The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-21
PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.
Their Loss Would BE as Great a Blow
to Spain as Loss of Cuba.


Chicago Times-Herald.
War with the United States would prob
ably cost Spain the Philippine islands as
a. dozen instructions in the East indian
Islands where the natives have suffered
rom even greater wrongs than those Of
Wnlch the Cubans complain. These strug-
giles for independence have thus far been
unsuccessful, perhaps chiefly because there
%Sas no friendly neighbor like the United
states close at hand to take an interest in
the affair The nearest power Of impor-
lance tan ,e, is Japan which nation once claimed
the ISLANDS, i indeed If the Philippines SHOULD
The loss, of the Philippines would be near
~ as great a blow to Spain as would be the
loss of Cuba. The islands have an area near
~ three times as great as that of the queen
OF the Antilles. and their population is a.
times thai. of Cuba and nearly one-half that
OF spain itself. 1t Is true that these inhab-
ltants are chiefly useful only as counters
for they are not much better than the hordes
or Mongolians, whose numbers make China
so far up in the rang of pOpulous nations.
For tne most part they are Negritoes, the
aDorigines. Second in number are the Igo-
MES, Who are the argriculturists of the
isIands, and next in number are the Malay
immigrants known as Tagaleses Over these
the Spaniards rule-and they number but a
few thousands in the total
These Spaniards have pucked the natives
in 1921. The effort of Spain has always been
to extort the last possible dollar out of the
ISLANDS Tor its own use, and in the process
the greater part of the money remains in
the hands Of the local officials in Manila
who are cordially hated by the natives The
Spanish have never done anything to de-
Velop the Islands. They have merely lived
on the people whom they rule and have
lived well.
The men whom they pluck are either the
lgolites or else the MestiZoes or half-breeds
who, as 10 the case in Cuba, are the sound
est and most powerful part of the popula-
ton. The. Mestizoes are. ambitious ana
struggle with great energy for a living, but
find it difficult under the exactions of their
Spanish rulers. The taxes which they have
to pay are enormous. First of all there is
a poll tox which every native must pay
nuaily. For a sixteen-year-old boy it is IS
cents. by the time he is eighteen 1t is in
creased to $1.50; at twenty-one 1t Is 1915;
after that it ia just as much as the assessor
thinks he can squeeze out of the unfortu-
nate. There is tax of So a wheel on wag-
ons and carriages, and a business license
amounts to one-half or more of the gross
receipts of the person who is in trade. The
slightest excuse is all that is required to
justify the confscetion of the property of
wealthy citizens, and this is so notorious
that those who have acquired wealth seek
to conceal it from the eyes of the authori-
ties, knowing that the possession of wealth
probably means death.
This gives but a slight idea OF the lack OF
justice the islands. The mere matter of
money is but a detail OutrageS are. COM
mitted which would make the most savage
Spaniard in Cuba blush for shame. A Span
lard may kill native wantonly without the
slightest redress. Their persons are abso-
lutely at the mercy Of their masters, and
native has no more standing in the courts
than the American slave had in the South
ern States before the, war punishment is
dealt summarily to the natives, who are,
however not allowed themselves to bring
suit against their rulers. 1t is, in fact, true
that so great Is the degradation OF the ma
tive population that IL Spaniard chooses 10
take natives wife or daughter and make
her his mistress the native must submit. If
he objects his life is in danger
Mot lNrfa Hf
but justice is disposed of at auction. Who
ever pays the judge the most money will get
meted out to the lowest bidder is whatever
the highest bidder elects. Usually the mag
istrate will favor each litigant In turn UNI
til he has got all of the money OF both,
and then If they complain he makes short
shrift of the grumb)ers.
There is no need to dwell on the horrors
Of the prisons in the Philippines. III were
to tell you / would be doubted. They pass
belief and no Cuban outrage can compare
with them. So notorious is the corruption
prevalent in the Philippines that Spanish
officials with loose morals and short purses
obtain an assignment to the Philippines as
a means of acquiring wealth. The latest
Office is that of governor general VINO mas
supreme power.
Once upon time the Philippines were
rich. But the evils of Spanish government
have been increased. The rich trade with
China and Japan has been destroyed by re-
Strictions Tobacco raising has become a
government monopoly There is no incentive
-
the natives now raise only enough to supply
their own needs or sustenance. having full
knowledge that any surplus being acquired
by them is simply for transference to their
insatiate Spanish masters.
The natives have always been turbulent
under the Spanish yoke. There is revolu-
tion in the Philippines to-day. There has all
ways been one. The first great revolution
was that of 1868, which was put down and
the leaders killed. The second broke out in
1896, and was due to the Cuban insurrectlon.
General Blanco, now of Cuba, was then
ruler of the Philippines. but he failed to
suppress it, and was succeeded by Polavie-
ia Dec. 8. 1896. There were $1,000 soldiers in
the insurgent army under the leadership of
Ensbero, but Polavieia defeated them and
killed their general Jan. 2, 1897. Several
ether routs followed and the backbone OF
the revolution was broken upon a promise
to institute reforms somewhat similar to
those offered the Cuban insurgents a year
ago. General Rivera was appointed TO car
ry these reforms into effect, the chief OF
which was promise that justice should he
given the natives
But hardly had the rebels submitted when
the estates of the leaders were conhscated
and the state prosecutors were INSTRUCTED
70 bring proceedings against all persons
using abusive language with reference TO
men in any way connected with the admin
istration. The captain general was also au-
thorized to kill all persons whom he saw flt
TO kill and 10 exile others at his discretion.
This led TO new outbreaks early this year
There are 10000 Spanish soldiers in the
ing much Roadway, but tx an American
man-of-war were to enter the harbor nf
Manila during a war between the United
States and SDain the case would be differs.