Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1906-03-22
Washington Letter.
(FRoM Our REG ULAR CORREsPoNDENT.)
Saturday, March II, 1906.

Saturday, March II, 1906.
The recent Philippine engagement in
which five hundred Moros were killed
by q troup of Americans led by General
Leonard Wood haa provoked IN i'm
mense amount of hysteria, especially in
Congress. Among the FIVE hundred
savages killed were some women and
children, and though Gen. Wood has
written message concerning the affair
which is satisfactory to the President,
few men In Congress and few news
papers and tlpathetical to the Admins
tratlon are trying to make a scandal
ont of the affair. AS Gen. Wood ex-
planned and as all readers Of the pro-
gress of England IN Egypt as told BY
historians and in poetry by Kypling.
these savages placing small value on
the women of their tribes use them FREE
quentlY as shields in fight. The wo-
men on the other hand, unused to hav.
ing hats taken off for them in elevators
and to being treated as a superior order
of being take their places beside the
men in battle and fight with the same
fanatical frenzy as their husbands and
brothers. In some cases they 60 about
the fields after an engagement finishing
lhe work Of slaughter that the men have
begun or hacking up the bodies of the
dead. AS General Wood explains,
many of the women were dressed like
men and could not be distinguished
from them. and that some of the fight
ers carried their small children in their
arms as shields while they fought. That
it would have been impossible for Gen.
Wood to have engaged IN the fight at
all without killing women and child
rem is obvicns and that he and our sol
diers could have fiendishly sought out
women and children for the purpose Of
butchering them is inconceivabIe to tie
American mind. John Sharp Williams
d Mississippi and Representative Jones
of Virginia made speeches in the House
Thursday in denunciation of General
Wood, characteriz:ng the affair as
blot on the country" For some rea
son General Wood has suffered more
from the prejudice of most unjust
type than almost any man who has rem
dered services to the county. While
he was in command in Cuba he was &C.
cused of many forms of serious miscon-
duct-jealousy of his snperiors false
hood, in claiming credit for accom-
plishments made by Others, and of &C
cepting present. from officials. When
these various charges were not sustain.
ed and when the confidence Of the
President was shown in promoting him
and assigning him to the Philippines be
was called the pet of the White
House." and the Indictment brought
against him that he was not soldier
but a mere favorite of the President.
The present incident offers an opening
again for campaign against man
who wears the country's uniform and
affords an argument for those comforta
bly, and securely lodged at home to at
tack him while he is 80 busy fighting
savages that he cannot defend himself.
The fight for the Railroad Legisls-
ton which has been complicated by the
drawing Of party lines is reaching its
climax in the Senate and no one Is
found who is willing to predict the out
come. The speech of Senator Rayner
deliyered a few days ago was supposed
to outline the views of his party on the
subject, bvt it is repudiated by many
Of them and has resulted in even great
or complication in the situation. The
personal views of Senator Tillman on
the rate question were presented to the
Senate when that gentleman made his
report on the Hepburn bill from the
Committee on Interstate Commerce.
Denouncing the power Of the railroads
and portraying the need of legislation
to curb them, Senator Til)man criticiz.
ed the bill as it had come from the
House as loose and capable of various
Interpretation. He emphasized the need
Of regarding the measure as nonparti-
ssn but predicted that the question
,?ould form the main issue in the next
Presidential election. If the republi-
cans in the Senate can reconcile their