The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1898-05-18
I'm SPANS PHILIPPINES.
RULE A CURSE TO
FERTILE ISLANDS.
HER

tue tropics, reaching NJ tne SOutn 10
within four aud half degrees of the
equator, writes Dean q. Worcester, Of
the University of Michigan in the New
York Independent. Big and little, they
number some six hundred, varying III
size from Luzon, with its 40, 900 square
miles. to tiny islets hardly worthy Of
the name. Destructive eruptions have
occurred within recent times, while
earthquakes are frequent and often OF
great violence.
The climate is intensely hot, and ia
many of the islands very unhealthy for
Europeans. These are four months OF
rain, four Of sun, with intense heat,
and two months OF variable weather at
each change of the monsoons.
The tropical scenery in the forests Of
this archipelago is of unsurpassed
splendor, the heat and moisture CON-
bining to produce vegetation of mag
nificence which beggars description.
Gigantic tree towering to height OF
200 or 800 feet, are festooned with
graceful rattaas, beautiful ferns, and
exquisite orchids, while underneath
splendid tree ferns rear their lovely
heads thirty or forty feet into air.
The population of the islands Is es-
timated at from eight 10 ten millions.
Excluding foreigners for the moment,
we find the natives divided into some
thing like two hundred tribes, eaoh
with it's peculiar dialect and customs.
With the single exception Of the No
gritos, these tribesvare OF Malay ex-
traction. The Negritoe are race OF
dwarfish blacks, confined at present to
few of the loftiest mountain ranges.
They are commonly believed to be the
aborigines Of the islands- They are
q puny, sickly race, aud are rapid
ly becoming extinct
The tribes of Malay origin vary in
their development from state of alb
solute savagery to civilization.
Extreme poverty is the rule among
the civilized natives, and its cause is
found in the heavy burden of taxation
imposed upon them by their Spanish
masters. Every person over eighteen
years of age is reQuired TO procure
annually credula personal. or docu-
ment Of identification, the charge for
which varies from S1.5O to S25, ac-
cordine to the means Of the applicant.
Should these sums seem insignificant
it must be remembered that the aver
ase native has little or no opportunity
to work for hire; that if .he does suo-
ceed in securing employment his wages
are often not more than five cents per
day and that be Is usually unable to
dispose of his form products for cash,
being compelled to exchange them for
other commodities. In addition to
this personal tax there is O tax on co :
coanut trees, o tax on beasts Of BUR-
den, tax on killing animals for food,
a tax for keeping shop. a tax on
mills or oil presses, taS on weights
and measures, q tax on cook fighting,
and so on to the end of the chapter.
At every turn the poor native finds
himself face TO face with the dire ne
eessity of paying tribute; and he fro
quently spends his life in an ineffect-
ual effort to meet the obligations thus
imposed.
Delinquent taxpayers are treated
with the utmost severity. The first
step is usually to strip them to the
waist, tie them 10 bench or post, and
beat them unmercifully. Women are
subjected to this treatment. Should
none of these methods prove effective
deportation follows, with oonfscation
Of property aud the leaving OF women
and children 70 shift for themselves.
once saw forty -four mon dsported
from Siqaiior because they owed taxes
varying in amount from two TO forty
dollars. 1 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 six cents per
day. Board was to be furnished them
at cost of FIVE cents per day, and
they were to clothe and shelter them
selves! In other words, their SEN
tence amounted to deportation for
life.
Should native manage to get
abroad and secure some little educa-
: ton, he is likely to be invited on
board a gunboat some evening and not
heard from thereafter, the reason for
his disappearance being that he knew
90 much.
The Governor General is surround
ed by numerous corps Of officials to
hid him in the performance of his du.
lies, while the islands are divided
I1to provinces, over each of which
rresides Governor and horde OF
minor officials. The whole Admins.
ration is rotten from skin to core.
With few exceptions, these officials
have come from Spain with the delib-
trate and frankly expressed intention
II improving their pecuniary status.
A few years ago it used to be said
that the Governor Of province who
failed to become wealthy in two years
was fool.
Hostility toward foreigners is in
tense. The extensive export aud i'm
port trade Of the islands is in the
hands of foreign houses, 10 the greK1
disgust Of the Spanish, who never
lwaarv in THAR attan r,ta tf, fran a Iav