Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1908-10-07
PROPHETIC WORDS,
Statement Of Lawton Like an Ac-
cusatien From the Grave.

statement OF LaWton Like an Ac
cusatiSn From the Grave.
" Among tho many gallant American
soldiers whose lives were sacrificed in
the difficult task Of suppressing the
Filipino instruction none was more
beloved either by his brother officers
or the men in the ranks than General
Henry W. LaWton. He realized the
=. ideal American soldier as completely
as any of his contemporaries, and his
record IN the war for the Union in va
rious Indian campaigns. in Cuba dur
ing the Spanish war and in trying
work which called him to the Philip
pines constitutes lustrous chapter in
the annals of American valOr. No
Drawer officer ever wore his countrys
uniform. No gentler, more considerate
commander ever led his troops into
battle No more chivalric leader ever
gave up his life in defense of his coun-
Us flag.
G General Lawton was killed in battle
with insurrectos in the island Of Luzon
in 1900 while lighting at the head Of
his troops. 4 short time before the
tragic close of his career he had writ
ten to friend in the United States
letter, in which he said:
"If am shot by Filipino bullet it
might as we'll come from one Of my
own men, because | know from co.
servation, confirmed by captured rris-
oners, that the continuance Of fighting
is chiefly due to reports that are sent
out from: America"
The words Of Lawton, fighting a
treacherous foe in a tropical country,
were meant as a protest against the
unpatriotic "anti-imperialist" agitators
here in the United States, where ex-
pressions of sympathy for the insur-
rection gave constant aid and comfort
to the enemy. Army officers of high
character and rugged experience in
the Philippines have frequently ex-
pressed the opinion that the Insured
ton would not have lasted ninety days
had it not been for the support. moral
and otherwise. which its leaders re-
ceived from their sympathizers in
America.
Chief among those sympathizers, the
insistent and most reckless of all. was
William Jennings Bryan. and agains
him the prophetic words Of the lament
ed Lawton stand like an accusation
from the grave. For his unpatriotit
course during the Filipino insurrectior
Mr. Bryan lacked even the shadow o.
an excuse. He had entered the mill
tary service during the Spanish war a:
volunteer officer, and he knew tina
the war and the instruction in the is
lands could be concluded only with thu
unqualified recognition of American
authority wherever it was asserted
But in spite of that be encouraged tn,
Filipino to continue in armed resist
ance, and his reckless expressions I'm
loubtedy helped to prolong desper
lte and costly struggle which he knew
In his heart could never end except il
the way it was ended. Mr.. Bryan
conduct throughout that conflict. whic
cost so much alike to the United State
and to the deluded Filipinos them
selves, amounted to moral treason, an
It will never be forgiven by the sui
yivors of those gallant men from whor
1t exacted the last full measure of sac
Ifce in devotion to duty.
The words of Lawton will confoun
Mr.. Bryan every time he opens hi
mouth to speak on the Philippines i
the present campaign. He cannot es
cape them They indict him for givin
aid and comfort to the armed enemie
of American authority and they bran
him as man who openly encourage
desperate uprising against the flag 1
defense Of which Lawton died.
-.