Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-08-08
ouR suLu BARGAIN.

The impression that the reverend. grave
and courteous Spanish commisSiohS'
| must have gone OFF into quiet eo'he,
after the conclusion Of the treaty VI
Paris and INDUCED in little merr''''"'
over our unsophsticstedness anu '"''
own sharpness gains strength WIN y"
velopments regarding our far hHt pc
sessions" Spain not only sold US Ve'y
energetic rebellion and a polyglot anu
polytechnic population OF about io'''''V's,
but also something she did pot nav e"N
couldn't deliver. and which Involves e'''',
supplementary war or tho pas'"e w
~ q yood round sum annually. for no one
knows how many years.
Tbe Baltimore Sun in recent Issue
prints a letter from nava, oi"cei w"
was on board the cruiser Helen" WIZ"
that shin visited the Sulu lshhoS' anu
This latter throws interesting heht upo"
a.. eide chow. "bunco" game spain put
nm ON us After describing the manner IN
,,htcb the Americans were received ana
o,,o,to,ned by the Sultan of Sulu. the
oecer saws that as far as ne could UNI
6erstand. and tho Spanish general did not
seem 20 DO very clear on the subject the
Sulu archipelago from time immemorla
has been ruled by the Sultan independent
y OF any foreign Power-hat been indie
pendent, in fact Each year the Spanish
Government has paid a fixed sum TO THIS
sultanatc and subjects of Great Britain
and Germany have been doing the same
Practically these three Powers have beeh
paying for privileges allowed them Inc
privilege. allowed the Spaniards was that
of living at Sulu, and they never nave
collected a cent Of taxes or tribute.
Therefore. reasons The officer. unlces the
Sultan agrees TO give us certain prNi-
leges. such as he may wish, we can claim
nothing under our bargain with Spain
without interfering with the independence
Of a people who have been independent
for centuries under government they
have established and held intact the !
whole time
Precisely. Under the hlgh-sounding and |
designation of "a transfer |
If sovereignty" and for the consideration |
n u
taxpayers. Spain ceded 10 us the Philip
zines. including the Sulu group, but as
matter Of fact and history she never pos
sessed sovereignty over the latter group. |
1t appears that early In her Philippines |
venture Spain recognized the impractical
Duity of attempting to subject the Sulus |
10 her rule. and in order TO prevent the |
sultan from giving aid and comfort to
he rebels on the island over which she
lid exercise sovereignty she proceeded TO
)ribe his Serene Mohammedsn Hhghness
With an annual subsidy. 1t also appears
hat this government has, for the present
II least, found il discreet 10 carry on
he contract Spain made with the Sultan
md so adroitly unloaded upon us.
But after we have 'benevolently as
milated" the Fnipinos proper, what9
Are we going TO endcavor 10 make good
~ force of arms a claim to which we
rave no just title, seeing that 1t did not
,elong to the vendor who sold it 10 Va?
f not, arc we going 10 continue TO bride
he much-wived Sultan and his
horde OF eutthroats
md pirates 10 allow us quiet
possession of the real Philippine
,roup? And if the latter policy is to OBJ
ain, what assurances have we that our
Independent neighbocs in the far Eas.
will be satisfied for any length Of time
0 let off rich country like this as
asily as they have been letting off poor
spain? Here we have, we think, an inn
,ortant problem for the advanced states'
men to solve.