The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1906-03-14
Gbe Dailp Aromorfitf,
Tne PRESIDENTS coNeRATuLA.
TORY MESSAGE.

President Roosevelt cabled Major
General Wood upon the brilliant feat
Of arms" in which he aud hls men
80 we'll upheld the honor Of the Amer.
ioan flag" by killing 200 Moro war
,4o,s. men. women and children. In a
recent engagement in the Philippines.
With only a loss TO the Americans OF
Is men. II Is said this message VIII be
severely commented unon In the senate
BY many prominent personagcs, not
because the president paid his pariic-
uiar friend. General Wood a high
compliment. but because he charac-
terizes the slaughter az a notable
military achievement The killing Of
those unfortunate and ignorant poo
pie may have been a cruel necessity
but nothing TO be especially proud o.
Nor was Il a particularly brilliant feat
OF arms That slight skirmlsh should
tave been so dlrulhcd By thc prosi-
dent and made the subject Of a con.
sratulatory telegram indicates a fond
Asss u tho president for his friend,
tho general commanding, but little
knowledge OF war This little scrap
vas as nothing compared with some
Of the bloody engagements OF the late
civil and Russian.Japancse war. wnero
thousands of men fell The presidents
IDEA OF brilliant fcdj OF arms" and up
holding the honor OF the American
DAG must have boon gathered from his
experiences In the iato Opera Boufe
AFFAIR with Spain where he managed
IN gain some reputation as a sorappor
not wholly deserved Wood ~ beyond
question an able general and the Kill.
ing OF 800 poorly armed and half ma.
ked savagoa. men. women and chill.
dren, was probably ,astlhable act,
but II hardly Justified the presidents
praise on the other hand the nccesRl.
" of such n slaughter should bo the
subject Of mn inquiry by court mar.
tiai. Tho next question to arise ls what
Is the necessity Of our boys being In
the land OF the savage. and admitting
a great but sanginary victory what
do the American people gain by the
sacrifice OF the lives of eighteen OF
their citizens. even though In dying
they managed to slay 900 OF the enc.
my. The Islands. tho retention oi
which they fought for. arc OF no value
and It's degraded inhabitants are hard.
ly worth tho killing or Staying. Tho
rate OF IS to 800 Is nothing. Eighteen
gallant American soldier boys are
worth thousands q the poor indolent
natives The American soldier Is
ready to fight and may be depended
upon to nght well. but they should
know for what they are required TO
sacrifice their lives The Philippine ls-
lands have already cost us the lives
OF thousands of our bravost men and
countless millions OF dollnrs And
what DO we profit? To pbduc the ma
tiycs will require years Of time. the
sacrifice OF moro lives and The eNpcn.
dlsure Of more money The climate Is
dobilltAting In the extreme and those
soldiers that escape tho bullet and
save life enough LETT 90 return 10 the
anics Hnd themselves hopeless phys.
irai wrecks The islands ara incapa'
bio of being occupied by white men.
God mover intended II for them The
natives care nothing for our ways OF
nylng and love their own customs and
give them MP with the utmost reluc
tancc Tho spanlsrds. the worlds
greatest explorers and eNtermlnators
uf tho conquered, occupied the Phil
ippnc islands from tho time OF Phil
lip the Second who sat upon SPANS
throne when II was az the height oi
It's glory. and they accomplished but
little in the way Of clyilizing these
people Spain continued its occupa
tion from 1891 20 1898, when we pur
chased them from hor for $4,000 600
We are now paying slO0.O 600 year
Cor tho privilege Of exercising n pl
formal protectorutc over them, 20 eay
nothing ~ the loss of soldiers and civ
lilans. The climate is killing more
man the bullet And why In the name
Of heaven, this immense sacriG.o'
We cot no trade or other adnniacC
out of the Fillpinos. Our occupation OF
tho Philpp mes Is the most stupondou'
scheme Of charity and philanthropy
tho world has ever known, and the
worst OF II Is that II Is not appreoi
atcd
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