The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-21
TYRANNY OF SPANIARDS
THEIR RULE OF THE PHILIPPINE
ISLANDS ALMOST INTOLERABLE.
People Poor, Taxes Heavy and Whip
ping a Penalty for Unfortunate
Debtors to the Crown.
Dean c. Worcester. University of Michigan
in New York IpdeDandent

Dean G. Worcester. University of Michigan,
In New York Independent.
The Philippines lie wholly within the
tropics, reaching at the south to within four
and half degrees of the equator. Big and
little, they number 600, varying in size
from Luzon, with its 10000 square miles,
to tiny islets hardly worthy of the name.
The islands are in most instances of vol
canic origin, and several fine volcanic peaks
may still be seen in Luzon, Negros and
Mindanao. Destructive erupuons have oc-
| CURED within recent times while earth
quakes are frequent and often of great
violence.
The climate is intensely hot, and in many
of the islands very unhealthy for Eu-
ropeans. The severest cold which l ever
experienced at sea level during three years
and half was 60 degrees Fahrenheit There
are four months Of rain, four of sun, with
intense heat, and two months of variable
weather at each change of the monsoons.
Revolving storms of great magnitude and
frightful violence occur at certain seasons,
and frequently cause enormous damage to
property, attended with heavy loss of life.
The tropical scenery in the forests of this
archipelago is of unsurpassed splendor, the
heat and moisture combining to produce
vegetation of a magnihcence which beg
gars description. Gigantic trees, towering
to height of 200 or 300 feet are festooned
with graceful rattans, beautiful ferns and
exquisite orchids, while underneath splendid
tree ferns rear their lovely heads thirty or
forty feet into the air. So dense is the
vegetation in some of these forests that the
fierce tropical sun hardly pepetrates to the
ground beneath them, and the dense under
growth perpetually drips with moisture.
The population of the islands is esti-
mated at from eight to ten millions. FIX.
Guiding foreigners for the moment, we 1nd
the natives divided into something like two
hundred tribes, each with its peculiar dla-
ton of the Negritos, these tribes are of
Malay extraction. The Negritos are race
Of dwarfish blacks, confined at present TO
few of the loftiest mountain ranges. They
are characterized not alone by their color,
but by closely curling hair, which serves
at once to distinguish them from the
commonly believed to be the aborigines OF
the islands. They are puny, sickly race,
and are rapidly becoming extinct
The tribes of Malay origin vary In their
development from state of absolute saw
agery to civilization. The interiors OF sew
eral of the larger islands are populated
by nearly naked tribes, many OF whose
members have never seen white man:
Having nothing to excite the cupidtty or
the Spanish, they are, and seem likely TO
remain, completely independent
Extreme poverty is the rule among the
civilized natives and its cause is found
in the heavy burden of taxation imposed
person over eighteen years OF age is re-
CURED to procure annually a credula per-
sonal or document of Identification, the
charge for which varies from $l.50 to SIS,
Should these sums seem insignificant, II
must be remembered that the average ma
tive has little or no opportunity to work Tor
hire: that if he does succeed in securing
employment his wages are often not more
| than tive cents per day, and that he is usu-
a n n n
for cash, being compelled to exchange them
for other commodities. In addition TO this
personal tax there is a tax on cocoanut
trees, a tax on beasts of burden. a tax on
killing animals for food, tax for keeping
a shop, a tax on mills or oil presses, a tax
on weights and measures, a tax on COCK
fighting, and so on to the end of the chap
| ter. At every turn the poor native finds
himself face to face with the dire necessity
of paying tribute; and he frequently spends
his life in an Intellectual effort TO meet the
obligations thus imposed
| Delinquent taxpayers are treated With
| the utmost severity. The first step is usu-
ally to strip them to the waist, tie them TO
a bench or post and beat them unmerci-
fully / have seen women subjected to this
treatment If this does not suffice impris-
onment follows while pressure Is brought
to bear on relatives and friends. Should
none of these methods prove effective, de-
portation follows, with confiscation of prop
| erty and the leaving of women and children
to shift for themselves.
l once saw forty-four men deporteG from
| Siquijor because they owed taxes varying
in amount from two to forty dollars / was
| informed that they would be allowed to
return to their families If they could find
| them after working out the amount of their
| several debts. The wages allowed them were
| to be cents per day. Board was to be
| furnished them at cost of cents per
| day, and they were to clothe and shelter
| themselves. In other words their sentence
| amounted to deportation for life.
| Should a native manage to get abroad
and secure some little education he is
| likely to be invited on board a gunboat
| after, the reason for his disappearance be-
| ing that he knew too much.
Brigandage is tolerated, if not encour-
| aged, by the authorities charged with the
| enforcement OF the laws. The civil guards
go to much trouble in apprehending Grim
inals of the worst type, only to have them
| set at liberty again without trial, or mys-
| teriously escape" from prison. If there
were no criminals at large the fees of the
The governor general is surrounded by
numerous corps of officials to aid him in
the performance of his duties while the
islands are divided into provinces. over each
of which preside a governor and a horde
OF minor officials. The whole administration
IS rotten from skin to core. With few excep-
tons these officials have come from Spain
with the deliberate and frankly expressed
intention OF improving their pecunary
status, ana the means employed IN doing
it would require for their enumeration more
| space than is allotted to me. A few years
| ago 1t used to be said that the governor of
province who failed to become wealthy
| in two years was a fool. Certain 1t is that
few, Philippine governors grow wealthy out
| of their salaries.
Hostility toward foreigners is intense. The
| extensive export and import trade of the
| island is in the hands of foreign houses, 20
the great disgust of the Spanish, who never
| weary in their attempts to frame legislation
lopers.
| All in all; It can hardly be said that the
| lot of the Philippine natives is a happy one
| He constantly chafes under his burden
while the half-castes, with their greater
| sensitiveness and superior intelligence, are
perpetually boiling with more or less we'll
| cealed fury. Were arms and ammunition
| to be had, SPANS rule In these islands
| would be speedily terminated AS II is. the
| natives, stirred UP and led by the half
castles. have repeatedly risen against the
| government.
Naturally the Philippine native is
| peaceable, easy-going fellow Under a de-
| cent form OF government he would give IT.
| tie trouble. No one familiar with existing
! conditions can doubt that Spanish rule has
| been curse to these islands, and it would
/ be a happy day for them should some civ
! ilized power take possession of them. Their
| largest cities are we'll nigh defenseless and
| could be readily captured unless defended by
| powerful naval force.
Don Carlos Rryan