding as this that dis
heartens the American people in their
work of civilizing the Philippines Here
was Datto Grande. a political leader of
prominence, welding great influence
among the citizens Of Malabang: a man
of intelligence, who entered with zest
and apparent aptitude upon the task Of
acquiring our habits and mode Of thought
Yet, at the end of five or six years OF
constant association with the brightest
minds of the army. we fnd him waning
in the confidence of the colonel.
Datto Grande. like many others who
taste the wine of freedom inbibed too
much lie learns some things too well
and other things not well enough His
ability to borrow money from numerous
officers is preSunptive evidence of his
facility in acquiring American ways, but
his failure to repay makes the evidence
conclusive that he has become overcivi-
lied. His attempt to run glandered ponies
along the public highway reveals. on the
other hand a destitution of moral respon-
sibility akin to heathenism. It IS evident
that the veneer of civilization has already
worn pretty thin in this respect.
1t is the statement however, that Datto
Grande has probably been defeated in
gambling Journeys by the sultan of Ga
nassi that makes US most pessimistic.
That prominent citizen like Datto
Grande, on such intimate terms of asso-
citation with American army officers as to
be able to borrow money from them
should fail to acquire that polish and
savoir faire required to cope with such
clouted and benighted rake as the sui
tan of Ganassi is intelligence that shat
ters our fair dreams of the civilization of
the Philippines. Clearly, the mere suspi-
cion that Datto Grande has been skin
ned" justifies the assertion that he is
waning in the confidence Of the army of
acers. He has betrayed penury of apti-
tude that is appalling and all the more
inexplicable when the fact is remembered
that he was plausible enough to induce
army officers to finance his disastrous
operations against the sultan of Ganassi
Inc army oNcerS are right IN dropping
Datto Grande like hot potato He has
grievousIy abused their confidence and
disappointed their hopes. But there seems
to be metal of good quality in the mystic
rious sultan of Ganassi. Might it not be
a good idea to cultivate and finance him
in order that subsequent "skinnings' of
Datto Grande may yield to the army Off
GERS a portion of that which was lost? We
throw out the suggestion merely as a
crtfe ant Of fair ov,5
of our detestation of Datto Grande He
was once our friend. and we thought he
was shining example But he has
waned.