The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1898-10-28
ar Manila.

EDITOR DEMOCRAT:
.s One month ago TODAY Manila. the ebis
city and stronghold Of the Spanish il
81 the Philippines. was surrendered to th
3 Americans. No doubt many anxiou
e hearts have been awaiting news frou
!. this far off land with fear and trembling
on account Of the expected difficult tAsL
of taking Manila, but they can cast these
| all aside for the Spanisris are apparent.
ly friendly to the Americans since their
: surrender. OF cour.e this stands them
we'll In hand to be
, The Oregon regiment is quartered IN
f, the hest barracks in Manil4, having a
dill ground, baths aud washrooms.
, These few conveniences make things a
little more pleasau. aud endurable. Bar
rack life is very moaotonous and un-
pleasant with the best OF arrangements
and conditions. even IN country such
as We boast of; letting alone the Philip.
pines where we are constantly suffering
from the excessive heat and exposed TO
fell heir to in the, Philippines.
I There are now IN the ifiAnds twice "A
many soldiers as are necessary for the
holding OF the Philippines. The Spanish
held their island Nith ten ihousand and
/ do not see why Ne canao, do The came.
There are. / believe, about sixteen thous-
and soldiers IN these Islands doing no,h-
ing besides drilling once day aud guard
duty. of course we have 10 eat, 20 this
isOne of the other things that We have 10 !
concern Us. As far as can see We are
doing 40 more than guarding few wood I
piles aud being constant source o. ex.
pense TO the government.
Most OF the men IN Ansxsrios the cal
OF their connt-y left behind them fami.
lies ard some business. expecting when I
they We're no longer needed. To- return
and be permitted TO look after their own
Affairs IL may lie that We are doing
something merely by lying about in bar
facks from morn ,ill night trying In silll
time the best Say We knoS how, bns | =
cannot zee il.
Our officers are pretty vel! satisfied 10 :
stav, from What | can learn, as tLey
have peiitioned Col Sommers TO keep
the regiment here Sc long a. possible
The reason Tor this is very plain 10 us.
Most OF them have never been able 10
draw . salary ranging from one hundred
aud twenty 10 one hundred ard fiI;y
dollars per month. All they have % do {
is TO dress aud look pretty. as she saving /
goes. These men who have been placed a
In portion Oi hoaoI aud responsibility
are proving themselves totally unit for :
the duties required Of them Since our =
Arriva: q, Mani!s the majority OF the CT =
5eers have been conducting themselves :
in most dtsgrAcslul and ungentlemAnly ,
drinking and caEoaaiaa about =
In NsS that is disgrace "a a,y army, =
81 times being returned 10 quarters il 5
carriage and put 10 bed 0a the other =
hand II non.eommisSie ned oaieer o. =
private returns TO the barracks slightly =
lnder he influence OF al iaEoxicAaG he 9
e Immediately thrown in the gusri- =
house and fined eight or ten dollars =
A gain il while on drill you do not couae :
Exactly up TO the standard required bY I
our captain. even ii you are doing the .
Dest tina; you are able and then be cursed -
md sworn a. as though yon we're no =
more than = private. This goes decide d. "
3 against ones grain aud good nature.
IL Is decidedly trying and CALLING to
lae who is more OF q mau in eivll life in
.very respect to be under the command
Ind p1wer OF some rascal who obtained
HE positions throagh wire puiling or s;
ome other way not through merit or J
apabiligy and have 10 take the insults m
md inJostlces which are peTpe,rSisI on oil
iim dAy after day. Officers y no never b
n iEeir lives have held the respect and tc
tSffAfarss e
'ver those who were 50 unfortunate as vi
o come in their command as /! they u
Eere merely iumping-jacks TO Jump n
shen they pull the string. n
There are many men in the rAuks o! "
he Oregon regiment who have not been Il
10 such treatment as they Il
lave received since their enlistment and G
Then once mustered out will try aud
sQuAre up their accounts. Frequently s
laye heard IL said that when we are
mustered out the ma joFiiy OF the officers b
want 10 surround themselves with body :,
guard Tor they may have trouble
IL was onIy few days ago thst We
bad sample Of the way men are treated
who volunteer out OF patriotic motives 1
TO serve their country, expecting 10 have
fair treatment and 81 least given the g
honor due 10 them ss such, and not be
-IcasSa - tuouRu tns were gang Oh a
slaves with no rights at all. One COM o
pany refused to drill on account of ge'-
ting no breakfast, as q consequence they
were instantly arrested and placed in the
guard hGuse and also given 1--WE hours c
a day extra drill, jast because they held :,
out and demanded their rights, this is
the result. Can this he called Justice? !
When the men, as understand II, have
had hardly anything 10 eat since last
pay day and then they bought is with
their own money. There is sure Y some
thing wrong somewhere. | heard this |
captain remark to fellow
officer that ne had loaned the cn,npany'e
mees fund amounting TO $l2i. What 4
right he had TO do this cannot tell.
What is q mystery TO me is Tire way
funds have disappeared and no
trace can be- found Uf them at all. II
things continue in the way they have in q
the past, the men will rise as q unit and G
demand their rights. Find out where
the trouble lies and try and remedy it.
A SoLnIgR. I