Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 October 1900 — Is An Anti-Imperialist. [ARTICLE]

Is An Anti-Imperialist.

The following letter from his nephew, now serving in thearmy in the Phillipines, was received a few days ago by Smith Newell of Barkley tp., and we are permitted to publish same. Manila, Philippine Islands, Aug. 10, 1900. Dear Uncle: —As I have been expecting a letter from you for some time and not received any, I was thinking perhaps my last did not reach you. 1 have not received a letter from ho ire for more than five weeks now. I guess they think I have been killed or something of that nature happened to me. I can say, however, that I am still among the living and furthermore lam getting along fine, in fact better than I ever expected to get along when I first came here. I find by keeping plenty of quinine on hands one can keep off the fever easy enough and that is all that ever botheied me much since I have been here. Stomach trouble is quite a common complaint among the men but they generally have a good cause for it by drinking too much cheap whiskey, which is very common here. The Chinos are very adept at imitating the different brands of U. S. whisky. I think I can truthfully say that 20 per cent, of the sickness here is caused by bad liquor of some kind or other. The men who refrain from drinking, are the ones with the best health in the long run. From what I have seen the tropics are no place for a man who cannot refrain from drinking. Our regiment is now in the city of Manila doing police duty and I will just say the duty is hard. Some of the men who were ~so anxious to get into the city are just as anxious to get out of it to some small town again. At ? resent there are the 21st and 20th nf. and the sth and 6th Artilleries doing duty. However, there is not much disturbance going on in the city at present. A captain of the native police was murdered a few nights ago, but his murder has not been apprehended although there has been several arrests made. In many parts of the islands the insurgents are as active as ever and trouble is experienced every day in some part of the islands. It is going to be quite a question as to what the government is going to do when the volunteers are sent back, as many of the towns will have to be deserted which are now held by the volunteer forces. More volunteers will have to be raised if the islands are kept in subjection as well as they are at present. The places now occupied by the volunteers cannot be filled by regulars as there are not enough regulars in the U. S. army to take their places. Surely, Uncle Sam has a white elephant on his hands. The war in China is another thing the government wishes she had off her hands. We now have two regular regiments sent from here to China, the 9th and 14th. and I understand five or six regiments have been ordered from the states. The expense of keeping the army would surprise some of the people if they only knew what it really was. It is costing $2,000 per year for every soldier they keep in the Philippine Islands. I have the satisfaction of knowing I am not a cheap guy as long as I am in the army here, anyhow. If the U. S. keeps on she will have her army scattered over the whole world. The nominations for presidents of the states were just aliout as I expected they would be. I am thinking however ’ the Democrats would have to make the antiimperial plank in the platform the main one to dance on. If the people can be made to see the expansion question as it really is there would be no question as to the result. The democrats would carry every state in the Union*''' 1 would like to be back in the states now. I would be tempted to take the field myself on the antiexpansionist question. However, the republicans will never bring the above question to the front if they can prevent it. Well, I guess I will quit for this time, wishing this to find you all well and for the success of the democratic party this fall, I am, your Filipino Nephew, Andrew S. Newell.