April 1901: General James Franklin Bell takes over as military commander in the Philippines. General Arthur MacArthur takes over as military governor. William Howard Taft serves as civilian governor.
1902: Taft begins a series of public work projects designed to help the Filipino people. They are poorly organize, and constantly sabotaged. Aguinaldo begins to fight a guerilla war against the American troops. Bell begins a scorched-earth campaign.
1903: MacArthur puts several of Taft’s programs under military control. Operations begin to run smoothly. MacArthur wins the respect of both Taft and to a certain extent the Filipino people. Revolts die down in northern Luzon where the American presence is concentrated.
June: Aguinaldo travels to the southern islands, where he leads a very widespread resistance far from Manila. He gains almost total political control over the islands.
September: Bell heads south, and brutally puts down much of Aguinaldo’s rebellions. He forces civilians into hamlets and captures and tortures thousands of civilians. He destroys much of the most fertile farmland in the region. The Americans loose popularity especially outside of Luzon, but Aguinaldo is forced into more isolated regions.
April 1905: Aguinaldo returns to Luzon, hoping that MacArthur is less ruthless then Bell. Bell attempts to take control of the campaign to the north. Both MacArthur and Taft appeal to Root requesting that MacArthur be given full command. Bell is put in charge only of operations outside of Luzon. MacArthur runs an efficient operation fighting Aguinaldo while not stopping the programs he and Taft had created. MacArthur receives very good publicity for his operation back home.
August 1906: To solidify power in Manila, MacArthur imposes some small measures such as a curfew. Taft complains to Washington. Root decides that MacArthur is too valuable, and appoints Taft to the Supreme Court partly to get him out of the way.
February 1906: Bell, desperate to regain face, doubles his efforts in the south, forcing many civilians into reconcentration camps and hunting down everyone even rumored to be a rebel. He tries to cover up his war crimes. MacArthur demands that Root be relieved. Root claims that Bell will be closely monitored, but fails to take real action, knowing that Bell actions were quelling the rebellion.
March 1906: Aguinaldo leaks the stories from the south to a British newspaper. Soon news of the atrocities are spread all over the world. Anti-war protests start up all across the countries.
January 1907: A progressive in the war department leaks that Root had refused to take direct action against Bell. MacArthur privately contacts Aguinaldo to discuss a peaceful American pullout.
May 1907: Dissidents in Luzon revolt. They avoid attacking MacArhur’s men on Auguinaldo’s orders. Root orders three more divisions into the Philippines. MacArthur publicly sates that he no longer believes that the war can be won. Root fires him, a unpopular move in the US.
Republican Convention: The Republicans almost unanimously renominate Root. Root decides that a more popular Vice President in needed. Progressive Republican La Follete openly refuses. War hero Admiral Dewey in put on the ticket.
Democrat Convention: Populist William Jennings Bryan, who is supported by both the Progressives, labor, and agriculture, is the clear favorite, nominated by the fourth ballot. Bryan refuses to allow a conservative politician onto the ticket. He proposes several radical progressives that prove to be unpopular in the convention. Senator John Walter Smith, a moderate Progressive who had served as a successful and popular governor of Maryland is eventually named on the ticket.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Walter_Smith
As I’ve said before, I think Bryan wins this won, but that’s enough posts for now.
