The San Francisco call., 1899-10-27
PUBLIC SENTIMENT.

I THEN one meets with politicians, as the Presi-
tN dent does on his tours the country, moth
"A ing is easier than to provoke or induce what
seems to be unanimous and enthusiastic indorse-
ment of imperialism.
When the President made his Pittsburg speech to
the returned volunteers of the Tenth Pennsylvania the
report OF the occasion entirely warranted the concu
sion that the soldiers and the people were as one IN
favor OF forcibe annexation of the Filipnos Now
comes the Pittsburg Post with large number ct
signed and authentic interviews with the ofcers and
members OF the regiment in which opinions IN direct
antagonism to the Presidents speech freely stated
The whole is summed up by one OF the staff otlcers,
who says: "The regiment sympathized with the ma
ves as fighting for liberty dear to them as is the
Americans to him The Tenth boys look upon for
cibe annexation OF the islands foreign to the ideals
OF the American constitution, and from a mere mons
ary point OF view as promising only aggrandzement
to few rich syndicates and heavier taxes to the la
borer because OF the huge military force necessary
hold them" Among the interviews is a letter writ
ten by the gallant Colonel Hawkins, who lost his
life in the poison climate of the islands, in which he
says that amy attempt to hold the islands as colo
nies is menace to American institutions, and they
are not worth the cost OF conquest Then follow In
erviews with the majors quartermaser adJutant SIX
captains five lieutenants and several hundred pr-
Yates all of whom express the same opinion Many
of the prvates say: "Of course we obeyed orders
and fought, but what for? Those natives have as
much right to liberty we have"
We have not the space to copy all OF these very in
terestng and significant interviews When it is re-
membered that they are from majority OF the staff
and line of a regiment which the President made a
long journey to welcome, and which he fattered by
the most heroic Inscriptions, the politicians may be
led to revise their frequent statement that the
try is unanimously imperiast. An American can
hardly imagine more serious situation for brave
and obedent soldier than the exposure of his own
life to kill others whom he regards as right and
patriotic in fighting for their liberty to govern them
selves and the freedom Of the soil on which they were
born
Another recent expression that may interest the
imperiast politicians OF both parties is the passage
of a resolution in the national session of the
w c. T. u. denouncing the on the Filipinos.
The wives and mothers and women composing the
W. c. T. u. are of the thoughtful class of society.
They are women who would encourage war in a
cause which they believed to be righteous and when
they denounce this as unrighteous it means some
thing We think that the people everywhere should
know the facts about these expressions OF opinion.
With large percentage OF returned volunteers and
the largest women's organization in the Union giving
free expression to such views there must be
abatement in what has seemed to many as a mad
rush into Imperialism and all the cost and entangle
ments which it implies. As the necessity OF defend
ing England in like policy has already appeared,
one may reasonably expect the Tenth Pennsylvania
and the W. c. T. u. will soon receive many recruits