The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1898-07-09


of these taxes, for they receive per
1centage, usually one-ffth, Of all the
revenues Of the colony, in addition to
money which the law does not allow
but custom never questions.
Masonry Spreads Socialism. "
:. Masonic lodges were introduced into
the archipelago by socialists driven to
Manila after the insurrection of Car
tagena. 1t is true that these people
closed their lodges as soon as the Gre
oles and half-breeds showed their in
tenticn of Joining them, but the mis-
chief was done with the lesson. The
natives began to establish societies in
all parts of the islands, and in few
years had enrolled 10000 members. The
mysterious and symbolic attracts the
,imaginations of these people, and the
opportunity of secret meeting and dis
cussion of grievances without fear of
betrayal was seized upon enthusiastic
ally. It Is the custom for new mem
ber to make a cash in his arm, and
over the blood he mixes with that of
the initiator he swears his allegiance
Each member, therefore, bears scar
on his arm, and this mark makes him
a suspect of Spanish authorities. 1t
has happened many times that pris-
oner has been convicted and shot on no
other evidence than this telltale mark
Many women associated themselves
in these orders. Sedition has thus been
fostered, free from civil, religious and
military authorities, and regime of
liberty roughly formulated. The lodg-
es are most numerous in Cavite, the
principal theater of the rebellion, while
in Batangas, Bulacan, and Pampanga
there are ten to twenty branches of
the order, and at least one in each of
the other provinces. Their growing
influence and implacable hatred of the
clergy was source of grave apprehen-
sion to the priests, who petitioned the
minister to order General Ramon
Blanco, then governor general of the
archipelago, now of Cuba, to put an
end to F'reemasonry. But General
Blanco was not energetic in carrying
OuI C410 NOAAAhe1A, OOAAS wv AAuSAA w
cupied in a contest against Mohamme-
danism in Mindanao. The government,
again appealed to by the priests, and
peculiarly susceptible to this Influence,
peremrtorily ordered Blanco to take
the rigorous measure Of deporting 400
members of the lodges.
This order was the direct cause of
| the uprising in 1896, which began in
! Manila, and extended to Cavite, Pam
panga, Laguna and Bulacan, but not to
other provinces, because Of the ancient
| rivalry of the races, the surcst safe
guard of Spanish rule. This is fac
tor in the politics of the islands that
the government fully: appreciates, to
the point, indeed, of encouraging the
| factional enmities. Before the con-
quest by Magellan the islands were
ruled by warning Sultans, and there
still remain vestiges of numerous
tribes.
Because of his inactivity and appar-
ent indulgence to the rebels Blanco was
\ denounced in Madrid by religious bod
les. What exasperated the priests
most was that he refused to kill Rizal,
who was by them proclaimed to be the
principal factor in the rebellion. AS a
matter of fact, however, this does not
appear to be true, and no just cause
was given for such summary action.
The clergy sought revenge upon Rizal
above everything else for his denun-
| -
Rizars Tragic Career.
| Rizal was pure -blooded Indian who
was brought up by the Dominicans of
Manila. He went to Europe, studied
medicine, law, sciences and foreign
tongues, and returned to Manila hon
ored with the highest degree of con-
tinental universities, a Free,nason, and
the inexorable foe of the corrupt cler-
| gy. He was the author Of a. novel
| called 'Nolle Me Tangere," in which he
| showed the despotic, rapacious and de-
1 bauched nature of the priests of the
! country. This book was placed in the
I Index Expurgatorius and the authors
! goods confscated, his brothers deport-
i ed. his aged mother banished, and him
/ self relegated to the Island Of Min
danao, entirely peopled by Mohamme-
!, dams, mortal enemies of Spain. +
| Rizal lived in this exile for several
| years, until he learned that physicians
and surgeons were needed with the
4 troops fighting in Cuba. He offered his
| services to Spain, which accepted them,
and he embarked at Manila for BARGE
Iona. When he arrived at the penin-
su1a and was ready to leave for Havana
/ he was arrested, sent back to Manila,
summarily tried, and executed. This
was the work of Governor Polavieja,
who had succeeded Blanco. While Ri
zal was on his journey to Spain rebel:
lion had broken out, and the anger of
the authorities against him was arous-
ed by new charges Of peridy made by.
the priests, to whom Polavieja was de-
voted. The execution Of Rial made
the rebellion more furious, and the in
surgents sought as much to avenge his
death as their wrongs. Rial to them
was the martyred hero Of their cause.
/ The first. victims Of therebels were the