The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1898-09-03

lowing TOTALS: Exports, $33 lag, 9S4;
imports, $28, 529, TT. The revenues of
the Spanish government from the is
lands in 1895 were estimated at some
thirteen and a half millions; the ex-
penditures at but little less. Besides,
the products above specified, the yield
is abundant of fruits, grown EEsontan-
eously-such as the orange, banana,
mango, pineapple, roseapple, mango
steen, guava, tamarind and chico. Of
minerals, gold has been found in small
quantities in divers localities, but its
extraction has not been extensively
prosecuted. Mines exist of lead, cop
per, iron and sulphur. The island of
Cebu contains considerable beds of
coal, which, though not of the first
liza.
Population.
The population of all the Islands is
probably between seven and eight mil
lions, but the estimates are necessarily
somewhat conjectural in view of the
difficulty in computing tAe inhabitants
of the remoter localities. Of this to-
tai not over 10000 are Spaniards. In a
few days hence the American popula-
ton will number 25, 1000 men. The pop
ulation of Manila in 1896 is stated by
Wakefield at 220 900, including 10000
pure Celestials," 5000 Chinese mes
tizos'' Offspring of a Chinese father
and an Indian mother), 1890 pure
Spaniards and about the same number
of Spanish mestizos-of whom he says
mot more than $50 settlers Sre Of
European origin apart from Spaniards,
and the remaining 147, 900 or there
abouts, are all natives of the Philip
pines" Of Cavite (Old and New Ca
vite) the population is said to be up-
wards of $4,000; of Iloilo some 100000;
of Cebu, 4 0,0G0. OF the constituents Of
the population in general, the Chinese
and Chinese mestizos are the most val
liable. The Chinese, many of whom
have acquired wealth, are the retail
shopkeepers, and the greater part of
the local trade is in their hands. Their
arrival in the islands is said to have
anticipated even the coming of Ma
gellan. The mestizos furnish the edu-
Gated and professional class" held most
of the minor offices and with Indians
compose the army. The Indian of
Manila is an indolent creature, given
up to gambling and cock fighting. The
Spaniards taught him gambling as we
taught our Indians the taste of whisky.
or the forms of gambling, cock-1ght-
ing is the most popular-is, indeed,
almost universal throughout the is
lands. The Philippine Indian, it is
said, is as much attached to his gallo
as is a Bedouin Arab to his horse"
An early Spanish writer characteriZes
the Indians as perpetual idlers, who
go from cockpit to cockpit, those uni
versities of every vice" Investing in
lottery tickets sold on the streets is
also much favored, and the government
adds materially to it's revenues by TAX
ing advantage of these practices in
exacting license fees for the mainten-
ance of places of gaming.
The Insurrection of 1896.
The characteristics and present at
titude of the Indians of the Philippines
are illustrated by the instruction
which was initiated in August, 1896,
and has since continued. There had
been previous similar risings, notably
one in 1872, but none where the insur-
gents were so numerous or formidable.
The moving causes of this outbreak are
to be found in the oppressive taxes, ex-
ciseG, license fees, and other burdens
Imposed by the government and en-
fnrooI hu ~tDn+;o.o4 zpGo:1, .z-
which, besides the grievous and unrea-
sonable pecuniary mulcts, was the cor
wee of forty days labor for public pur-
poses which every man was compelled
annually to furnish. The grievance of
the taxes was aggravated by the usu-
rious loans to which the natives were
compelled to submit to raise money,
and especially by the confiscations of
property which were resorted to where
the dues claimed were not satisfied.
The authority to confscate placed a
great power in the hands of unscrupu-
lous officials, who used it corruptly
against the more prosperous for the
purpose of eXtorting money. These
grievances became SO general that a
secret Revolutionary Society or League
was formed, which by August, 1896,
rose to the proportions of an army of
$4,000 men, Cavite being the center of
the revolt. The original rebels were
joined by deserters from the army,
~vagabonds and escaped criminals. In
the course of their conflicts with the
forces of the government, which was
instructed from Madrid to show no
mercy, a spirit of atrocious inhumanity
was developed on both sides, and a saw
age destruction of life ensued. The
killing of prisoners captured or sur
rendered, ~smothering of captives In
dungeons, burning alive, mutilation
and ~dsemboweling were practiced by
both, without any regard to the usages
of civilized warfare. The Spaniards, to
extort confessions. resorted to the
thumbscrew and revived the tortures OF
the Inquisition. Their proceedings
were claimed to be justified by the plea
of retaliation, but no law or ~exigency
could Justify retaliation pushed to a
point sc malignant and brutal. And
it's fatal impolicy is shown by the fact
that the insurrection has not been sup.
100000 lL