Evening star., 1900-10-05
Says Filipinos Have Confidence in
Bryan's Election.
CAN'T UNDERSTAND FREE SPEECH
They Are Better Off Than Ever
in sheidLnes.
INSTANCE OF TREACHERY

have received an interesting letter from
their son, who is soldier in Company NJ,
39th Regiment, U. 8. Volunteers, stationed
at Santo Tomas, Philippine Islands. The
letter says:
The anti-expansioniSts at home have SIM
ply ruined all prospects of any peaceable
termination of the troubles here, at least
until after the election. They have dis
couraged our men and encouraged our enc
mics. Even admitting the soundness of
their views, they are guilty of the highest
treason, and hundreds of deaths must of
a necessity be laid at their door. They
the natives) have the greatest confidence
in Mr. Bryan, and they do not hesitate to
tell us that as soon as he is elected the
soldiers will all be sent away. and they
will run things to suit themselves.
II was down at Calamba a few days ago
and saw a large picture of Mr.. Bryan
stuck up a natives hut. They all firm
ly believe that he will be elected In No
vember, and they also believe that the
anti-expansionists largely in the ma
jority in the United States. From their
point of view they can see it in no Othe:
light. You see, these people have always
been accustomed to living under the most
despotic form of government, and for any
one to criticiSe or disagree with the meth
DDS of the regning power meant nothing
less than instant death and confscation of
all property, and 50 they reason according
ly that if Mr.. Bryan'S party was not
stronger than the reigning power in the
United States it would be impossible for
the party to exist. No argument can con-
vince them or make them understand the
freedom of speech and action under which
the people at home live.
Better OF Than Ever Before.
1T makes me weary every time l see in
one of the state papers, where some anti
&c CHI off
dcwntrodden people over here, and how
they are being imposed upon by the Ameri-
cans; and yet these people who are doing
all the talking do not know any more about
the true condition of affairs on these islands
than l do about preaching sermon In
the first place, they are better off now than
they ever were in their lives before; have
more liberty and more to eat and are max
ing more money. We pay 20 cents dozen
for eggs and buy every one they can pro-
duce. and they never were sold for more
than 3 cents previous to our coming mere
We pay more for our laundry work TO these
natives than would ever think or do
ing in the states, and soldier is COM
PEELED TO have clean fclothes all the time.
We pay the men 30 cents day Tor work
which is more than they made in week
before
when farmer raises a crop now he
does not have 10 give half OF II TO the
church and the other half to the govern
ment as he forReriysdid, and starve HIM
and not be robt4d before he gets there by
ladrones As fo being imposed upon oa5 1t Is
TO mistreat ri them. He does not dare
do 1t. for their slightest grievance is lis
tened to- and the offender, If he be a sol
der, is severely-punished.
What hurts the most is what the
papers at home say about US What can we
do? No soldier -ean~say for himself, This
war is not right, and III not fight The
It'll ~ ,1oI hay, xryn
return to civil life. We all tired of it,
but we cannot leave until there is a big
change in the situation. In the meantime
We need encouragement, instead of being
branded murderers, robbers and des-
peradoes.
Il don't believe you will find a man in
service here who would be willing to give
up these islands. 1t keeps a fellow guess
ing l don't know what to make of 1t.
have been a democrat all my life and was
always a great admrer of Mr.. Bryan. but
/ cannot for the life Of ne see now a man
can conscientiously be a follower of Bryan
and fight under the stars and stripes at
the same time.
Little Change I'm the Situation.
There is little or no change in the situa-
ton here. We are making no advance on
the enemy and beyond a few half-hearted
attacks on our towns they are not doing
much. They succeeded In striking a
pretty hard blow last night. Captain Muir
ply of Company /, our battalion, learned
through a spy that there were some guns
secreted in a little barrio (village) about
two miles from here, and last night he went
with twenty men over there to see II he
could capture them. He reached the barr,o
all right and was passing through II, when
he saw two natives standing at gate. One
of them spoke to him In Spanish and said
buenas noche5 (good night sir). and stuck
out his hand to shake hands with the cap
tain. He advanced to take his hand. when
81 lt,,rr
in the shadow placed rifle almos: against
the captains breast and fired. He called
out, Come on. boys, and fell dead. ThA
men fired several volieys through the dark
ness and killed two natives, but do not
know If either of them was the captains
slayer. They stayed where they were until
daylight, for they were afraid of walking
into trap.
1--WE knew nothing of the captain being
killed until they brought in his body this
morning. We heard the firing last night
I'D a few Of the bullets fell around our
quarters, but we just supposed it was some
OF the natives amusing themselves by fir
ing into the town. and it is almost an
every night occurrence, we got out in posi-
ton to repel an attack and after everything
got quiet, went back and lay down
again.
Captain Murphy a regular army
officer. He was a young man and married,
and was one Of the handsomest men in the
regiment. He was a very rigid discipline
ran. and consequently, was not very popu-
lar with the men, but, nevertheless, we all
regret his DEATH and God help the natives
in that district when they fall into the
clutches Of our men in the future
encouragement Received From the
United States.
Looking at IT from an ordinary point of
view. one man is as good as another, and
the death Of an officer is no more of a ca
lamity than that of an enlisted man. But
the difference here is that 1t will greatly en-
courage the natives. This is the first COM
missioned officer We have had killed out Of
our battalion and the insurgents are de-
lighted, but his death will be avenged all
right. and that quickly. All talk of the in
surgents weakening, or of the war being
over, is rot If anything they are in better
shape than ever. The encouragement they
have received from the United States has
greatly strengthened them. and, no doubt,
more has been done at home to aid in the
continuation of the war than has been done