Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-06-14
Recognizes the Authority
of the Americans.
INHABITANTS CIVILIZED
And the Sultan Has Some Advanced
Notions About GOvernment-He
is Very Anxious to Have the Fer
tile Lands Opened for Cultivation.

New York, June 14-Presdent Schur-
mann of the Philippine commission is ex-
pected to gather some valuable informa-
tion in his proposed visit to the several
islands of the Philippine archipelago
says a Washington correspondent of the
Tribune. While not much is known of
his purpose the understanding is that he
desires to inform himself of the condi-
tions elsewhere than in Luzon before re-
turning to the United States. In the
bushwhacking of Aguinaldo and his fol-
lowers around Manila which makes
American military operations necessary,
the fact is generally overlooked that
other parts of the archipelago have ac-
cepted American authority unreservedly
and that no trouble is anticipated estab-
! fishing an American government there.
! 1t is curious circumstance that the
| most favorable conditions are reported to
exist in the Sulu group. President
Schurmann has not indicated definitely
whether it is his intention to visit this
group but the supposition is that he de-
sires to learn the situation there. In
March General Otis reported that the
/
the group, but this was a temporary ar
rangement and the garrison was expect
ed to retire later. The Sulus are ma
hometans but they are said to be most
favorable to American authority and
with proper encouragement they are
likely to prove tractable.
Those naval and military officials in
the Philippines have written interestedly
of the prospects in this part Of the archi-
pelago. They have been almost unani-
paovls in their opinion that although the
people were mohometans there were no
difficulties in the way of assimlating
them with American institutions. Prof.
Worcester, during his residence in the
Philippines, spent some time among the
Sulus, but the members of the civil COM
mission have had no opportunity to learn
by personal investigation what the pros
poets are. The reports have been uniform
in saying that the sultan was anxious
for American protection. Spanish au-
thority, while never established through
out the islands, was nominally acknowl-
edged. The sultan is said to have some
advanced notions of civilization
The fullest information about these
islands was furnished several months
ago by r. Fl. Haynes, a British merchant
and the main points of his statement
We're made public at the time. These
We're afterward supplemented. Mr.
Haynes said that the conditions in the
Philippines differed from the remainder
of the archipelago. He thought it was
IN hn into r
establish a system of government which
would be productive of harmony between
the inhabitants of the islands and the
protectors. In doing this the prosperity
of the natives and the personal welfare
of the sultan and the chiefs were all to
be considered. Under the shadowy Span
ish dominion the sultan had at various
times indicated his desire for British pro-
lection. He was anxious to have the rich
lands opened up by planters and inter-
national trade increased. He also wanted
a stated subsidy for his own maintenance
to be guaranteed by the protecting
power. There is nothing in this pro-
gramme which he had outlined under the |
theory of British protectorate which !
be carried out under American |
sovereignty. The scheme which is indi- |
Gated was similar to that of the British ,
Straits settlement in which the govern ,
ment was nominaly under a native sui
tan. The inhabitants of the Sulus are
said to be Industrious, but they are wide
" scattered and the native chiefs de-
mand and receive too large a proportion
IF the fruits of their labor.