The Mena star., 1898-12-21
..ropMs IN THE PHILIPPINES
That Confront the New
 P'' owners of Those Tar away Islands.

,ns should be begun at once, s,u me of the first should be ma sno ,reduction in the extortionate iefls' .h;eh have in the past beer levied sA', ss long-suffering inhabitants. op measure would be certain to Su'a a,es favorable impression, and P'0v s % far toward giving the natives V0uss ssance in the new administration. eopAde order to strengthen this con - mart of the funds raised by pos sa,iou should be expended in local ''nrements, such as the building of ursond the establishment of schools. saosher much-needed reform would .ho nroyision of a simple but com w hsnsiye M and effective code of laws.
 name of the existing codes is ian and lawsuit under any one of ;s inc worst misfortune that can stau a man. A precedent can be '"apd for anything; bribery is uni- srsal. and justice virtually unknown. :. tbe native once find that he has -hts before the law, and he will be- to regard the law with some re- beet
 rule the civilized natives are or .,lv and the most serious problem sbeh the representative of law and raer would have to face would be the Expression of brigandage. There have lravs existed, in the northern islands, .nds of tulisanes, or professional andits. Sometimes they establish prmanent headquarters in inaccessi- places, and again they live scat Ired among the honest villages, as- Imbling only when they have some ,yiltry on hand. Their ranks are re- Euited in part from the criminal asses, in part by the addition of men Eho have been driven by bitter wrongs turn against the existing order of Kings They are often led by men sup bsed to be possessed of anting anting, charms which make them bullet Roof and give them various other Eraculous properties. These tulisanes kscend on defenseless people, and under, kill, and carry off prisoners to held for ransom. As rule they are tperate towards, but some of their krations occasionally show daring. Fing my stay they kidnapped a priest Hhe very streets of Manila.
 n the past, when the guardia civil succeeded in hunting them down, ey have usually been acquitted, or, conyicted, have soon managed to eff rt mysterious escape, while the esding alcaldes have suddenly be- ne wealthy.
 btthe close of the present war these nds of tulisanes will doubtless be gmented by the riffraff of the in- gent forces. They hare hare bbsen 50 g accustomed to having their own that they will be over bold. A orous policy in dealing with them ud have a very wholesome effect. operations against them, and so as possible in all operations in the Fhpelago, native troops should be d When well drilled and well led y make excellent soldiers. A con- bient way to dispose of part of the )urgent forces would be to retain m in service under white officers. is perhaps worth while to note, in connection, that in recent opera ps about Manila native troops have, btleast one instance, remained true 5n Spanish soldiers mutinied.
 he widespread ignorance which yails in the Philippines is one of the St important problems demanding ntion. Many of the natives are ok to learn, and are anxious for the ortunity, so that their education uces itself to question of ways
 means. A school system Is pro- ed for by the Spanish law, but fa- ltism prevails in the choice of ehers, who are often grossly in npetent, while the practical work of the schools is frequently inter- ed with by the friars. The law pro- Hthat Spanish shall be taught; but t suits their convenience, in the out-of-the-way places, to be the means of communication between sfnment and natives, they often ud this A few prayers and 3 lit Writing and arithmetic comprise
 course of instruction in many of @hools.-Prof. Dean c. Worcester, Fsntury.