The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-15
THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS
UNCLE SAM WILL BE SURPRISED
WHEN HE MAKES INQUIRY.
Cinnamon Are Real Masters of the
dued Tribes in the Interior.
New York Sun.

conditions of government now existing in
the Philippine islands with view to alter
ing them 10 suit Yankee notions he is going
o be everlastingly surprised. In the first
place, he will find that the Chinese are the
real masters instead of the late lamented
dons, just as they are to-day virtually in
control of nearly all the islands of Malay
STA. In the second place, he is going to
find that the dissatisfaction of the revolving
natives is directed as much against these
same Chinese as against the Spanish, and
that the cry against cheap Chinese labor
rings out as wildly at Manila and else
where in the islands as it did in this coun-
try prior to the restriction of Chinese immi-
grafton"
After this declaration Capt. John w. Mer-
rift, of San Francisco paused to take
breath and to stroke a monumental meer-
schaum. He is a retired shipmaster who
has seen forty-five years of gales and
Gains on the bosom of the Pacific, and was
spinning yarns for the entertainment of a
group of friends.
THE population of the Philippines he
continued, lis the most heterogeneous to be
met with in all the Kanaka islands. They
say it numbers 5000, O00-souls, 1 was going
to say, but, bless you, most of them are
just the commonest kind of black or brown
bodies meandering around at the dictates cf
the most corporal kind in impulses and in
stincts. The mountains are filled with wild
tribes of divers origin, few of which have
ever been conquered or subdued by the
Spanish. They are as ferocious as Cerberus
and as black as his master. Among them
are the negritos-'little niggers,' that means,
translated. They are wiry, tough. and bad
| little giants, who yield only to such civiliza-
| ton as is introduced by powder and ball.
| These fierce tribes swarm all over the 200
islands in the group, and 1 venture to say
| that not one-half of them have ever been
under the Spanish yoke
THE Tagals, who live on the larger ISL
| ands like LuZon and Mindanao are rather
| peaceful people and do a little farming be-
tween cock fights. Then comes the Bisayans,
who are great fishermen and live on the
water between the islands. They carry on a
desultory sort of commerce and stir up re-
| volts. The Malay Indians form the majority
of the population under Spanish rule, with
the Papuans good second. Native whites
and Europeans are about 100000 strong,
while the Chinese and the half-castes of
India, who have been drifting into the Phil
ippines for ages number, collectively, about
$4,000. So, you see, the Caucasian, Mongol-
ian and Ethiopian divisions of the human
family have all contributed a share to the
islands.
THE CAPABLE CHINAMAN
Now, the natives are lazy to a superla-
tive degree. It's that way in all the Kanaka
islands, and the generous way in which good
Mother Nature has provided for them is
enough to excuse their shiftlessness. Go
out and lie down under the first tree at
night and enjoy sleep. In the morning
roll over on your back, shy your boot up
into the tree and down comes breakfast
That's their way of reasoning it out and
most Of them practice it. Their laziness
| and general improvidence the Chinese have
n M ffIr IN ar
| taSe-no opportunity ever escaped a China
man. He is active, capable and unceasing
| IN his efforts when he turns his hand to Ia
| Dor or mechanics. In commerce he is the
most astute merchant on the face of the
| globe. In finance he is without superior.
SO the Chinese have become the mechanics,
clerks, traders, shopk s9perS and bankers of
the Islands, and Therefore the real power.
Their energy and capacity made them in
dispensable to the Dons. In return for their
faithful offices and the handsome presents
they bestowed upon the Spanish officials,
lations and police of their own Ostensi-
bly, they acknowledged the rule o. the Span
| lSh governor general, his Ministry and co.
visory juntas and bowed down before it in
humble sell -abnegaton; bur in their wide
sleeves they snickered end sneered at It.
Hated, despised but wholly envied by
| the natives, the Chinese have never sought
| to placate their enemies, but have aided
the Spanish government in maintaining that
balance of opposing interests on which the
DOns relied for the support of their own in
stitutions Thus they have gone on for
| the Philippines. giving large to the
Spanish rulers for concessions worth ten
times what they have paid and stripping
the natives of lands, products and labor
until conditions became unbearable even for
| the easy going tribes and the rebellions fol-
lowed. The ultimate triumph of the insur-
gents would mean the annihilation of the
Chinese, for, like all Malays, the natives are
supine and inactive In peace, but unrelent-
ing and tireless when bent on revenge.
eff the United States will hold on to
Manila or take possession Of the entire
Philippine group they will confer unbOunded
benefit upon the American merchants en-
gagged in the Pacific trade and add consid-
cradle to the revenues of our country. Be-
sides, the cost of the war could soon be
repaid into our treasury from the tax on
imports and exports imposed at Manila
alone 1 don't pretend to discuss the vast
advantage that port offers a coaling sta
ton and general governmental depot in the
far East, which is subject for the con-
sidera ton of statesmen, but l argue from
the point and experience of an old trader
with an eye to business. There is no cal
culating the wealth OF the Islands. Most
of the products brought to this country are
coffee, indigo, sugar cane, tobacco "a gov
eminent monopoly, spices, pepper, pima
linen made from the pineapple tPer' hats
mountains of the islands millions of tons
of iron, copper, coal and sulphur AS for
quality and quantity. The Spanish have
never been able to develop the islands and
the Chinese had not sufficient means to put
their full productivenesS to the test. There
is some gold to be found in the sands of the
hundreds of rivers, but the Philippines are
not exactly Klondike. With American
methods. improvements ard good Yankee
business sagacity venture to assert that
the islands could be made to yield ten times
as much as they do at present.
CLIMATE NOT UNHEALTHY.
"Of course, the climate is hot and enervat-
ing There is only one place that can send
the mercury higher, but that is not of this
world Still generally prevailing moisture
tempers the fierce heat, and there is a con-
slant Attenuation of land and sea breezes
1t makes me mad to hear folks say who
are opposed to sending large land force
to assist Commodore Dewey that the cli-
mate is unhealthful. 1t is not by any means
There is no place in the tropics which is
more heathful or where the rate of NOR
tality is lower, and our gallant hero would
not lose a man except by the accidents of
war and causes which obtain at home
Many of the islands are constantly in
vibration owing to the earthquakes, and
the group is within range of the monsoon,
which makes hurricanes common, but these
are disadvantages you must expect in the
Kanaka islands There is rare hunting in
the woods and jungles of many of the ISL
ands. The jungles swarm with humming
birds parrots and many birds of brilliant
r1Ilt xu6io for