Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-05-29
The Truth About the Philippines.

their friends at home without a thought
of their being published, are getting
into print, and so reveal the true char
acter of the present war that the most
headlong of patriots can hardly resist
the impression naturally made by them.
The New York Epening Post, in one OF
its recent issues, gives to its readers in
| full the letter of Colorado soldier,
written from Manila, April o, to a
friend in that state and forwarded by
the latter to the Post, with permission
to use as may seem good, declaring that
sit expresses the sentiments of the
West" We give an extract or two there
from. The soldier, Luther b. Wiley,
Company C, First Colorado Volunteers,
says:
| have been uncompromisingl OPP
posed to this war on the Filipino; |
think it wrong from start to finish.
The policy" l mean. 1t was entirely
unnecessary, but now, of course, ii
must be fought out. And it looks now
as though the men that enlisted to fight
to liberate people must now fight to
ensave them. My heart is not
in this war as it was in the one | enlisted
to fight in, and go into it simply because
| have to. If | were not American,
| think l would be helping the Fiipinos.
You may well be glad that you did not
enlist in the war. To be soldier in
such cause as we are engaged in is
nothing to be proud of. l am chagrined,
and ashamed to think OF it as it is.
In tho same issue the Post prints also
the now well-known letter of Captain
Gustave Schaaf, of the Tenth Pennsyl-
vania, written home from Manila in
March, in which he says:
do not feel it an honor to war with
these people. OF course, we are here
and will do our duty, a duty that has
been forced upon us by some of the So
called statesmen that should, at this
particular time, be in our places. 1t is
burning shame, and the United States
must forever feel it. l have seen men
die that were too good to be put up as
targets for half-civilzed people, all
on account OF blunders made by a civil
lied nation like ours. The war we en-
listed for is over We enlisted in a war
in the cause OF humanity-or, at least,
so we were led to believe. Now we are
trying to take from people what the
American forefathers fought form
dependence. Is this humanity? If it
is, fail to grasp the idea.
Sergeant Williams, a Wyoming sol
dier, also, in writing to his home al
Evanston, in that state, says, among
other things:
l am positive that the entire archipel
ago and its 100000 inhabitants are
not worth one single American soldiers
life to our government. just as sure a,
we retain possession Of, and attempt tC
govern, the Philippines, so sure will they
prove a financial loss. If l were run
ming matters here, would say to Asuin
aldo and his ignorant followers, TAX,
your islands and welcome to them"
As Williams, it is to be noted, ha
just been promoted to lieutenanc,
for brave and soldierly qualities, hi
views are not to be taken as those OF ,
disgruntled soldier. Private A. A
Bailey, of tho Wyoming battery, at thu
close of letter home, gives soldier
impressions of tho Philippine country
He says:
You can bet your ears and 'every
thing" you have that this is not a white
mans country, and / would not agre,
to remain here permanently for {
$4,000 starter, and will be as ready ant
willing to return to Gods country a:
anybody on the islands.
A banquet on Wednesday night o
last week given by the members of the
Pennsylvania Medical Society, then ir
session at Johnstown, Major DAILY, OF
General Miles staff, in response to O
toast, according to the report Of the
meeting given by the Philadelphia
Ledger, gave utterance to sentiments Of
radical antagonism to what he called
imperialism of war lords, and all thai
it implies" His remarks called Out
enthusiastic approval on the part of hi.
hearers. He said:
A soldier in two wars, l am opposed
to the use Of the soldier for anything
but the defense OF the honor and law.
of his country. To take up the work o.
destruction of human life in the Philip
pines where the Spaniards were by u;
compelled to leave off is revolving tc
our sense of right, and to civilize then
with sword and cannon is contrary tc
modern ideas of philanthropy. And
such BENEVOLENT assimilation is worse
than hypocritical, and has not oven tbs
element of national advantage to recon.
mend it, Warfare in the Philippines