The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-04-20
SPAIN IN THE PHILIPPINES
Extreme Poverty Is the Rule Amona
the Natives.
The INHABITANTS ARE MISTRE A1ED
Their Lot rs Far From Happy one,
Hostility Towards Foreigners
Is Very Noticeable.


ent: nus ufbigG ~
The Philippines lie Wholly within the
tropic, reaching at the south to within
four and half degrees Of the equator
Big and little, they number 600, varying
in size from Luzon. with its 10000 square
miles. to tiny islets hardly worthy OF the
name, The islands are In most instances
OF volcanic origin, and several fine volcanic
peaks may still be seen in Luzon, Negros
and Mindanao. Destructive eruptions have
occurred within recent times, while earth-
quakes are frequent and often OF great
violence.
The climate is intensely hot, and in many
of the islands very unhealthy for Euro
peans. The severest cold which | ever
experienced at sea level during three years
and half was 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
There are four months OF rain, four OF
sun, with intense heat, and two months of
variable weather at each change OF the
monsoons Revolving storms of great mag
ntude and frightful violence occur at GER
tain seasons, and frequently cause enor-
nous damage TO property, attended with
heavy loss OF life.
| nv tipHANhi oSSuGiS III luG IOTeBlS OI
this archipelago is of unsurpassed SPLEEN
dor. the heat aud moisture combining to
produce vegetation of a magniflcence
which beggars description. Gigantic trees
| towering to n height OF 200 or 800 feet
are iestooned with graceful rattans, beau
| tltul ferns, and exquisite orchids, while
| underneath splendid tree ferns rear their
lovely heads thirty or forty feet into air.
| so dense is the vegetation In some of these
! forests that the fierce tropical sun hardly
! pehetrates to the ground beneath them,
ana the dense underground perpetually
drips with moisture
The population of the islands is esti-
| mated at from eight to ten millions. Elk
| Guiding foreigners for the moment we find
| the natives divided into something like
zoo tribes, each with its peculiar dialect
ana customs. With the single exception
OF the Negritos these tribes are of Malay
| extinction The Negritos are a race of
dwaltlsh blacks, confined at present to a
rev OF the loftiest mountain ranges, They
are characterized not alone by their color
but closely curling hair, which serves at
once to distinguish them from the straight
| haired Malay races. They are commonly
believed to be the aborignes of the islands
Ihey are puny, sicldy race, and are
rapidly becoming extinct.
The tribes of Malay origin vary in their
development from a state OF absolute saw
9gery to civilization. The interiors of sew
efal OF the larger Islands are populated
by nearly naked tribes. many of whose
Having nnthing 10 axcita ~ mn',s man:
tho Sn,nish INV 40 Nv, 'ne s"p,uiIs Vi
remain comniefn,,, ,n,,or,,, e..'n ''hois "
Extreme nnyarty ,s ~, ,,
civilized natives, and its cause is found
IN the heaVy burden of taxation imposed
upon them by their Spanish masters.
Every person over Is years of age is re-
sonal or document ~ H.; s,sa.t, Pc
charge for which Varies from' e, "a ~. s .ae
according TO tho means of Nc annlion,,t
Should these sums saen, insir,iaiant q.
must be remembered thar the ovreraga ma
tives has Iittle or M nn,,o,.,',u, eiase ua-
for hire. tba, ~ h ao app 9ppo'eunlty 10 work
curing employment his ware., aro ~ -
not more than cents per day and tbot ~
is usually unahln tn disnoso ~ ht - - ne
products for cash. being comnelled ~ ay
change them for other commodities =, |
addition to this personal tax there "a a
tax on cocoanut trees A tov n, React =,
burden n tax on kilIino o,,,,,ai ~, ~
a taxing for keeping a shop, tax an mi,Is
or oil presses, a tax on w1ights and maas1
ures, a tax on cock lighting. and so nm
to the end of the chapter. At every ,,,rn
the poor native finds himself face 70 go
with the dire necessity of paving trihmto.
and he frequently spends his life In an
thvc
thus imposed
Delinouen. taxpayers are treated with
the utmost severity The first stem ia
usually to strip them to the waist tio tho,,,
to bench or post and beat them unmsrl
clfully have seen woman s,,hiop pu,,'
this treatment. II this does not suffice inn
rIisonment follows. while nrassi,r, '',
brought to bear on relatives and friends
Should none of these methods prove Erect"
i've deportation follows with connsnatio,
OF property and the leaving q, women Ia ana
children to shift for themselves
| once saw forty four mon deported fran
squiior because they owed taxes yaryin%
in amount from So 10 $40 wos trfor,,,, .
that they would be allowed TO return 70
their families il they cculd find tbom ,,f,o ~
working out the amount Of moi. so,'a,.,ii
debts. Tho wages allowed them wore ~ ~,
q cents per day. Board was IN ho ~ co., -
nshed thom at n cost Of 3 cnrts W. 5ur-
and they were TO cIothe and Shelf ~, taS'
selves In other words ,be,r s I'M
amounted to deportation for ltfe ''"S'
Should native manage IN 90, ohro,s
ana secure some Ii,tto od,,no. a. ""'"'"