Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-11-03


was sent by Spain, great many years
ago, as convict to the southern ISL
ends, and while not Moro has become
Moro leader.
To the south of Sulu the chief dattos
arc those on the Islands of Lukus, SLASH
and Tawi-Tawi. Siassi, next to Jolo,
is the most important of the Sulu
group, while TawiTawi comes third.
ARE PIRATES BY NATURE.
BY nature the Moro is pirate, and
as far back as history goes the native
of the Sulus was a recognized pirate
and the Sulu sea a terror to mariners.
The Moros preyed on all the world
outside their own people, and the pur-
suit was considered among them to be
proper and legitimate. Consequent
one can hardly expect to find a very
thorough code of laws among them.
An arrangement existed between Spain
and the Sultan whereby the former
should pay an annuity OF $2,400 Mex
ican) to the Sultan. and annuities
ranging from SIS to 800 (Mexican)
to the dattos and advisers. The Brit
ish North Borneo company paid the
Sultan $4,000 a year. These amounts
were paid as brides or tributes to pre-
serve peace and quiet, and were, in my
judgment, thoroughly commendable,
although if the arrangement is con-
tinued by the United States the ex-
penditure will probably be put in the
budget "for services rendered to es-
cape the accusation of bribery. 1t was
a good arrangement, for bagful CT
dobe dollars carries infinitely more
weight with the thrifty savage than a
thousand assurances of benevolent as
similation." 1t will save scores Of lives
and hundreds of thousands of collars,
make the native contented and happy
and insure a lasting peace.
RELIGION OF THE MOROS.
The religion Of the people of the arch
ipelago is Mohammedan, pagan and
Christian. Nearly all the Moros are
devout Mohamnedans, and this faith
may safely be said to include rs per
cent. of the population of the islands.
In the mountainous districts of some
of the islands, however, there are wild,
long-haired savages who worship pagan
gods. The percentage of these is COM
paratively small. The Christian ele-
ment is composed Of Visayan and Tag
alo deportados, who have been sent as
convicts to these islands.
The Moros guard their religion more
jealousy than any other institution.
They would resent any interference In,
the faith more quickly than anything
else, and one thing above all others
which will insure peace between our
country and the Moros will be the re-
siriction of American missionaries.
The Mohammedan religion allows a
man four wives. The marriages are
performed by priests, and man can
not marry woman if she strongly OBJ
jects. l was unable to learn just how
much the woman could object and still
be married. but l presume there is a
certain fixed degree OF protest which
the sutton must regard as rejection
of his proposal. When a man has more
than one wife he lives a week with each
one, and by this rigid observance of
impartiality he manages to maintain
peace in the family.
A man can easily divorce his wife
by merely returning her to her par
ents or guardian and stating that he
will be no longer responsible for her.
She is then divorced, and cannot marry
again for three months and four days.
If she becomes widow the punish
ment is greater, for she is then obliged
to wait four months and four days be-
fore again marrying. The man, in the
first instance, of course, can immedi-
ately remarry if he desires. Datto
Jokanine has four wives, the limit, as
We'll as a number of slaves.
LARGE NUMBER OF SLAVES.
Slavery exists on the islands and is
apt to be the most difficult problem we
will have to solve for the Moros will
rebel against the abolition Of such an
ancient institution, while the United
States will doubtless find slavery in
consistent in one of her colonies.
There are about 1000 slaves on the
island of Sulu. l was unable to find
the approximate number on the other
islands, but probably there are as
many more. A slave is worth about
| $40 Mexican, although the price de-
ponds largely upon the age and sex OF
| the slave.
Slaves are acquired in two or three
ways-by direct purchase, by inherit
ance and as payment of debt. Most
slaves are hereditary. The owner wills
them to his son, and all children borne
| by women in bondage become the
property of the owner of the slave
mother.
IT is a custom of countries in the