Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-04-28
pEooIxa THE question.

The New York Herald has worked Itself
into a fecze over the publication OF private
letters from enlisted men In tho Philip
| pines In which Mr.. McKInlcy's policy Of
benevolent assimilation" II criticised.
1 and INDUCES In some naughty language
at the expense Of the papers that have
given the letters publicity and the writers
| OF the letters. respectively. IT denounces
| the printing OF the communications as
''disloyal and discredItable." and says that
the letters themselves invariably bear
the stamp OF immature 9nd homesiek
boys. who should never have been per-
mitted to leave home and mother. Tie
| Herald then goes on 10 declare that the
letters In question are not soldiers letters
| and that there f. not the making OK n
soldier in any one Of the lugubrious fault
finders. and in conclusion says: "By all
means give the. homcsick boys lollypops
ana let them come nome
Was there ever more glazing case
than this of begging the question? Tie
fact Is that the fewest number OF me
letters referred 10 show any indication Of
having been inspired by h0mesickness;
and there is where the shoe pinches cur
imperialistic contemporary. For Inc
greater part they bear the stamp OF ma
ture thought. and afford evidence of hav-
ing been dictated by high, intelligent
and manly regard for right, justice, ana
principle. From the letters of western
soldiers serving ia the Philippines W
have printed several extracts which sils-
tain this contention. Below We give ex-
cerpts from letter to hiss mother, writ
ten by a Virglnian who is with our army
Of occupation. After some general re-
marks about the novelty Of his first ex
perience In actual war, the Nirginian
says:
Don't feel uneasy. We are freer from
disease travelling over the island than
inside of that stagnant walled city; any
way, it gives us consolation at times 70
be able TO believe that there is one time
to die and when that time comes we must
CO."
Again:
what most object to in this Filipino
war is the principle of the thing. l am
yet unable to believe that the United
and lay waste, the more difficult 1t seems |
to arrive at this conclusion"
And again:
"The little villages we pass through !
each day indicate a civilization that was |
both unique and artistic. The neat little |
bamboo houses, their banana-trees, and |
prettily laid-off gardens. some just being /
planted. some in full bloom, others ready |
for harvest, show life that until the |
war began must have been peaceful.
thrifty, and happy. 1t seems a pity to
burn these homes. for try how we may
no other style of living will ever be home
TO the Filipino"
And finally:
ut can only be hoped that when the
Tagalo tribe, which represents about l.
100 900 people Is subdued none other will
attempt TO oppose. But to bring the
Tagalos into a condition that they re-
gard as inconsistent with their ideas OF
freedom will cost the United States mil
ions Of money"
This Virginian but reflects the views
and feelings of many other American
soldiers in the Philippines. as the latter
nave expressed their views and feelings
N letters to their home-foks. Do tho
words bear the stamp OF the
immature and homeslck boy, in whom
here is not the making Of soldier. and
who should be fed on lollypops? We think