The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-05-11
.THE PHILIPPINEs.
An analysts d the Causes o. Tie
( Insurrcctiop.
THE -FOUR PRIME INCENTIVES.
MOVED THE PEOPLE 10
RISE AGAINST THE opPREs-
s1oNs OF sPA1N-AN INTEREST
ING RECITAL OF THE WRONGS
SUFFERED ny THE NATIVES
TOLD BY a FRENCH WRITER,
THE CRUSHING RATE OF TAxA-
TIoNSAND SPANISH GREED:

TON AND SPANISH GREED.
There are two sources OF comparative.
~ recent Information, In regard to the
Internal condition and esources OF the
Philippine Islands. Both are In French.
one being tho Bulletin de Ia soelete de
Geographic Commercials. Paris. 1897,
Vol. XIX. No. 4. and the other-a mon
ograph on THE Insurrectfon OF the
Philippines" by Edward plauchut,
NJ. Piauchut's analysis of the causes
OF the lasurrectlon Is full OF interesting
matter. FIFE say that in regard to- these
there has been a conspiracy OF silence
between the, Spanish, civil authorities
add the religious corporations which,
though not tolerated in Spain, swarm
In; her colonies: Having lived In the IS
lands for zen years, both among the
aboriglnes and the Spanish settlements,
he Is able to throw some clear light on
the affairs OF u country which for cen
turtles governors, Alcades, and mohastlc
orders. haze. for their own profit, enve!-
oped In the darkness OF ignorance and
OF absolut!sm- Rendering a passing
Y tribute Of admiration to the heroic ef-
q forts, which Spain has made to pre-,
serve the two most beautiful and the
las. Jewels OF her colonial crown, NJ.
Plauchut proceeds to give his impress
sions OF the cluses and conduct OF the
insurrection, Briefly enumerated. these
causes are first, oppression; second.
greed; third, clerical immortality, and
fourth, the crushing rate OF taxation.
AS to the first. the liberty OF the indi-
vidual Is absolutely unknown In the
Philippines. Hundreds OF persons have
been sent to penal settlements with
hafdly the shadow OF a trial, and for no
worse offehse than being members OF a
Masonic lodge. To such an extent has
the power OF arrest and imprisonment
been abused by the colonial authorities,
that It was deemed n striking conces-
sion on their part to announce that any
prisoner whose guilt was no: establish
ed after forty eight hours OF detention
should be set at liberty.
The rapnclty Of Spanish officials Is an
old story In the Philippines, as in Cuba.
It has long been notorious in Spain
that one needed only to become a trou-'
blesome and dangerous critic OF q per-
sonal favorite Of some, of the ministers
to be sent to the colonies to make or
mend his fortune. r. the appointee re-
turned to his native land the possessor
OF riches out Of all proportion to any In
come he could honestly earn. nobodg
asked Any indiscreet questions. Zone
Z ministry might succeed another, but
this system Of levying spells on the col
onies was common to them all. Every
change of the dominant party at Ma
dridS excited terror in. the Philippines,
because it~was known that the only re-
suit would be the liberation of d new
flightso OF birds OF prey whose appetltes
the Islanders had to satisfy. Thus It
has happened that from century to CEN,
fury the hatred OF the natives OF the
Philippines toward every Spaniard'
chargedEwith any official duty whatever
has gone on increasing. This hatred is
the! more natural and e%xplicnble that
every kind of government employment
on the Islands Is reserved for the ap-
ipointees of the ministry OF the court.
N. Plauchut brings a very serious in
dictment against the members of the
religious orders who have. long enjoy
ed an unusual amount OF wealth aud
power IN the Philippines. He says that
thev3 are in possession OF immense hac-
iendas, or farms, which yield them
handsome revenues In sugar and In rice.
Added to these are fees and perqu,sltes
on a scale far exceeding that known to
the richest parishes OF Europe. In GER
tain -provinces'ot the archipelago there
are Dominican, Augustine, Franciscan,
and Jesuit monks whose annual pes
sonal income reaches sl0,0 BOO. Here the
priest not only lives by the altar. bit he
carefully lays away the treasures which
Il yields him. These reverend fathers.
itsseems. have the best OF everything,
the best OF horses. the finest wines, the
choicest. cigars, the largest and the
most airy of dwellings. Indulgences
elsewhere forbidden 10 the Catholic
priesthood. are here openly enjoyed,
living q concubinage being apparently
the rule rather than the exception for
the Philippine clergy. VI. Plauchut hav-
Ing one sday expressed mis- establishment
to one Of the most venerable Dominion
fathers OF the country that some OF his
associates should have openly ovowed
children, was answered In these terms:
When as very young men. coming
from the seminaries OF the Peninsula.
we land at Manila, we are sent 10 vii
lagos for removed from the capital,
where We meet but seldom any OF our
fellow-couHtrymen. Those we do meet
are pretty rough specimens, who either
scnrn or avoid our society, and we do
not try to impose 1t on them. During
the rainy season, which lasts for six
months. the streams overflow their
banks. the roads are washed away, the
bridges are wrecked, and we remain
for long. very long days. without any
communication of any sort whatever
Win Europeans. Some OF these young
priests iremain pure In their solitude, but
not without undergoing terrible strug-
giles TO maintain fidelity 10 their VOWS,
"heF give themselves up earnestly, too
earnestly some times. TO reading. or
the practice OF the exaggerated require
ments OF an exalted faith. and os there
Is no one to whom they can communi-
cato their impressions, they easily be-
come; the prey Of q feverish agitation
whioh very often assumes the form of
madness Or hnllucination. Others fight
the mortal sadness OF their homesicls-
ness and solitude with the intoxicati0n
yielded by drugs or drink. In Europe
such conduct. In the last degree scam
dalous. would procure their dismissal In