Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 May 1900 — “Peace” In the Philippines. [ARTICLE]

“Peace” In the Philippines.

Yesterday’s, Chicago Record contained a letter from Geo. Ade, the Record’s special correspondent in the Philippines, giving the true situation of affairs there from a personal knowledge. Mr. Ade is a republican, a son of John Ade Jhe Kentland banker, and is personally known to many of our readers, hence his statements should have greater weight in this section of the county than those of some unknown writer, whom our imperialism shooters might declare was a “traitor” or “rebel.” He says that the repeated assurance that war is “about ended” is not true; that there are now more soldiers being killed than at any time since the war began, and that the guerilla tactics of the Filipinos make it now dangerous to go about the islands than at any previous time. Mr. Ade further says: “The visitor to Manila may learn many facts which have not been reported at home, partly because those making the reports do not care to reveal the whole truth. * • * Then there is the press censorship, which has restrained the few who wanted to tell the truth, at all times without fear or favor * * * Until there is a radical change in the temper of the Filipinos, the towns which are garrisoned will remain ‘pacified’ only so long as the garrisons remain * * * Certainly it will be months and perhaps years before the United States can withdraw its garrisons * * * The preponderance of testimony is to the effect that only a very small part of the native population is friendly to American rule. There is such a consensus of opinion on this point and the expressions are so emphatic that there seems to be no room for doubt. Why should it be otherwise? The natives have not yet reaped any practical benefits from American occupation,” and the “actual experince with Americans has not given him any insight into the policy of ‘benevolent assimilation.’ *** If we have comparatively no friends among the natives the reasons are not hard to discover. Assuring that the Filipinos are incapable of self-government and that the United States really wishes to deal justly and humanely with them, there is still no denying that we permitted them to believe that they would be granted their independence and that later on we refused to consider their claims and that up to date we have killed about 15,000 of them. Whatever may be the facts as to the outbreak of February, 1899, the natives blame the Americans for the present war • * • An invading army seldom makes a pleasant impression on the country being invaded. Certainly the American soldiers have not taken pains to act as forerunners of the tender policy of ‘benevolent assimilation’ * • * The most significant fact tending to prove that the Filipinos are not in a peaceful mood is that the arms used in the insurrection have not been surrendered. Only 3,000 or 4,000 rifles have been captured or purchased. The government now pays S3O (Mexican) for every rifle turned in by a native. As a result of this liberal offer many old Remingtons and defective Springfields have been given up, but the natives have not yet begun to turn in the new Mausers with which they did their fighting. The Americans seem to be unable to buy them or capture them * • * The poor native is unable to ‘size up’ the American soldier, but he dosen’t like the breed.” Taken altogether Mr. Ade does not hold out a very flattering prospect for early peace in the Philippines.