Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-09-08

PROSPERITY FIGURES
THATCAN'T BE DISPUTED
ON IT'S LAST LEGS.

ON IT'S LAST LEGS.
The following letter from a South
Dakota soldier boy In the Philippines
has recently been received by Colonsl
Lee Slower of Watertown, and tells itJ
own story:
Santa Cruz, Laguna, p. l., July 10
In tonight's Manila paper | read that
William J. Bryan has been nominated
for president on the Democratic Text.
Well, the Democrats, I suppose, must
keep UP some sort OF a showing but
feel certain Of their downfall and de
feat, and tho complete victory or the
grand old Republican party.
There is one thing certain that II the
troops over here were allowed to vote
you would find less than n hundred
votes out OF the sixty-hve thoutan i
now stationed here, in favor OF the
Demo-Pop party. You will undoubted
ly think this Is expressing II too strong
but IL you Gere over here you would
find the sentiment In favor of holding
the Philippines as here stated. The
instruction has at last been brought
To a successful end. All armed resist
ence 10 something OF the pat, though
there is q few bands of inhuman iendi
Ladrones) still ut large, numbering
burning and robb'ng Wherever they go
II these people call Themselves Ta-
triots why In Gods name doa't they
quit numbering innocent people, burn
Ing their houses and carrying wealthy
Filipinos off to the mountains. hold
ing them for large ransoms. This Is
the kind OF warfare the American roll
diers have to lead at present, but they
are assisted by all right think ng Fill
pinos. Nearly every insurgent officer
has been brought in and with n or
two exceptions have taken the oath
and sworn TO defend the flag OF the
United States.
In a recent capture Of General Ri
carte there was found among his pa.
pers a whole lot OF anti-expangion pa
pers printed in the United State' an !
translated into Tagalog from which the
only conclusion that can be drawn Ia
that the seed OF dissatisfaction among
the Fllipinos was first spread In tie
United States. That this Is true the
official records Of the War Department
will show to anyone who disbelieyes IT
The volunteers. OF course, are anxi-
GUS to go home, but not before they
can be spared here. They all knew
what they were about, and | doubt very
much II one per cent or the
now in service would go home II OPP
~portunity was offered them w thout
first making sure that they could safe
" be spared from these Islands. About
the regulars | know very little, but feel
cure they will always do their duty
whenever called upon. You s,
b. T.. GjeIsteen,
Hospital Sergeant, 37th Infantry.
Charles w. Ferwick, a soldier In the
Philippines, has written home to his
Democratic father at Herndou, Saline
county, Missouri, and declares that the
election Of Bryan Is the one hope OF the
followers Of Aguinaldo. The letter says
there ia no telling how much longer the
bush-whackirg warfare will last IL the
@" couragement to the natives from the
United States Is to be kept up. He fur
Their expresses very contemptuously
the wish that Mr.. Bryan himself might
have them to deal with. for IL he had
he would change his tune" This Is
line with the last letter on the sub
feet by the late General Lawton. The
troops in the Philippines know where
to place the responsibility for the pro-
longatlon OF their service there.
Sergeant Harry Bramble enlisted
with the First South Dakota from Wa
tertown, and when the regiment was
discharged he re-enlisted with the
Forty-second United States volunteers,
aDd Is now In Luzon. When the ser
geant went over to the islands he was
a pronounced Democrat as his father
was before him. The youpg soldiers
brother, who is auditor OF Codington
county. some time ago wrote to the
sergeant to get his opinion on the
question:, the writer think
ing that an opinion from q Democrat
In the field would be Of interest to the
people Of this state, as Indeed IT Is. In
reply to his brother, Sergeant Bran
BILE writes at length OF the richness of
the islands, and the folly OF letting
them go, and adds:
IL should be returned to the
United States in time to vote,
and that should be the main issue
between the Republican and Demo-
cratic parties, rather than see
the Philippines given up after all
Of the hard work that the soldiers
have done TO keep them, l would
vote the Republican ticket.
Another South Dakota soldier testi-
les that IN his judgment the rebellion
n the Philippines Is kept alive by the
Encouragement given the rebels from
his country and that when Mckinley
q elected the rebellion will collapse.
Everett Foster, who served with the
First South Dakota, and who remained
here after the regiments discharge Is
he witness this time. He has return
d to Aberdeen for a visit, and-fresh
rom the islands-says that the rebel
ion is being contirued only because OF
he encouragement given the rebels
rom the anti-expansionists Of the
United State.