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JUNE 1. 19W
The Commoner.
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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.
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