The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-05-21
Lucyban, Tayabas Prov,
Luzon, p. l.

February 10, 1900.
The officers and soldiers in the army
in the Philippines are pretty careful
students of the causes of the contin-
uation of this rebellion. And there Is
one opinion freely expressed and gen.
eral among them all-namely, that the
one thing that Is keeping the rebellion
alive is the hope of the election Of Mr..
Bryan, as the president of the United
States.
The army is convinced of this, be-
cause friendly natives all over the
island continually advance this as the
promise that the insurgent leaders
hold out to their followers, and in
surgent prisoners freqeutnly make the
assertion.
The troops, in going through the Is
land, have picked up many copies OF
the different insurgent publications,
now suppressed, which claim that Mr..
Bryan will be elected, and has prom
ised to withdraw the American troops
and turn the islands over to the Agui-
naldo government.
I have more times than l can count
heard officers and men say, "the blood
of every American killed from now on
is upon the head of Mr.. Bryan. He
can stop this rebellion at any moment
by announcing that he does not SYM
pathize with the rebels, and will not
recognize them If elected" And they
add further, But he will never do
this. because he needs this point in
his campaign. If he should be elected,
he would never recognize the rebels,
but he could not stop the bloodshed
by saying so, because 1t would be in
consistent with his present course"
Mr.. Bryan perhaps does not realize
what a factor he is in the present re-
bellion. II he knew 1t, he would prob
ably end it by disavowing any in
tention of recognizing the rebel gov
ernment in any case.
Whether Bryan is elected or not, will
make no difference in these conditions
until fall at least. Until he is finally
defeated and the scattered insurgents
have all received the news, they will
contiue to fight and plunder believing
that If they can only hold out until
March, 1901, the new American ad-
ministration will withdraw the army,
recognize the Aguinaldo government,
and probably leave a fleet here nuder
Aguinaldo's orders to protect the new
from without
We know of our own knowledge,
that the insurgents universally believe
in this hope, and that 1t is this that
holds them together, for we have
talked to the insurgcnt prisoners, as
well as to the friendly natives, and
many regiments have men who have
been captured by the insurgents and
n NJ
company, this regiment, for example,
was captured during skirmisn ut
Cabinti, January 9th, and is now
back with the regiment after three
weeks captivity. The insurgent ofti"
GERS. some of whom talked English
we'll. sounded him a good deal, and
told him that when Bryan was elected
all the American soldiers would be or-
dcred home and the insurgents recog-
nized The Filipino soldiers talked
about Bryan continually, and believed
he would he elected soon, and turn the
island over to them.
All the Filipinos know about Bryan
and talk about him, and ask questions
about him of the soldiers. A man OF
my company told a Filipino at Santa
Cruz that Bryan would never be elect
ed. The man said he surely would
then the United States would have
free silver, and all the Americans
would have to go home from the
Philippines. They all say Bryan is q
very great man, when you mention his
name.
The soldiers take notice of all this,
and I have heard them say, while
| trudging along at the heavy end of a
hard days march: bryan, Bryan,
damn Bryan. I'm tired Of hearing the
Filipinos talk about Bryan. If 1t
wasn't for him We could go home, in
| steAd of hiking all over these noun
tains chasing insurgents"