Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-07-22
THE ULTAN OF SULU.

The Sultan of Sulu, who has changed
his majestic mind about declaring var
upon the United States. for the present
at least. is not the least interesting Of
"our new possessions" as it is the fash
ion to call everything pertaining to the
Philippines. He and his followers are
Moslems and history has yet to record an
occasion on which they and the Chris
tians have met in continued amity.
The names of the sultan are legion and
he holds sway over the greater part of
the island of MindanaO, as we'll as over
the group of stands, of which Sulu is the
largest, known as the Sulu Archipelago,
which comprise the lower part of the
Philippine group. The population over
which the sultan rules is estimated to be
about 100, 900. AS a matter Of English
law the sultan of Sulu exercises a quail
fled sovereignty over several BOrneo sui
tans, so he is quite a big frog in his own
puddle.
He is called the "Stainless One," and is
chief of both church and state. He lives
in considerable style in a large wooden
palace in Maybun, his capital. The sui
tan's palace is always lined with an
abundant display of luxurious plants
and shrubs, which dazzle the eye and in
toXicate the senses. He is q very much
married man. The Moslem law allows
him four wives whose legality is unqueS-
toned, and who, like Caesars wife, are
above reprOach, but he is also allowed an
unlimited amount of understudies. Con-
sequently the sultan'S harem is full of
lesser better halves who are ever Oh the
alert to win a smile from their liege lord.
The population of the harem has never
been estimated by a census taker, but it
is understood to be very large, number
ing several hundred, and new additions
are being occasionally made. The sui
tan is an autocrat and has the pick of all
his flock.
The history of the bloody warfare be-
tween Spaniard and Sulu Moslem would
fill a book. Until the former recognition
Of the Spanish sovereignty by England
and Germany in 1877 the sultan of Su1u
ruled completely and independently over
| his people, and snapped his fingers, at the
| alleged Spanish prOtectOrate. After that
time the sultan acknowledged the pro-
tectorate, and was induced to accept his
investiture from the Spanish governor
| general of Manila, and to take an oath
Of allegiance to the King of Spain. AS
an inducement he was given the title of
Excellency and a pension of 50, 400 a year.
OF course Admiral Dewey and his war
/ ships relieved the sultan of any ale
| glance to the Spanish crown. 1t seems
that, not liking authority of any kind ex-
cept his own, he is not willing that the
United States should have any say over
L mo = 10 '''"'iy
ignorant of the power and resources of
the United States government. AS the
Sulus have in the past on many occa-
SONS vanquished the Spanish forces both
on land and sea. the sultan probably
thinks he can meet us on equal terms.
There is no question that the Sulus are
brave and fearless warriors, but they
lack knowledge of modern warfare and
the training and discipline that makes
bravery effective in the present day.
They are fanatics, like all true Moslems,
ard believe that one who takes the life of
a Christian increases his chances for a
good time in the next world; the more
Christians killed the brighter the pros
poets for the future, and if one has the
good fortune to be himself killed while
slaughtering the enemies of the faithful
ha is at once transported to the seventh
heaven.
! The juramentados are Sulus who have