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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (June 1, 1906)
" -- " "- --. .sn,)j . JUNE 1. 19W The Commoner. 5 '' SW!V ff3PWVW-;- r A Simple Story Common to Imperialism Here Is a simple story told by two simple let ters. It is a story familiar in many an American home ever since this government adopted a co lonial policy. It is a story common to the pro gram of imperialism. The parents of this dead boy have the consolation of knowing that their 'eon fell bravely fighting under his country's col ors; but it was an unnecessary sacrifice and all of the Philippine Islands and all of their wealth and opportunity for exploitation are not worth the life's blood of one of America's Tom Har risons. Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Harrison of Saltillo, Tenn., recently received the following letter: Malabang, Mindanao, March 14, 1906. Mr. J. T. Harrison, Saltillo, Tenn. Dear Sir You have by this time received news of the death of your son, Tom. I hope so, as I would not want to be the first one to send you such heart-rending news. First, let me offer my heartfelt sympathy to you, and Tom's relatives in this sad bereave ment. He was a man, and a soldier, well liked by all who knew him. I knew him very inti mately as he was a member of my squad. I always found him very attentive to his duties, and in every way ready at all times to do what he could to help others. Believe me, r miss Tom indeed. He was my "Bunlde," and I now miss him, as the space ho had occupied alongside of my bunk is now vacant, and there is no Tom to talk to and joke with. Again, let me offer you my heartfelt sym pathy, and rest assured,. Tom is missed in every sense in this company. Now then, let me tell you the reason for my writing to you: The fighting in which Tom Harrison lost his life was prolonged two days. It seems orders were changed after we had ar rived at the top of the mountain on the 6th of March. We waited in sight of the enemy's forts for to take action. But we were recalled from our position and told to wait another day. It was during this wait, from 9 a. m. till 3:30 p m., that Tom and I made an agreement to write to each other's people in case of anything happen ing to us. We were to write for one another, and tell just how the other died, or was wounded. Now, it is to this promise I gave Tom on the top of Mount "Budajo" that I write. This prom ise and agreement was made with the idea that it would never havo to be fulfilled by either; more to keep us from thinking how perilous was our position. It was only "talk," but it seems it has turned out otherwise. Now to the task: It wa3 on the 7th of March at about 3:45 p. m., just as he was answer ing the charge, Tom had gained the top of the mountain, and was just going to step up on the trench as he wag speared through the stomach. He died almost instantly. Help was at his side as he fell, but Tom was beyond that stage. The day before this final charge, I must say that Tom's actions were very courageous and brave, and although no doubt ho thoroughly rea lized his danger and it wag very great, he never gave the least sign. He wanted to do his part. Did he succeed? God alone knows. But wo of the company must acknowledge that Tom was there for the "charge," and tried to do his duty as a soldier. Tom was buried in Jolo Jolo, P. I., on the 9th day of March, as were also ten other good and true soldiers. They received the honors as was their duo. Still it does not fill the void that we of the company feel in not having Tom Harrison with us. He died as we, all of the army, hope to die "fighting." God rest his soul! In conclusion I would say, I hope and pray that I have fulfilled my obligation to the dead, if in any way in after years I can do you any service, let me know of it. Tou will shortly hear from the government aa to the financial condition of Tom. I know ho had saved some, but do not know what oxtont of saving ho had. Again offering my sympathy, I bog to remain Yours most sincerely, ROY 0. OLSON. Corporal Co..D, Dth Inf. Malabang, Mind. . 'r Saltillo, Tenn. Editor Commonor: I send you the sad news of the death of my son, Thomas Harrison, who was killed in tho battle of Mount Budajo, Philippine Islands, March 7. It was a Soclc t?.me1Rnd to hls mocr. Tommy was the twelfth child, and tho baby boy. I was try ing to educate him so ho would bo able to take charge of my farm and run it to pay himself and to take care of mo and his mother In our tottering days. But ho got in company with a young man who had been in tho army three years over in tho Philippines, and he told him what a good time there was, and that It was better than going to school. Tommy was too good a boy to face his mother and toll her good bye, but slipped off with that young man and joined tho army before wo could got to him. It was the mistake of his life. It nearly kills his mother and bruises mo. No man ever raised a better boy than Tommy Harrison was. Everybody liked him that knew him, and you will see from tho letter I send you from his comrade that the army loved him too. Please print this letter, also the letter from Roy Olson. Maybe it will prevent somebody's boy from making tho mistake that mine made. I wish some one would make a comment on this event. I give my heartfelt sympathy to those other homes that were made sad by that fight. I need the prayers of everybody. J. T. HARRISON. But Who Has Been Punished? W. S. Ryan, of Indianapolis, Ind., writing to the Indianapolis News, says: "Folk, at St. Louis, did something worth com mending; the United States district attorney for Oregon has 'made good;' Lawson, no matter what he is, has been telling some truths; Russell exposed tho beef crowd's methods; Baker has written the truth about railroad corruption; Stef fens has given us political corruption blood raw; Miss Tarbell has flayed 'John D.;' Phillips has detailed particulars respecting a few of the traitors in his 'Treason of the Senate.' Now comes the systematized cry, 'Drop the muck rake,' 'Cease this exposing of the corruption that Is offensive Why? Are the dear people awake? The people were robbed of millions are now be ing robbed of millions and Lawson has told them so; and the News and dther papers have sneered, at him. The people are not awake; they have not had the iron shoved into them hot enough nor deep enough. And yet the cry, from a source easily discoverable to be controlled by influences that the 'muck rake uncovers, that lives and thrives upon 'muck is to drop the 'muck rake;' and President Roosevelt is its .echo. "After all the discoveries above indicated by names of persons, who has suffered for wrong done? Who nas been punished? "Some newspaper, responsive to the demands of the 'muckers and some magazines, double lead their edited wisdom as they proclaim the posltlveness of the awakening of the people. "Who has been punished for any of the un lawful acts that Lawson has pointed out and proved? Who has suffered for the evils that Rus eel brought home to the beef trust? Who has suffered punishment for any of the crimes that Baker has riveted on the railroads? Who but the people have suffered because of such crimes? Who among the Standard Oil crowd has been punished? Are they not doing business regu larly in the good old way at the same old stand? Who of the United States senate has been es teemed the less because of Phillips' truthful lampoons? "Shades of Webster, Clay and Calhoun, look down upon the grocer-statesman from Rhode Island, Aldrich; the discredited remnant of "Me Too' Piatt, and the dishonored clown Depew; Steve Elklns, from Mesllla, 'down on the Rio Grande' and elsewhere; William A. Clark (the predecessor by agreement, so 'tis said, of the Montana Addlx, F. Augustus Heinz, H. H. Rogers' partner, who was once 'Impossible' to the same Rogers) Dryden and Kean, of New Jersey; Pen rose, of Pennsylvania,, and a few others. "And now comes the 'noblest Roman of them all' with his 'big stick' wrapped thick with speeches, advising the world on every subject. Beside Folk, at St. Louis, with everything against him, and only the. power of a petty local prosecut ing attorney's office to sustain him, what has Theodore Roosevelt, with all the machinery of the government at his command, accomplished, either for the good of the people or in punishment of those who have violated the law? Tho merger case? Of course, Hill and Harrlman have not gone straight ahead, snapping their fingers at the supreme court (whose decrees are worthless unless enforced by the executive) and consolidat ed their Interests; of course not. And the In junction on the beef trust? Did It enjoin? Is the beef trust out of business entirely and are the cattlemen getting more and the consumer pay ing less than formerly for beef not Inspected by the government? But what could the president of the United States do? What did one Stephen Grover Cleveland do when the laws were being violated at Chicago? But that was different. Yes, it was; then the law and corporate interests were on the same side for a wonder! Now why should the 'muck rake' be dropped? Simply be cause it creates a bad smell? Drop the 'muck rake'? Why, sir, if Atlas straddled the Andes, with one foot in the Pacific and one in the gulf, and held by the handle a muck rake with teeth long enough to reach to hades, and he stuck In the prongs at Lake Superior and raked through to the everglades of Florida, our friends Rogers, Rockefeller, Armour et id omne genus, would hop between the teeth, yell, 'He never touched us and begin the formation of a heat and light company, U3ing the interstices made by the teeth of the rake for piping heat from where they never shovel snow. "Before the president of the United States decries the use of the 'muck rake' he should 'get busy " Since Mr. Ryan wrote the above, George W. -Perkins, arrested for giving other people's money to the republican campaign fund, has .been dls charged. SPECIAL OFFER . 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