Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1900-10-26

Forks on Saturday night, and doubt
less in other places, Mr.. Hildreth said
that his words on that, occasion had
been distorted, and that he had been
credited with uttering sentiments
which he did not entertain. He states
that his opinion with reference to the
Philippine question have undergone no
change, and that he is now as he has
always been, opposed to the policy of
the government. He lauds the Fill
pinos as patriotic men fighting for the
liberty of which the American govern
ment is trying to rob them. He de-
scribes them as a people of intelli-,
gence, and capacity for self govern
ment. He says that they were in
duced to assist the Americans in ex-
polling Spaniards from the islands by
the express promise that they were to
be permitted to set up a government
of their own, and that when we had
obtained of them the assistance that
we needed, we basely betrayed them.
He states that no one, whether the
Filipinos or the American soldiers,
expected that the United States in
tended to retain more than a coaling
station on the islands, which would
have been ch%eerfully granted by the
Filipinos. He states further that it
was not the intention of the govern
ment to keep the islands until the
wealth of this group became known,
and that when this fact did become
known it changed the entire policy of
the government. He accuses the
president and his advisors of ingrati-
tude, hypocrisy, and an utter disre-
gard of the rights and liberties of mil
lions of human being when weighed
in the balance against the selfish in
terests Of a few American capitalists.
In yesterdays Herald appeared an
account of a political meeting at Dun
dee, Walsh county, and from that &C
count the following paragraph con-
corning the statements made by Col.
Treumann is quoted:
Still Mr.. Hildreth was impressed
by what he learned in Manila, for just
before the North Dakota troops sci
sail for home, in a conversation with
Col. Treumann in Manila he stated thai
he did not e what any fair minded
man, who was c~onversant with the
fatcs, could find to criticise in the
Philippine policy of the national ad-
m~inistration, and that he, though q
democrat, felt that he must give the
policy his hearty support. This was
not a chance remark, capable of mis-
construction, as it was a part Of a quite
extended conversation, Liuet. Hildrett
maintaining the same tone throughout
and Col. Treumann expressing gratif-
cation that his fellow soldier, a dem.
ocrat of long standing, should be S.
profoundly impressed with the cor.
rectness of President McKinley's pol.
icy that he could cast aside all feeling
of party difference and support a pol.
icy in whose favor he certainly could
not have been pr%ejudiced."
Col. Treumann is known throughout
the state. So is Lieut.. Hildreth
There is a direct conflict in their testi.
mony. The Herald leaves it for the
people to say which of the two is cor
rect. LINK
Sergeant Phil Shortt, of Devils Lake
is another returned Philippine volun.
teer who has at various times dis
cussed the same question, and he does
not arrive at Mr.. Hildreth's conclu.
sion. Major Frame is another demo
GRAFT who does not think that it is any
discredit to his democracy to uphold
the administration in it's Philippine
policy-a policy which he believes tc
be the only correct and practicable
one. ,.,t
Is it not a little humiliating to the
men who are asked to send Mr.. Hill.
dreth to congress, and who share his
views on strictly political questions
that their candidate, after a years ser.
vice in Luzon in which he had an op.
portunity to view from a safe distance
the heroic actions of his fellow sol
diers, should return to his own lant
to go about the country discreditins
the cause for which our soldiers
fought, should revile the administra
ton for following a course which h
at one time warmly commended, ant
should for the sake of obtaining a littl'
political preferment swallow the words
which he himself uttered little NOR,
than a year ago? 20 2" . E&I