The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-05-14
From the New York Sun.

ARE MADE RIGHT.
From the New York sun.
Spain's misgovernment of her rich
possessions i'm the east began with the
massacres of the natives by their
Spanish Conquerors i'm the sixteenth
century. has continued uninterrupted
ly for more than three centuries since,
and might have gone on hundreds of
years more had not Spanish msrule
on the American island OF Cuba brought
about war for human rights be-
tween this country and Spain. In the
faraway Philippines OF Malasia-a
land of volcanoes, earthquakes, ana
typhouns-Spain could carry out her
iniquitous colonial system of govern
ment away from the eyes of the civil
lied world. Only when some traveller
has returned to tell of the life of the
islanders has anything been heard Of
the mediaeval government perpetuated
in that wild country for the enrich
ment of the private purses of favored
Spanish officials. and the replenishing
Of the public treasury. depleted by cor
ruptiOn at home ana wars in the colo
MES.
Consular representatives. in the Phil
ippinrs from the United States and
England have been well aware of the
rottcnneSS of the island government,
hut they could not make public their
knowledge without ondangering the re-
Iatioue of their countries with spain.
Even unyrciudiced travellers, in their
accounts Of the islands, have avoided
a discussion of the political side. Now
that we are at war with Spain and
our flag floats i'm the capital OF the
Philippines, Americans who have been
I'm the islands are free to speak thelr
minds. No one is better qualihed TO
sneak than former Consul Elliott. VINO
was three years at Manila. During the
last six months of his stay the con-
sulate was guarded by six Spanish
soldiers, and Elliott constantly carried
two pistols and a cartridge belt. Be
cause Of his AmeriCanism he was as
obnoxious to the Spaniards Of Mania
as was General Lee to Havana's 5 10y
alsts.
NOTORIOUSLN CORRUPT
Spanish rule IN the Philippines is
thoroughly corrupt" says Mr.. Elliott
The system of government nominally
i'm operation is bad enough for the
closing years of the nineteenth CEN
tury, but it is made many times worse
by the officials from Spain who go to
the Philippines for no other purpose
than to make a fortune. The salary
of the governor general is 100000
wear, nearly as large as the presidents S,
but the salary is insignificant in COM
parison with the amount the officials
steal. Weyler, on his return from the
Philippines, had to his credit in the
banks of London and Paris several
million dollars, squeezed out of the peo-
pie and foreign merchants. General
Despuyol. who succeeded him, was an
honest man, and it Is related that he
knocked down a Chinese merchant who
came to him with a gift of bags Of
silver coins amounting TO 10000
Blanco, who ruled the province while
| was there, was also an honest man,
but he had TO carry out the laws.
THE Philippines cover more square
miles of territory than most Americans
dream Of. Imagine the states Of New
York, New Jersey Maryland, Della
ware. Massachusetts, Connecticut,
Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hamp-
shire and Maine transported to the
China sea and cut up into 1,20O islands,
ranging i'm size from as large as New
York and Massachusetts combined to
little isletS not large enough for Il
boy 10 turn a handspring ON. Then
put all the New York state people on
the largest island LuZon, with a city
about the size of Washington for it's
capital, Manila and spread the other
six million people about ON the other
islands. Now you have some idea Of
the Philippines--not 'uninhabted dots
on the ocean, eh? Why, north and
south the islands extend 1900 miles, and
east and west some 700 miles, and
the archipelago is well knit together,
too.
MIXTURE OF RACES.
"Who live there? Now you've got
me | was there three years, but !
never was sure whether a man was
Spanish, Chinese, Malay, Siamese, Ne
grito, or something else, or all COM
hined l don't believe there can be
found such mixture Of races any
where in the world, Outside of the is
land of LuZon and one or two others,
the population is divided between the
Nagritus and the Malays, The Negri-
tos are dwarfsh blacks, the original
How often WIN q trau