The herald., 1898-06-12


defense Of our flag in those far-pff lands
| In a paper published in the current
number of the outlook, Mr.. Ramor
Reyes Lala. a native Of Manila. and now
an adopted citizen Of the United States
gives us new glimpses Of the actual cor.
dition of affairs under Spanish rule in tht
Philippines, that are as opportune as they
are suggestive. Mr.. Lala assumes as q
foregone conclusion that, the. flag Of the
UniteN States has. come to. stay" in the
Oriental archipelago, giving it as his de-
liberate conviction that our growing
commerce with China, Japan and Poly
nesia will soon make this an imperative
necessity" He feels assured that his
fellow countrymen will cooperate to
make the fruits Of Dewey's victory Sc
cure, and believes that, under new and
favorable conditions, sure to follow
close after American occupation of the
islands, a great future for our commerce,
especially in the native products of sugar
hemp, tobacco, coffee, indigo, rice and
fruits, awaits us in the Chinese seas.
These articles are now exported to the
amount of 900 a year; while the
imports are about $4,000, O0O The trade
with the islands, now divided between
the United States, Germany, Spain,
France, and England, under American
ume, and be dominated by us, as the peo-
pie already prefer American products.
though higher in price, than those of Eu-
ropean origin.
Mr.. Lala gives a gloomy outline of
Spanish rule in the Philippines. Those
islands are abundantly endowed by ma
ture with all the materials for the build
ing up of prosperous people. The land
wood, in mineral and agricultural lands,
and while the temperature is hot the
climate is in every sense salubrious. M
country east or west exceeds the Philip
pine islands in the luxuriance and splen-
dor of its flora. The rare and costly or
chid-that charming flower gracing or
account Of its costliness so few Ameri-
can conservatories-is native to the Phil
ippines and attains there a gigantic
growth.
From Mr.. Lala's point of view, these
islands should be little less than para
dise-homes of happiness and prosperity.
But, under Spanish rule, they are but lit
tie advanced from their condition of three
hundred years ago. Spain hass been in
the islands ''for revenue only" She ex-
acted grinding revenue from the people,
but never expended one cent for internal
Improvement. IF bridge is destroyed"
says Mr.. Lala, "by earthquake or flood, it
is never repaired" Spain builds no road
ways, but she builds churches and mon
asteries, and endows them royalty out of
thu taxes, wrung from the people.t An
archbishops salary is $4,000 year, but
the whole ecclesiastical plant costs the
colony no less than 81 900, 900 per annum." "
The governor general gets $4,000 year.
Out of this salary General Weyler is said
to have placed to his credit in a brief
period the modest sum of 6,000,0 900. Mr..
Lala speaks of subordinate governors"
who make $780, 900 a year on a salary of
5000. The country is fairly alive with re-
ligious orders-Dominicans, Augustin-
ians, Recoletanos, Franciscans ct i'd omne
genus. In fact, these pious gentlemen
"rule' the, islands with al iron hand
Woe to the civil power" exclaims Mr..
Lala--"be it the governor-general him
self-who would set himself up against
them!" These ''holy fathers will prove
administration of the affairs of the Phil
ippines. They are entrenched in the su-
perstitious reverence Of the masses of
the people and will have to be counted
peace.
But the peoples reverence has, in Mr..
Lala's opinion, it's foundation in fear, and
they will welcome the American hand
that delivers them from the ecclesiastical
tyranny of centuries.
Mr.. Lala| believes that it, Spain had
subordinated her religious fanaticism,
her desire for conquest and her avaricc,
and had been actuated by spirit of in
ternal improvement and for bettermc 1
of the natives, "the commerce of the
islands would be fifty times greater than
it Is, and the Philippines of today would
be among the richest and most prosper
Gus lands on the GLOBE