The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1898-05-07
The Philippines.
From the minneapolis Tribune.


The Philippine islands were discover
ed by the famous Spanish navigator,
Magellan, on the voyage in winch he
also discovered the straits which bear
his name. Magellan lost his lie on
this voyage, and the islands were
not again visited by Europeans for IS
years, when they were conquered and
taken possession of for Spain by lie.
gaspi, in 1864. The group of islands
thus acquired were named the Phillip
pines. after the Spanish king, and since
that time have been Spanish property.
The group lies wholly within the
tropics, and consists Of more than 600
islands, big ami little. The largest, Lu-
zon, Is 10000 square miles in extent,
and from this they shade down in size
TO thy islets which afford standing
room for only 4 few persons. The is
lands appear to be in most instances of
volcanic origin. Several fine volcanic
peaks may still oe seen in Luzon. Ne
gros and Minlanao. Destructive erup-
tons have occurred within recent times.
while earthquakes are frequent and
often Of great violence. The climate is
intensely hot, and III MANY OF the is
lands very unhealthy for Europeans.
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 magnitude and iriyht!ul violence
occur at certain season, and frequently
cause enormous damage to property, at
tended with frequent loss of lie.
The population of the islands is estl-
mated at from eight to ten millions.
The ruling class is Spanish or of Spanish
descent and constitute numerical V but
a small portion Of the inhabitants. The
natives are diyided into something like
200 tribes, all of them, with the single
exception of the Necrit0s. Of Malay ex-
traction. The Negritos are race of
dwar!ish blacks, confined at present to
few of the Hottest mountain ranges
They are commonly believed to be the
aborglnes OF the islands. and a more
degraded race could hardly be concelv-
ed. They wander through the forests in
state of almost absolute nudity, and
live on whatever they can pick from the
trees or dig out of the ground. The
Maiays vary in development from abso-
lutte savagery to civilization. Extreme
poverty is the rule among the civilized
natives, the cause being the heavy bur
den of taxation imposed upon them by
their Spanish masters. Every person
over IS years Of age is taxed from 81 80
to 80 per annum, which is 4 pretty stiff
poll tax, considering that the average
native works when he can secure en-
p!oymeHt at all, for only about five cents
per Gay. In addition to this personal
| tax there Is tax on everything the
native owns and on all kinds of busI-
ness, and delinquent TAXPAYERS, both
male and female. are stripped naked
and tlOCged numerically. If this
doesn't suffice the delinquents are I'M
prisonod or deported, and their ch.l-
dren and other dependents left to
starVe.
So inhuman is the Spanish rule that
the natives have risen again and again
IN rebellion, but like their Cuban fellow
sufferers, have been unable to win, ow-
ing TO lack of a sufficient supply of arms
and ammunition. A formidable rebel
hon IS now in progress, and if the
American forces can cooperate with it,
they will soon have entire possession of
the islands.
The barbarities perpetrated by Spain
IN the Philippines are even more afro
clous than in Cuba, for ii accounts ere
to be believed they have resorted to
medieval torture to punish the rebel
hous natives. The measure Of SPANS
lnlqulty there appears to be full as it is
wherever It's cruc! power has obtained
a foothold.