Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-04-12
PHILIPPINE FACTS
Son OF a South Dakota Popu.
list Writes From
Manila.

SSA 5Iobl I'll SOLu-
pany |, Thirty-seventh United States
volunteer Infantry. He was former
a q in the University of South
Dakota at Vermillion, and his letter is
IN reply to a letter of inquiry from w,
y. olson' an old schoolmate, who be-
coming confused by the clamoring OF
politicians, wrote to h S oil
irleno Tor information upon the follow
ing points.
what is your opinion as to u adj
vantage in their 1.-THE Philippines) 5
session, and their advantages uuder
our control?
HOW do the natives take to our
modes and customs, when pacified?
HOW do our soldiers treat them, and
now are they treated by our govern
ment?
Is our war in the Philippines, in your
opinion just and humane?
We are told by politicians that these
natives are capable of self-government,
how is that?
We are also told that our boys fired
into the insurgent lines first with
pistols, and that this was the cause OF
the war.
In your opinion is General Otis mas
ter or the situation in the Philippines,
and how long will the wal last?
Cooling, who is the son of a promi-
nent South Dakota Populist, enlisted
In the First regiment, South Dakota
volunteers, but when the regiment re-
turned to the United States he re-en-
listed in the regiment in which he is
now serving. He has been in the
philippines for about two years. His
letter is so candid and convincing that
Mr.. Olson has consented to its publica-
ton, although it was not designed for
publication: Omitting immaterisl por-
tions the letter is as follows:
FIGHTING THROUGH IGNORANCE.
Il have no idea of returning home
for some time, | believe that there is
a fortune here for someone, and / may
be the lucky one. This is truly a sec
ond Klondyke in many respects. We
have a perfect climate. No excessive
cold to contend with. One can work
the year round. The heat never
reaches 100 degrees, and in the noun
tains not near that. This is, strictly
speaking, a new country. Under the
Spanish rules, foreigners were barred.
No one but Spaniards could do business
in the islands, and commerce was only
carried on with the mother country.
Further, the islands were contin-
ually in insurrection, and the Span
iards dared not go outside of the old
walls of Manila. Under the strong rule
of our glorious government, with this
insurrection wiped out, and the whole
of the island in our hands, it will be
quite different. You ask when will the
war be over. 1t is over now. There is
no organized army left. 1t is only a
matter of breaking up q few Ladrones
or robber bands who are working on
their own hook, robbing natives and
Americans alike. They fight only
when forced to. Their run will be
short, for the peacea5le natives are
and will do their utmost to aid the
Americans to capture them.
1T is to their interest to do so, and
they know 1t. The masses have only
been fighting through ignorance. They
have been told by their leaders that we
are monsters who butcher our prison
ers, and insult their wives and sisters
after footing their property. But when
they do fall into our hands and find
that is all false, they are forever our
friends. and go back to their homes
and tell all they meet the news, The
southern islands have all greeted the
Americans with wide open arms and
many provinces of this island are now
doing the same.
do they take to our modes n
customs? There are hundreds now 60
ing to our free schools in Manila,
studying our language, and those who
have not gone to school speak 1t quite
we'll. 1t is wonderful what a change
there has been made in that city In
the short period since August IL, 1898.
It is clean, healthy, and almost a mod
ern city of business, where two years
ago it was filthy, unhealthy n quite
dead. ... -..
you ask what the advantages are in
their possession. In the Phiiipp ne
archipelago the United States has
gained the most valuable of its pos
sessions. The natural riches, size OF
the islands, and the commercial value
of them is very much underated by
the people In the states.
You ask how u soldiers treat ire
Filipinos. Well, they are u enemies
until in our power. and we kill then II
we can. as they would us, but when
they are wounded or prisoners there is
not a soldier in the Eighth army corps
h would not divide his rations. and
fine water in his canteen, with one OF
them. We are all human beings. The
American soldier Is not as a rule, a
s%a,vationist, but he is not a savage,
GLOW are we treated by u govern
MEM we have everything that CIR
cumstances will allow. No army when
In the field eyer Jared as well as we 90
now. -
as our war in the Philippines just
and humane? you ask. ! will answer.
Are we governed by some tyrant VINO
&c 10 gain glory and wealth by taxa
ton? Is it unjust to hold q state OF the
union in the union? What is the union
for7 Is it not for mutual benent!
Would it have been just to have al
lowed the insurgents into Manila TO
loot the city, as they Dragged they
would after orr destroying the gov
eminent here, What would other ma
tions have said who had subjects
there I think our war is just n hui
name. .o,,o
"You ask IL the natives are capable
Of self-government No,.the Filipino