Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-06-08
A PHILIPPINE LETTER
Some Of the Causes That are Keep.
ing the Embers Of Rebellion
Alive.
A SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN
A Eulogy Of General E. s. 0tis-The Pro-
gress That Has Been Made Under Amer
ican Rule-A Prosperous Future
Indicated.

gfoSS Inat mas Been Made Under Amer
ican Rule-A Prosperous Future
Indicated.
The New Mexican is permitted to
make some extracts from an interesting
letter written by Frank l.. Otis, second
lieutenant Of the 35th infantry, United
States volunteers, at present in the
Philippines. Lieutenant Otis is with the
the Macabebe scouts, and he writes
from Calumpsit, under date of April 90
UNJUST CRITICISMS.
Last night as l laid on my bamboo
floor with a shelter half over me, lis
tening to the merry pop-pop of our old
Krags, answering the sarcastic ping
ping of Remington, hurling the nasty
brass-capped missile at some poor ba-
con and hardtack fed son of Uncle
Sans, or the high-toned screech of a
Mauser, which finds itself stopped by a
bunch of bamboo after having cut it's
way through several banana trees.
bamboo fences, etc. think of all the
articles have read of our little Filipino
war. l think, too, Of all the criticisms
hurled at that noble old veteran, Gen.
r. S. Otis, of three wars and many In
dian campaigns; of how he should run
this war, where he has made errors
showing apparently his gross ignorance
of the Filipinos and their ways. Dc
these critics stop to consider that this
is the first time in our existence that
we have had to fight 1000 miles from
our shores? See what great trouble
England has had with her transport
service, the blunders Of her generals,
her best soldiers; she who has been
studying for years this very work of
carrying campaigns to foreign shores.
Have you ever placed yourself in the
same position of those you criticize?
is THE WAR OVER?
"Is this war over? Have we succeed
ed in convincing these half-civilized
people that we are here for their good
as well as our own? Have we con-
vinced them that we, too, are fighting
for our rights? Is not this land ours by
conquest? Well, that is hard ques-
ton. This week we think we have sue
ceeded, and next week we bump up
against a snag that changes our opin-
ions.
THE CAUSE.
''The cause is easy to find. Oh, shame
for our representatives Of a great peo-
pie; your speech of such and such a
date upKoidfns the insurgents n their
manly" fight for liberty, their right
eous" struggle for independence; your
resolutions of sympathy, coincidence,
ETC., are here, translated into Tagalog,
and distributed from one end of the is
lands to the other. 1t is this that keeps
the insurrection alive. Here are desert
ers from our own army acting as ennis
saries from Senator So-and-So, Con-
gressman So-andSo, saying that it is
only a short time until Colonel So-and
So will be elected president to hold out
until the fall. when things will change.
You will be given your liberty, ETC.,
just as If they are not at this moment
having more freedom, more liberty,
more justice done them than they ever
had in the remembrance of the Oldest
inhabitant. Yes, Mr.. Minister Of the
Gospel, Mr.. Interpreter Of the Bible,
you who pose as a good man, a saint,
you, too, are responsible for the death
of many brave man in these islands.
1T Is known by many that this insur-
rection is~only lying low at this time
recuperating, filling magazines, repair
ing arms, securing supplies and finish
ing plans, to make a grand effort just
before election this fall to influence
voters in the United States.
THE CAMPAIGN A SUCCESS.
"The campaign is a success in spite
Of all this. Every town Of any size or
Importance on the islands is garrisoned,
civil government is in existence and
generally doing well; land that has
been idle for years Is being cultivated; /;
new land Is being broken and planted;
houses that have not been repaired for
the last ten years are being renovated,
and new houses are going up on every
hand. The majority Of the people are
satisfied. They all have money, and
there Is more money in circulation than
there has been for years. Where the
Spaniards paid ten cents Of our money
for days labor we pay twenty cents
and upward. American goods, that
were never heard of before, are on the
market, and are being eagerly bought
by the people. Churches are being built
and used. Missionaries Of every de-
nomination are allowed to preach,
something that has not been allowed
heretofore on these islands. The GUS
and collected on an American basis,
with honest men at the heads of the
departments. The poor are on an equal
footing with the rich. The laws are ad
Courts Of justice are in existence In ev-
cry city, and appeals to higher courts
are granted. The inhabitants are being
taught newer and more simple ways Of
work and cultivation. Schools are in
working order all over the islands.
crude in their way, but better than
none, and will soon be replaced by our
grand public schools system.
THE WAR IS OVER.
I'VE do have little skirmishes daily,
and expect to have them for some time
to come. but certainly the war Is over,
Notwithstanding the effort Of some peo-
pie in the United States to have it con-