The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-10-23
Manila Before Dewey Came,

oes ReYueS of Paris an article on ''Th.
, Spanish Reign Of Terror in the Phillip
pines" In il he says:
No stranger can form any idea Of vex
} atoms, formalities, and regulations so ru
nous TO private and public interests a.
those which the Spanish officials have in
vented and put into force in the Phillip
pines These gentlemen have but one %
]ect IN life. TO make as large q fortune
as possible during their terms of three
or SIX years in the archipelago and Their
return 20 Spain 10 escape the curses Of
the unhappy natives.
The officers composing the central gov.
eminent at Manila are many and vel
paid The islands are divided into mill
tary. civil. and mixed provincial govern
ment- Each is composed OF a Governor
and numerous staff, all paid from the
revenues OF their goyernorships. Thi:
system gives ample oportunitpy for rs
cal malversiou and oppression. which fal
upon the unhappy natives. Under Span
ism law every inha6itan; of the colony Is
| compelled % carry personal card, which
answers the purpose Of passport No one
can travel without one. Its cost varies
from 81 80 TO SIS, and IL must be renewed
annually. Those who pay less than s3.5.
are compelled TO give their personal labor
10 the government for fifteen days or pay
an additional tax of $3.50. AS the daily
wages of workers range from FIVE 10 nifty
cents. the severity with which this tax
weighs upon the masses can be imagined.
Through all the islands the taxes are
uniform and iunumerable. Every native
| who keeps and fattens an animal for food
| is taxed; if ne has a horse or some CO.
| coanut trees he is taxed for each. II he
| wishes to makee cOcOanut oil he is again
taxed for the privilege. There are taxes
| on weights and measures. on stores and
| shops; tax on land on all kinds of man.
| ufactures. and on alcoholic spirits. Native
| tax collectors are made responsible for
| the collection of the total taxes in their
| districts. At Squijor forty-four of these
| native functionaries were exiled 10 Bohol
| after their houses. land. and cattle had
been confscated. because they had not
| been able to make good the arrears due
| by their fellow-countrymen. This is the
| price which the natives of the Phillip
| pines pay for their government on
| Christian principles
| And yet owing to the marvellous fertil-
| ity of their soil, the oppressed, tortured,
ruined islanders manage TO exist. a
| primitive system OF cultivation has pro-
| duced in one year s.. 900 600 worth of hemp
| 100000 worth of sugar and 81 000, 900
| worth of tobaccoi Gold iron, copper and
| coal are found on the islands. The exac-
| tons of Spanish functionaries and the
veXations of the fiscal agents so hamper
ali foreign merchants and those who
come to engage in business that they
finally give up the attempt to do any
profitable trading and leave the country.
such was the state of the colony when,
as suddenly as a flash of lightning, the
insurrection of 1896 came. 1t was the re-
suit of speeches made by Spanish Off
GERS at an army reunion and banquet, who
then and there proposed to 'exterminate
the savage natives in their lairs and de-
clared that they would give no quarter.
but slaughter these rascals to the last
man. At first .he insurgents were check
ed by want of arms and supplies. but the
first detachment of Spanish troops when
opposed them were so few and behaved
in so cowardly a fashion that they were
easily cut TO pieces, and the rebels secured
several hundred rifles and thousands of
cartridges.
THE memory of the Death Hole at Ma
Mia will never be effaced while the pres
ent generation of natives and their chill
dren live. The Death Hole was noisome
dungeon, built in the foundations of the
city rampant. on the River Pasig side
of Manila. This prison had been unused
for more than 100 years. 1t was half full
of foul water the home of rats, snakes,
tives were shut in it. During the night
they were heard shrieking and begging
to be knocked on the head or taken out.
The Spanish lieutenant in charge. annoy
ed by their groans and complaints, stop
ped up the only opening by which fresh
air could reach them. All were found
dead in the morning. General Banco was
then Governor General Of the Philippines.
When he heard of this atrocity he sum-
i
and. after upbraiding him for his cruelty.
kicked him downstairs. The General
knew that if he had contaminated this
officer the latter would have been &C
quilted.
las shocking was the fate of DIR. Rial.
This enthusiastic patriot was an intelli-
gent, learned man. who had been educat-
ed in Spain and France. For writing a
book against Spanish oppression he was
exiled TO the Island of Dapitan. There
he met young woman of Irish parent
age, with whom he fell in love They
were engaged 10 be married when. on
some preteXt, the doctor was brought
back TO Manila. sent TO Madrid TO be
tried, and from Madrid sent back to Ma
Mia. The unhappy girl to whom he was
betrothed tells the rest of the story:
e Every one knew that Dr.. Rizel was
innocent. All that could be brought
against him was the publication of his
book, and the Spanish officials who tried
m had never even read IT, Neverthe- .
less he was condemned 20 death l then
asked permission 10 be married 10 him.
and they granted my request, thinking
TO add 10 the horror of his martyrdom !
The marriage was celebrated by a friar
the same day on which he was sentenced. (
1 passed that whole night on my knees 4
in prayer before the prison door which &
shut my husband from me. When morn I
ing dawned the doctor came out sur /
rounded by soldiers. his hands bound be- (
hind his back
q" They took him 20 the Luneta. the /
fashionable promenade Of the city. where I
AL military executions take place. The
lieutenant IN command Of the firing party .
asked my husband where ne would prefer
to be shot He replied Through the
heart Impossible. said the Lieutenant
such a favor is granted only 10 men %
rank You VIII De shot in the back"
moment after ny husband was dead
90 The soldiers shouted. "Hurrah for
Spain. and !, ''Hurrah for the Phillip
? mes ana death 10 spain asked for
the body. !, was refused ne. Then |
swore 10 avengs MS death I secured
revolver and dagger and Joined the rebels.
They gave me Mauser rife. and the
Philippines viii b free.
An execution a che Luneta was con-
s.dered IN tae hight OF spectacle. Z
Usually took place IN the. cool Of the early
morning Hundreds % women u the up
Per classes were present. The spectators
stood up in Their carriages and drank
champagne while waiting for the appoint
"a hour When the officer IN command
of the firing party lowered his sword and
the shots rang out The women waVsd their
1audkerch.efs ard sunshadss joyolsly.
The nring squads for these bsrosrous
executions were each made ~ % i've