El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-10-11
ENCOURAGED BY ANTS
THINK BRYAN WILL BE
ELECTED.
Letter From a Soldier In the Philip
pines Who Bldmes the ANTI
Expansionlsts At Home" For
BlOods hed.-Bryan's Picture On
Native Huts.

The parents of Arthur L. Peace,
who live in Virginia and an old school
democrats, have received an interest
ing letter from their son, who is
soldier in company M, Thlrty-ninth
regiment, U. S. w., stationed at Santo
Tomas, Philippine Islands, the letter
is printed in the Hartford Currant, and
says:
The anti-eXpanSiOniStS at home
have simply ruined all prospects of any
peaceable termination of the troubles
here, at least until after the election.
They have discouraged our men and
encouraged our enemies EVen ad-
hitting the Soundness of their views,
they are guilty of the highest treason
and hundreds of deaths must of
necessity be laid at their door. They
(the nativeS) have the greatest con-
fidence in Mr.. Bryan and they do not
hesitate to tell us that as soon as he is
elected the soldiers will all be sent
away and they will run things to suit
themselves.
Il was down at Calamba q few days
ago, and saw a large picture of Mr..
Bryan stuck up on a native hut. They
all firmly believe that he will be elect
ed in November, and they also believe
| that the anti-expansionists are largely
| in the majority in the United States.
From their point of vi ew they can see
pie have always been accustomed to
living under the most despOtic form of
government and for any one to crltl-
else or disagree with the methods of
the reigning power meant nothing less
than instant death and confiScatiOn of
all property, and so they reason ac-
cordingly that if Mr.. Bryan'S party
was not stronger than the reigning
power in the United States Il would
be impossible for the party to exist.
No argument can convince them or
| make them understand the freedom
of speech and action under which the
people at home live.
1T makes me weary every time see
in one of the states papers where some
anti is shooting off his head about
these poor lowly trodden people over
here, and how they are being imposed
upon by the Americans; and yet these
people who are doing all the talking
do not know any more about the true
condition of affairs on these islands
than l do about preaching sermon.
In the first place, they are better of
now than they were in their lives be-
fore; have more liberty and more to
eat. and are making more money. We
pay 20 cents dozen for eggs and buy
every one they can produce and they
never were sold for more than cents
previous to our coming here. We pay
!
natives than we would ever think of
doing in the states, and a soldier is
compelled to have clean clothes all the
time. We pay the men so cents day
for work. which is more than they
made in week before.
When a farmer raises a crop now
he does not have to give half of it to
the church and the other hiatt to the
government, as he formerly did, and
Starve himself. He can carry his goods
to market and not be robbed before
he gets there, by ladrones. As for be-
ing imposed upon it is as much as a
soldiers life is worth almost to mis-
treat one of them. He does not dare
do it. for their slightest grievance is
listened to and the offender, if he be
a soldier, is severely punished.
What hurts the most is what the
papers at home say about us. What
can we do? No soldier can say for him
self. This war is not right, and I'll not
fight. The majority of us will be glad
when We can return to civil life. We
are al ltired of it, but we cannot leave
until there is a big change in the sit
uation. In the meantime we need nour-
iShment instead of being branded as
murderers, robbers and desperadoes. I
don't believe you will find q man in
service here who would be willing to
give up these islands. 1t keeps fell
low guessing. l don't know what to
make of it. l have been a democrat
all my life and was always great adj
mirer of Mr.. Bryan, but l cannot for
the life of me see how a nan can
conscientiously be a follower OF Bryan
and fight under the stars and stripes at
the same time"