wrinkles in his rich coat! He only shot your sons dead, he only tore and mangled the good flesh to which you gave life and which you loved! Worship him! Pay him! Hang his picture in the room with your departed the murderer and the murdered! Do not hang him, rather kiss and lick his dear feet who has cursed you and yours to humor his darling Hanna. I swear this man is a troll, encased in magic and triumphant mystery, proof against Right, fortressed against Justice, supereminent ruler of a nation of dying hearts. For knowingly, designingly, unshrinkingly, unfeelingly, like a stonesouled hired man of the Devil of Death, he got this war up, and corpsed and coffined and expressed universeward these soldier Americans. Digest as you can the following terrible words of General C. McC. Reeve:* 1. Why These Cargoes of McKinley Coffins. "Conciliatory methods would have prevented the war. Now, we all agree to the proposition that the insurrection must be suppressed (?), but in the beginning a conciliatory course was not adopted. General Otis's unfortunate proclamation of January 4 rendered conciliation almost impossible. He adopted the policy of ignoring the natives, of treating them as half-civilized savages. No indication was given to the Filipinos as to the future intentions of the Government. In August, September and October immediately following the capture of Manila, the Filipinos kept inquiring what we were going to do, and our authorities replied, 'We cannot tell until the Paris Commission gets through.' The Filipinos would ask, 'What will you do if you acquire the islands?' And still no hint was given to them by General Otis until it was too late. He ignored them completely. At every step of the peace negotiations he stipulated that nothing should be considered until the Filipinos laid down their arms. Herein is where the natives mistrusted the Americans. The Filipinos had many lessons from Spain in the folly of laying down arms. They were not able to comprehend the difference between Spanish and American promises." 2. Are the Filipinos Children and Fools? "When I was appointed chief of police of a city of 350,000 inhabitants I deemed it wise to ascertain as soon as possible something definite and to the point regarding the character, traits, disposition and *General Reeve 'sailed from San Francisco June 27, 1898, as colonel commanding the Thirteenth Minnesota Volunteers, and was subsequently promoted to the rank of brigadier general for meritorious conduct in action. Shortly after the occupation of Manila by the American troops he was assigned to duty as chief of police. Being in San Francisco, he was interviewed by The Call, Sept. 14, '99. intelligence of the native population. Accordingly I sought the counsel of the leading English, Scotch and German merchants. They told me that the Filipinos were intelligent, industrious, peaceable and fond of home life. Personal investigation convinced me that the natives were engaged in all branches of industry. In the professions of law and medicine were many of the natives. "The best dentist in Luzon was an officer in Aguinaldo's army. In the field of mechanical and railway pursuits the Filipinos were active and promising. I was surprised to ascertain that the diffusion of knowledge was general. The percentage of natives able to read and write was large. The enrollment of students in the San Tomas and Dominican universities and the attention paid to such branches of knowledge as law, medicine, liberal arts and civil engineering excited my surprise. Five thousand students were enrolled at the Dominican University. I mention these facts to dispel the impression that the Filipinos are ignorant and unlettered savages. Throughout the provinces in the island of Luzon good common schools and high schools are maintained, the teachers being native priests 3. Admiral Dewey's Opinion of Their Power of SelfGovernment and of the War. "Admiral Dewey entertains a high opinion of the industry and intelligence of the natives. He employed many of them at Cavite Arsenal and spoke highly of them. The natives expressed great admiration for the admiral. He holds to the opinion that the Filipinos are capable of self-government, and in my judgment he firmly believes that the war could have been honorably avoided by an enlightened policy of conciliation in dealing with the natives. The Filipinos are much better fitted for independence and self-government than are the Cubans. It is my understanding that Admiral Dewey has on several occasions stated that the Filipinos were capable of self-government and that a wise policy of conciliation would have averted the war against the natives." 4. The Feeling of the Natives Toward Americans. "The disposition of the natives was that of extreme friendship toward Americans. In the city of Manila the Filipinos, especially those who were wealthy, were anxious to remove the impression that they were ignorant of the requirements of modern life and the usages of civilization. They readily extended the hospitality of their homes to American officers of the military and civil service." 5. Brewing the War. 'Did General E. S. Otis object to the interchange of social amenities?' "There was no official objection, but it was well understood at headquarters that these social visits excited the displeasure of General Ötis. One incident I particularly recall. General Garcia, though an officer of Aguinaldo's army, invited me to a fiesta at Caloocan. Quite a number of officers accepted the invitation, among them Colonel Frost of the South Dakotas. We were entertained most hospitably The after dinner speeches evidenced many sentiments of friendship. A full account of the function was published in the Manila newspapers. The topic was discussed at headquarters and the officers who attended were not commended. Thereafter it was chilly for those who exchanged social greetings with the Filipinos." 6. The Trumped-Up Pretext That the Natives Would Pillage and Slaughter. Regarding the apprehension that the natives were bent on pillage, riot and murder in Manila, General Reeve said there never was the slightest danger in that direction. "There were five thousand insurgents in the city at the time of the American occupation. On the Calle Real they had as many posts as the Americans had and not an act of rioting or pillage was reported. Another example of their good behavior in this respect was given at Iloilo. The natives had possession of the town before the Americans went there and their first act was to send in a force of 500 men to protect the city. The protection was ample. There was no destruction of property until they executed the threat to destroy in the event of Americans landing to take possession." 7. Was It Aguinaldo, or the People, Who Wanted Absolute Independence? "While Aguinaldo was seeking to obtain from General Otis some outline of the future policy of the United States, the war party in the Cabinet, headed by General Luna, was gaining strength daily. Instead of Aguinaldo controlling those who demanded absolute independence, the parties making the demand succeeded in getting him under control." sentences. The history of the war is compressed in these piercing If they are lies let Butcher McKinley cashier and court-martial Reeve. If not, let the nation cashier and court-martial McKinley. The poet sings: "There is a Something sacred and sublime No truth so low but He will give it crown; No wrong so high but He will hurl it down. O men that forge the fetter, it is vain : There is a Still Hand stronger than your chain. And shrug the shoulder for reply to God."* *Edwin Markham, poem "Dreyfus." Tush and fiddlesticks! Gazzling cozoloon! How long, how long? We've heard about this sacred Something and sublime, but little good did It ever do until too late! too late! Dreyfus a wreck and France a wreck, then It steps down (per schedule), turns around, and steps out, and all things circle as before to another wrecked being and another wrecked State! Let Him or It stay out, It rectifies nothing. Our Butcher wrecks two worlds-who weighs him? This sacred Something stays behind the world, beyond our ken. It's just as well, O soul of sorrow, He never yet did aught but furnish muses for poets and amusements for the thoughtful. A Still Hand, forever still! Stronger than your chain-but not stronger than Its chain, which It never breaks! One greater than the whole world's wrong-in books. Ravishingly hopeful seashore sentiments, where the surges of the sweet deep drown the beating waves of earth's unintermitting damnation storms! No wrong so high but He will hurl it down, when it has submerged all, and spent its force, and receded to return again with fresh and indefatigable destruction! And if you question this, read on the Filipino page of our history, written with fountained bayonets in blood, of McKinley's success, inviting General Reeve to direct you to the Something sacred and sublime as you move on. We now follow those Philippine events with a guide book. General Reeve is our interpreter. While citizens and mothers kiss McKinley's gouty knees and the dust of his feet and bow before his long list of their dead, we know the hand that struck them, and why. Come, let us follow the drums and the buzzards. The Butcher must be King. CHAPTER XV. The Dignity of the Flag. 1. Flags and Business Signs. I have a word to say about the 'dignity of the flag.' Said Major Gandenstone a few pages back, “We must hold the islands for the sake of the dignity of our flag, if nothing more." We have taken hold of the islands, they say, it is undignified to let go of them. Calmly and candidly this is the doctrine of fools. Apply it in any other walk of life and you will see that only a fool would say it or follow it. We have taken hold of a redhot iron, it is undignified to let go-therefore we burn our hands off. Even imperialists would perceive that the act of a fool. We have raised our shotgun to blaze at a deer, as we suppose, but just in time we see that it is a grizzly bear, very likely to eat us alive unless we rescind our ultimatum: but it is dishonorable to turn back, undignified, so we shoot and perish. We have involved ourselves in a business venture which will cost us more than we shall make, may ruin us, but a business man must never correct a mistake, he must never acknowledge that he has made one, he must never turn back, it would be undignified, would reflect dishonor on his name. What screaming comedy this sulky doctrine is when taken in any connection but the American flag, and the only way for a man to uphold its honor is to turn immortal fool! About flags and nations cluster a number of Middle Age fads of chivalry, not only puerile but famously silly to all but stuffy crania, representing no higher |