The Portland daily press., 1898-11-07
ONE NEW WARDS.

Of the discussion of the Phlhppins
question about the inhumanity OF hand
ing back the natives of these ISLANDS oo
Spanish tyranny. To one who has NO
knowledge on the subject the impression
given is that these natives are poor
and inoffensive people, something hke
our negroes, and that they nave peen
terrorized and prosecuted by the Spanlards
much ias the red-shirted white men are
terrorizing and prosecuting the negroes In
North Carolina, only more per sistently
and brutally. Advocates OF annex
ation-or some of them-wha know better,
are deliberately cultivating this notion
to excite the sympathy OF the American
people. Few Americans have been to the
Philippines outside of Manila, and infor-
nation in regard to them is very meagre.
But there is abundant evidence that the
conception of the natives OF
the largest islands of the group as an
inoffensive, peaceful people who have
been the victims of persecution and bar.
barity, il as far as can be from the fact.
In recent number of the Century
mtRdGlu0t EOls Ac6A Os st0lO0ct0k VI unu
University of Michigan, who explored
several of the islands few years ago. de-
scribes the people he found in them and
the relat ons between them and the Span.
iards. The islands which he gave the most
attention to were Mindanao. Sulu and
Basilan. The great mass OF the inhabi-
tants of all three of these islands are de-
scendants of Malay pirates OF Borneo,
known as Moros. They entered the coun-
try about the time of the Spanish discov-
cry, and the Spaniards have been fighting
them ever since, but have never suhdued
them. A quarter of a century ago the
Moros used to make raids annually up
on the Northern Philippine islands. in.
Guiding Luzon. taking thousands of CAP
tives and butchering the men in GOLD
blood, while the women were carried away
toa..' enrich the seraglios OF the Moro
chiefs, and the children to be brought up
as slaves 1t was not until rapid fire
guns and light draft gunboats appeared
that the Spaniards were able to break
up this business.
Prof. Worcester spent the most time on
the island of Sulu, or at any rate his
description of the inhabitants there Is
most elaborate. A Spaniard named
Arolas, was the nominal governor OF the
island at that time, but his control did
not really extend much outside the coast
town in which he lived. He was able TO
keep the Moros at bay and that was abont
all. In the interior the Moros were just
as defiant as if there we're no pretenoe OIL
Spanish soverei gnty in the island. All
the Mnros above sixteen years OF age,
writes Prof. Worcester, go armed. " The
weapon most trusted in combat is known
as the barong. sort of butchers cleaver.
The Sulu Moro is warrior. He dis
dams to work, and his wants are sup
piled by his wives and slaves. He is In
humanity cruel. and will out down slave
merely to try the edge Of q new barong.
One can readily see from this description
how inoffensive a person he is, and how
he ought to appeal to our sympathies
The Moros have government OF their
own, The chief ruler Is the Sultan lthey
are all Mohammedans. Each village is
under mandarin. One OF the funda-
mental religious beliefs of the Moros is
that the more Christians they kill the
better time they will have in the future
life; the fear of getting killed themselves
does not deter them, for the Moro who
falls in an encounter with q Christian
is supposed to be transported at once to
the seventh heaven.
How much real authority the Spaniards
exercise over the islands is shown by
an incident which occurred soon after
PROT. Worcester left. Arolas, who had
been governor, was recalled. His sue
cessor, who was not very well acquainted
with his subjects, thought he wonld levy
some taxes upon them. So he published q
decree ordering the men to coma to town
on certain day and pay tribute. What
followed, Prof. Worcester describes az
| follows:
Son the day appointed, Harun The was
the Moro Sultan), presented himself at
the town with large following of armed
men at his heels. The governor hesitated
| to admit SO many Moros. but they assured
him they had come to pay their taxes,
and he finally let them in, after drawing
up his troops in honor Of the event, and
placing himself at sheir head. Harun
came forward, Presented the governor
with q bag of pearls as mark of affec.
| tfouate regard, and then, suddenly draw
ing barong. split his skull to the teeth.
The Moros fell upon the surprised sol
diers like wolves upon shsep and won a
complete victory. The town was RACED. :
One can easily see after reading this 40
count how inhuman it would be to leave
such inoffensiye and peaceful people tc
the cruel tyranny of the Spaniards. In
the interests of humanity we ought te
send a feet and an American army there
right Eawsy and rescue them from
Gpanich ornrassfoT,