The record-union., 1898-05-03
sOMETHING OF THE PHILIPPINES
AND THE REVOLT.

possessed by Spain, incluoe 4VO i91e~ii0'''
of which Luzon is the largest, 1t nav
ing square mileage of 4,O24, being thus
nearly as large as Cuba There is
considerable Spanish population. Ma
Mia is the chief city and the capital
and has 154 600 inhabitants. The Chl-
nese population of the islands is very
large The native Philippines are of
the Malay race, with some tribes OF Ne
gritos. Many Of these tribes have never
been conquered by Spain, but have held
out. against her assertion Of authority
since 1929, when she succeeded IN
bringing most Of the island territory
under subjection to her arms, her claim
of rule dating from 1860
The constantly rebelHous tribes are
mainly in the mountainous and heaVily
wooded parts of the Islands, but the
half-Spauish are their close allies. The
Chinese had as f1ourishing trade with
the islands before Magellan clalmed
them for Spain as China has with the
Philippines to-day. The greater wealth
in merchandise in the islands is that OF
the Chinese. The planters are mainly
Mestizos. and they are very wealthy
The haIf-castes furnish the most intell-
gent class of the population, represent
the educated and professional classes
and fill the minor offices, but the supe-
rior Offices are all filled by Spaniards'
mainly imports for the purpose. Ihese
are found mainly in Old Manila, Where
10000 population is mainly Spanish or
people employed by the Spanish Gov
ernment In the other towns there are
found the local Governor and his stan
and a body of native troops, who man
age to thus keep the people in subjec-
ton. The actual rulers in the interior
are the Spanish monks, who, while often
standing between the people and extor-
tionate officials, have also proved harsh
and exacting masters, and avaricious
for the sake of the church.
Taking Appleton's year book for 1896
as a guide, we get fairly clear insight
into the conditions in the island up to
the beginning of 1897. since which time
the press dispatches have kept our
readers fairly we'll informed of the
struggles of the Spaniard to suppress
the rebels, with varying success, but
not with complete triumph in any case.
The insurgents are still in strong force,
far outnumbering the Spanish, and
more determined than at any other Pc
riod of the revolt, which is now nearly
three years old.
At the beginning of 1896 General
Blanco, now in Cuba, was in command
in the Philippines. There was a rebel
lion in 1872, but it was put down. 1t
taught Spain no wisdom, however. Since
then taxes have been raore oppressive
than ever, the tariff has been adjusted
to give a monopoly for manufactured
products to the Spanish to a degree that
smothers commerce, and it has thus an
tagonized the Dutch, German, English
and American merchants, as well as the
Chinese
tives than the other residents, and have
been more the objects Of Spanish op-
preston than other foreigners, have bit
terly suffered from extortiOnate prac-
tices of the Spanish officials. Some OF
the special grievances of the people are
for instance, the requirement that every
man must give forty days labor in
each year to the Government; arbi-
trary assessment Of the income tax; in
crease Of the poll tax from SS rs to Sc;
the wheel tax of SO for every wheel that
turns; excessive license taxes, confs-
cation Of property as punishment for re-
ercise of power and seizure of the pos
sessions Of those who fall under the bar
Of official displeasure.
The spirit Of revolt pervades the en-
Philippines. There is a powerful revo-
auttonary society, with ra1nifcations ir
every part, bound by blood oaths, and
having headquarters and branches in
Francisco, New York, and even in
Spain. In 1896 this society planned ar
overthrow of the Spanish that was deer
laid in cunning, and would have been
effective but for the fact that the wife
of Pedro Roxas-afterward executed
a wealthy supporter of the revolution
lists, revealed the plot in the confes-
sional, and the priest warned the Span
ish officials in time.
BY this warning Blanco was able
to get reinforcements ostensibly to
oppose the Malay rebels on one of
the lesser islands, but in fact to wrestle
with the secret revolutionists. He
made many arrests of the ablest
and most educated and richest peo-
pie, and in many cases the prop
erty of the arrested was coniscated
Arrests were made IN Spain also. and
severe punishment was meted out tc
the conspirators. who came into being
as such because of the absolute inca
pacity of Spain as colonist or colonial
SCNSIuOI, uGT u OSlly 10 AGT COIOIl1Sl -
and conquered peoples, and her avarice
and extortion having overruled what
ever of better judgment her statesmen
may have had.
The arrests referred to precipitated
the revolution in August, 1896 It was
manifest in many places at one and the
same time, and three days fighting
ended it temporarily. This was brought