Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-09-13
ON ITS LAST LEGS.

ON ITS LAST LEGS,
The following letter from a South
Dakota soldier boy in the PHILIPPINES
has recently been received by Colonel
Lee Slower Of Watertown, and tells il
own story:
santa Cruz, Laguna, p. l., July 10
In tonight's Manila paper | read that
William j. Bryan has been nominated
Tor president on the Democratic ticket
Wen, h Democrats, | suppose. must
keep up some sort Of a showing hut
feel certain of their downfall and de-
feat, and the complete victory of the
grand old Republican party.
Ihere is n thing certain that if the
troops over here were allowed to vote
you would find less than one hundred
votes out of the sixty-ive thousand
o stationed here, in favor of the
Demo-Pop party. You will undoubted,
ly think this is expressing II too strong
put II you were over here you would
lind the sentiment in favor of holding
the Philippines as here stated. The
instruction has at last been brought
to a successful end. All armed resist
ance is something Of the past, though
there is a few bands OF inhuman fiends
(Ladrones) still at large, numbering.
burning and robb,ng wherever they 90.
IL these people call themselves pa.
triots why in Gods name don't they
quit numbering innocent people, burn
Ing their houses and carrying wealthy
Fflipinos OFF to the mountains. hold
ing them for large ransoms. This is
the kind OF warfare the American SOL
diers have to lead at present. but they
are assisted by all right thinking Fill
pinos. Nearly every insurgent officer
has been brought in and with n or
two exceptions have taken the oath
and sworn to defend the flag of the
United States.
In a recent capture Of General Ri
carte there was found among his pa
pers a whole lot of anti-expansion pa
pers printed in the United States and
translated into Tagalog from which the
only conclusion that can be drawn is
that the seed of dissatisfaction among
the Fflipinos was first spread in the
United States. That this is true the
official records of the War Department
will show to anyone who disbelieves 1t.
The volunteers, Of course. are anxi-
Gus to go home, but not before they
can be spared here. They all knew
what they were about, and doubt very
much II one per cent Of the volunteers
now in service would go home II OPP
Dortunity was offered them without
first making sure that they could safe
ly be spared from these islands. About
the regulars | know very little, but feel
sure they will always do their duty
| whenever called upon. Yours,
B. E. Gjelsteen.
Hospital Sergeant. 37th Infantry.
Charles w. Fecwick, a soldier in the
| Philippines, has written home to his
Democratic father at Herndon. Saline
) county, Missouri, and declares that the
| election of Bryan is the one hope or the
followers of Aguinaldo. The letter says
there is no telling how much longer the
bush-whacking warfare will last II the
announcement to the natives from the
| United States is to be kept up. Ee fur
Their expresses very contemptuously
the wish that Mr.. Bryan himself might
have them to deal with. for If he a
he would change his tune" This Is
in lie with the last letter on the SUD-
iecc hy the late General Lawton. The
troops in the Philippines know where
to place the responsibility for the pro-
longation of their service there.
Sergeant Harry Bramble enlisted
with The First South Dakota from Wa
tertown. and when the regiment was
discharged he re-enlisted with the
Forty-second United States volunteers,
and is now in Luzon. When the ser
geant went over to the islands he was
a pronounced Democrat as his father
was before him. The young soldier s
brother. who is auditor OF Codlngton
county some time ago wrote 10 the
sergeant to get his opinion on q
Pbilippine question, the writer think
ing tina an opinion from a Democrat
in the field would be of interest 10 the
people OF this state, as indeed II Is III
reply TO his brother, Sergeant Bran.
bIe writes at length of the richness Oh
the islands, and the folly or lettios
them go, and adds:
n I should be returned TO the
limited States now in time to VOTE
and that should be the main issue
between the Republican n Demo
cratic p~arties, rather than see
the Philippines given up after all
of the hard work that the soldiers
have done to keep them, l would
vote the Republican ticket.
Another South Dakota soldier test
ses hat in his Judgment the rebellion
in the philippines is kept alive by the
encouragement given the rebels from
this country and that when Mckinley
Is elected the rebellion will collapse.
everett Foster, who served with the
First South Dakota. and VINO remained
there after the regiments discharge IS
the witness this time. He has return
ed to Aberdeen for a visit, and-tresh
from the islands-says that the reDel.
lion is being contioued only because OIL
the encouragement given the reneis
from the anti-expansionists oil the
United State.