." ▁ ▁Smith ▁was ▁promoted , ▁but ▁he ▁decided ▁not ▁to ▁ret ire . ▁ ▁Starting ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 8 0 s , ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Army ▁had ▁adopted ▁the ▁system ▁of ▁filling ▁each ▁brig ad ier ▁general ▁position ▁not ▁by ▁qual ifications , ▁but ▁by ▁mere ▁senior ity . ▁The ▁system ▁usually ▁gave ▁elder ly ▁colon els ▁a ▁few ▁more ▁months , ▁weeks ▁or ▁days ▁of ▁active ▁duty ▁with ▁a ▁new ▁title , ▁followed ▁by ▁nearly ▁immediate ▁ret irement ▁at ▁a ▁higher ▁pay ▁rate . ▁ ▁Jacob ▁Smith ▁was ▁slightly ▁younger ▁and ▁his ▁promotion ▁to ▁general ▁was ▁made ▁earlier ▁than ▁typical ; ▁he ▁had ▁three ▁years ▁left ▁until ▁ret irement ▁became ▁mand atory ▁by ▁law . ▁ ▁Smith ▁causes ▁an ▁up ro ar ▁in ▁Lu zon ▁R esent ment ▁of ▁Spanish ▁Domin ican ▁Fri ars ▁of ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Church ▁were ▁alleg ed ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁principal ▁cause ▁of ▁the ▁Filip ino ▁revolution ▁against ▁Spain , ▁and ▁many ▁fri ars ▁were ▁killed ▁by ▁the ▁Filip ino ▁population . ▁American ▁foreign ▁policy ▁was ▁to ▁stay ▁strictly ▁neutral ▁in ▁religious ▁matters . ▁ ▁In ▁September ▁ 1 9 0 0 , ▁while ▁Smith ▁was ▁the ▁military ▁governor ▁of ▁P ang as in an , ▁Tar lac , ▁and ▁Z amb ales ▁on ▁Lu zon , ▁Smith ▁interven ed ▁in ▁a ▁religious ▁dispute ▁in ▁the ▁village ▁of ▁D ag up an . ▁Smith ▁s ided ▁with ▁a ▁priest ▁who ▁was ▁friendly ▁with ▁the ▁fri ars . ▁This ▁caused ▁an ▁angry ▁civil