Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-11-06
Polyuamy on the SuIu Islands.

corning the conditions upon which the
Sulu archipelago and the people have
come under the control of the United
States, because the practice of polyg-
amy was not forbidden. The claim is
made that the United States has thus
sanctioned in a foreign land what is for
hidden at home. The explanation of the
facts made by President Schurman, of
the Philippine commission, should sat
isfy all except those who believe in at
tempting to do impracticable things.
President Schurman says that he visit
ed the islands before an arrangement
was made with the sultan to yield to
the control of the Americans without
fighting. He found that Spain never
had complete sovereignty over the Sulu
islands, and had only exercised an ex-
ternal protectorate, with the right to
prevent piracy and stop the periodical
excursions of Sulus, oath-bound Mo-
hammedans, to the north to kill Spanish
and other Christians, as a method of
earning the right to go to heaven. To
this day some of the sect believe that
to die fighting Christians will enable a
man to go to heaven, and the fanatics
are hard fighters. But while the Span
ish soldiers were never permitted to go
troops and officers already go without
fear of molestation. Spain, in her agree
ment with the island ruler, promised
not to interfere with any of the relig-
ious customs of the Moros, and as po-
lygamy is part of their religious belief,
and a mild form of slavery or peonage
also exists, these customs were not dis
turbed by Spain. The United States ac-
quired from Spain no greater rights
than she possessed, and had to be
bound by the existing agreement or go
in to suppress polygamy with armed
forces and conquer the savages, who
would have regarded a war for the sup
preston Of polygamy as a religious war
and fought to the death. There are
about 100, 900 inhabitants of the many
islands composing the group. President
Schurman says that it would have been
most unwise to have undertaken to &C.
complish a reform by force, which
would have brought on a religious war,
when the result can be accomplished by
the slower method Of civilization and
education, and thus a bloody and wholly
Unnecessary war be avoided. 1t Is be-
lieved that the sultan will have at
= n olaJ +N htc ey< n ff SON, A ~, orino ~ nf7.
Ger to aid him in the work of material
development of the beautiful and val
liable islands, which is bound to come
when progress Is ~inaugurated on the is
lands close by which were acquired in
fee simple from Spain by the United
States. President Schurman thinks that
it would be we'll to remember what the
English have accomplished in many re-
gions, and the Dutch in Java, by lead
ing savage races away from barbaric
religious customs when they could not
be driven. In due time civilization will
conditions among the Moros,
and the religious belief in the wisdom
and duty of polygamy will pass away, |
just as the Mormon church no longer |
it, although the Mormons were
formerly ready to die in fighting for the
of the privilege.
AS to the slavery feature Of the agree
ment with the sultan, he has consented
that every bondsman, even his own
servants, may secure perpetual free
dom upon the payment Of $40. With
American prosperity in the islands, it
will not be long before the people are
all free. The agreement is merely a
military expedient to prevent hostilities
and the necessity of the use Of force.
The military governor may cancel it, or
he end of military rule may terminate
agreement. A salary is paid to the
sultan and some of his assistants to
preserve order, and his servants are
officers. The agreement Is not
/ treaty, for a treaty a only be made
With an independent nation and by con-
vent of the senate. 1t is no more of a
reaty than the payment of s 3 1000, 900 by
Brooke to the Cubans to lay
their arms was a treaty. 1t does
bind the United States to recognize
lavery nor polygamy for a day nor a
,ear. Polygamy is permitted tempo
arily becauseitisSset the way to win
he friendship of people by beginning
With reforms in the family and the So
ial customs. When General Guy Hen
y became the governor Of Porto Rico
e deemed it unwise to suppress the
ock- fighting sport Of the natives. To
ave begun in that n would have