The record-union., 1898-08-11
among the insurgents than the loyal
troops have done.

among the insurgents than the loyal
troops have done.
FIERCE TROPICAL STORMS.
| But diseases were not the only de-
stroyers Severe windstorms passed
over the islands Three of these occur
ring in Luzon did great damage to the
| shipping and plantations, the native
proprietors of the latter suffering more
| than the Spanish. Loss of life was
great on all occasions. The most ter
rible storm struck Lyte and Min
| danao, where hundreds lost their lives.
Storms in the Philippines are more ter
rife than in any other part of the
world. Nothing can equal the display
of the forces of the atmosphere in Luz
Zon. A storm on a moonlesS night in
the mountains, after a hot day, is
enough to unnerve an army.
| In December which, while a month
of storms, is not considered month of
1 tempestuouS weather, there occur rain
storms as disastrous as those in the
1 Punjab, but these are reckoned tame
beside the storms of July and August.
But if storms were frequent and es-
pecially terrible in 1897, earthquakes
were more SO. 1t is not exaggerative to
say that $4,000 people lost their lives
through earthquakes last year. In
Leyte alone during one quake $4,000
periShed.
No less than 169 distinct shocks were
| felt in ten months. Luzon suffered
less comparatively than any other
island, but nevertheless it suffered Sc
verely. The insurgents suffered more
directly by these disturbances than the
Spaniards, but the latter lost more
from a military point of view. For
weeks important plans were neglected
and hostilities were prosecuted only
| by the rebels.
| THE SPANIARDS DOOMED.
| All circumstances considered, with
out taking the interference of the Unit
ed States into account, the revolt in
the Philippines is the most serious
Spain has had to deal with since the
loss Of Mexico. When the Spaniard
was at the climax of his power in the
Philippines it was well known that he
was being absorbed by the race
around him. Now that Spanish power
| is broken, the Spanish there will be
as completely assimilated with the
native population as the Portuguese
at Goa Spanish blood could never
| cut a figure in the interior, and as it
recedes from there the native element
will follow it and drive it from the
| shore. The Spanish cannot retain a
footing in the Philippines.
A more energetic race of whites
might take the islands, the most pre-
cious in the East, and adapt them to
| itself but that race would have 10
have the energy Of Americans. Spain
/ is the dog in the manger, but the other
nations which she keeps away, except
| Ing America are dogs also, and would
prove, excepting England, just as self
ish as Spain. The Philippines always
needed far less assistance from with
out to gain freedom than Cuba. Ten
thousand rifles with ammunition would
at any time have made the insurgent
/ islands independent. 1t was always I'M
possible for Spain to land and maintain
! for six months $4,000 soldiers in Lu-
zon, and less would be impracticable.
/ Until peace is established in Cuba or
/ LuZon is freed, warfare of the most
| savage nature will be carried on in
Luzon. and with all her military power
brought to bear on Luzon, Spain
would have ten years struggle be-
fore her
CATHOLICS VS.. MOHAMMEDANS.
| 1t would be well if the United States
We're undeceived as regards the poll
tical situation in the Philippines. Ag-
uinaldo leads the less popular class OF
insurgents. While he is good man,
Duerze is a better. The Philippines
/ could never endure government
formed Of the Spanish Catholic Mez-
tizoes, composing the Hongkong Junta,
although the United States might at
tempt to establish such. Aguinaldo
may be a Freemason, but he is a Cath
olic Freemason, and as such would not
be obeyed. The Tagals have not
thrown down the monasteries and
slaughtered the friars in order TO oe
ruled by a modified Spaniard. When
we consider that the Tagal has been
compelled under the Spaniards to give
thirty days labor annually to the
monasteries, beside 1.-THE, we must ad-
nit he is right in rejecting Aguinaldo.
The Tagal is a Mohammedan. His
| Mohammedanism was suppressed by
the friars, but now it is unsuppressible.
He will never submit to the members
of the Hongkong Junta who We're once
the pawnbrokers and usurers of Ma
Mia. Last December Duerze was sa-
luted as Christ in Manila by the Chris
/ IldnlZeu ldSdlS, Jul eie 1osCi AiAlTiit |,
by slaughters, soon convinced them
that he was the other fellow.
Since then Duerze has been recog-
nized as the prophet Of the Moham-
medans throughout the Philippines.
His following was SO great that last
March Spain believed his followers
should be exterminated. They at
tempted the determination, but were
deceived. After arresting and throw
ing into their awful prisons several
| thousands of DuerZe's followers, and
slaughtering over 500 for resisting ar
rest, they found the islands again
burning with insurrection. Monas-
teries We're razed and friars slaugh-
| tered with amazing quickness.
/ Duerze could have been proclaimed
Sultan if he were selfish and imprudent
enough to desire it. Thus it is that
when any important move in the Philip
pines is meditated Duerze and the Mo-
/ hammedan Tagals must be taken into
account or blunder be made. Duerze
is as eager for a republic as Aguinaldo,
| but not the same form of republic. If
the United States annexed the islands
/ Duerze would be satisfied, While Aguin-
aldo would not, because Duerze recog-
nizes the non-religious aspect Of the
United States as being almost as bene-
| fetal to the Philippines as his own IA
vorite scheme, while Aguinaldo cannot
have fit idea of what a government
Of the Philippines should be without
| the domination of his clique. But Ag-
L