The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1900-04-12
PHILIPPINE FACTS
Son of a South Dakota popu-
list Writes From
Manila.

pany /, Thirty United States
Volunteer Infantry He was former
student in the University of South
Dakota at Vermillion, and his Letter is
In reply to letter Of inquiry from w.
e. Olson, an old schoolmate, WHO be-
coming confused by the clamorng of
designing politicians, wrote to his old
friend for information upon the fellow
| ing points.
What is your opinion as to Our adj
vantage in their (the Philippines pos
session, and their advantages lnder
our control?
| How do the natives take to our
modes and customs, when pacife6?
| How do our soldiers treat them, and
how 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 lf-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
I,
| and how long will the war last?
Cooling, who is the son of 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
\ 1nffnr 10 en- pxip nj, fbnf
! Mr.. Olson has consented to its publica-
| ton, although it was not designed for
| publications: Omitting immaterial por-
lions 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 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, 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 a 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 peaceable 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 it, 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 looting 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
anu ltl1 dIl ticy IhCCI tiC hO"o. lac
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 and
customs? There are hundreds now go
ing to our free schools in Manila,
studying our language, and those who
have not gone to school speak 1t quite
A.. NJ xuha ho no
there has been made in that city in
the short period since August IL, 1898.
1t is clean, healthy, and almost mod
ern city of business, where two years
ago 1t was filthy, unhealthy and quite
dead.
You ask what the advantages are in
their possession. In the Philippine
archipelago the United States has
gained the most valuable OF its pos
sessions. The natural riches, size OF
the islands, ana the commercial value
of them is very much underated by
the people In the states.
You ask how our soldiers treat the
Filipinos Well, they are our enemies
until in our power, and we Kill them IL
we can, as they would us, but when
they are wounded or prisoners there Is
not a soldier in the Eighth army corps
who would not divide his rations, and
the water in his canteen, with one of
them. We are all human beings. The
American soldier is not as a rule, a
salvationist, but he is not a savage.
"How are we treated by our govern
men? We have everything that Cir
cumstances will allow. No army when
in the field ever Jared as well as we do
now
as our war in the Philippines just
and humane? you ask. will answer.
Are we governed by some tyrant who
is to gain glory and wealth by taxa
ton? Is it unjust to hold state of the
union in the union? what IS the union
for? Is it not for mutual benefit?
Would it have been just to have al
lowed the insurgents into Manila to
loot the city, as they Dragged they
would. after our destroying the gov
eminent here? What would other ma
l.