The sun., 1899-12-31
GEN. WHEELER'S VIEWS.
People, CONDITIONS AND RESOURCES
or THE PHILIPPINEs.

The Inaurrection Tingrd With Communism
Native Complaints Against the Priests
aud Frisrs-tIood Words for Our soldiers
Fields for industrial Development.
SANTA RITA Philippine Islands, November
1862 Il havo now soon much Of tho country and
the peopic in that part Of Luzon for about fifty
miles north Of Manila In every town there
In a magnificent stone church and a convent or
monastery. The insurgents have great an.
tpathy To the priesthood or friars. and they have
dismantled many Of the churches. Tho valuo
Of the church and monastery OF town seems
10 bc equal in many cases TO the value Of all the
other buildings in the town
The sugar storchouscs are also cxpcnsiyely
constructed buildings. They have very thick
stone walls and either tile metal roofs and cover
considerable space Of ground some Of them have
dimensions Of about 60 or 20 feet by 100 feet
Tho church here at Santa UtA is the only ono
I have seen outside OF Manila where services
are regularly held.
The more talk to people the more am con-
yincd that the insurgents are actuatcd in meas
ure ny spirit Of communism and in their talks,
their most serious objection to the church seems
V bc the fact that the ecclesiastical organila-
tons own 40 much Of the property and ono Of
Aguinaldo's most earnest demands is that the
church property he conhscAted.
There IL a general impression that tho insur-
gent army is made up very largely Of people with
out property and that people who have property
desire the Americans TO control so that they can
have protection and feel tha, their property is
secured to them. but I ind that there is also a
fear or apprehension among some Of the wealthy
that II the Americans control and give universal
suffrage. tho power Of the wealthy people would
BE- taken away and their hold property very
much impaired. I think that II the wealthy
people could he assured that they would be pro-
tocted in their property rights nv the United
States II would have very good effect
The frars and priests are charged with all sorts
OF expressions and misdcmcanors. but IL must bc
remembered that friars and priests arc very numer-
Gus. and in SO large y body there will be- found
every possible phase Of character and disposition.
Some of them are no doubt opprcssors ri the peo-
pie. cxactng in the collection Of rentals from the
land. indulge themselves in many ways. and lead
lives very different from what should characterize
the life Of priest But there are very many good
mon among them. Many of them have received
good cducations in their youth. and. being with
out families and having ample time they have
pursued scientific and other studies and have done
great deal toward the education Of the people
The religious orders are very rich. They have
been acquiring property for nearly three centuries
II the custom of org anizationS and indivd uas
10 acquire property by settlement and occupation.
and title thus acquired is recognized a. valid even
with no aper title whatever The religious orders
have acquired vast properties in this way. and
while IL is supposed that the proceeds and the
Income is To bc used for religious and charitable
purposes. there is no doubt that much has been
used for their personal comfort and benefit
Tho statement have seen that 10 per cent OF
the people Of Luzon can read and write is a great
mistake. II may he true OF Manila, but IL is not
true of the rural districts and the percentage of
iteracy in the other islands is much greater than
in Luzon. The appearance. mode Of life and
method Of performing work is today very much
like that described in the Bible of the beginning
Of the Christian era
The people dress very much as they did ZOO
years ago, the means of tram sportation by carts
drawn by carabaos is abou; the sane, and their
itve as possible and no better than they were
2 900 years ago During 'he last few years sugar
Of the large cities ard This hes especially been
the case since the building Of the Manila and
towns rice Is huSkcl by pounding by hand. and
is winnowed hT tLtowinE II up, and thus sepa-
rating N, The % Snem ilst as in the carii,,' times:
and bananas are not as gond in other localities,
tho reason no doubt being that they seem to give
cultivated believe they would be as fnc as tie |
products of any other country.
Tobacco is grown in tie valley ~ CaCayan. !
In the northeastern rart of Luzon. which is said |
TO be equal TO any tobacco in the world The |
coffee grown is said % he superior TO Mochn.
Of that crop viii caus" a terrible famine, as The
people depend almost entirely upon it for food. I,
greatest amount exported in any one year was |
26l 6Sl tons which was ip 1898
their full growth about sixty DAYS from the time |
OF planting. Tho provinces which are especially |
sssS. Of si sSu,S t sn or ae are
PanEasinan Nucva Eciia, Fulacan. Batangas |
There is great abundance of very valuable
timber in these islands ond many varieties of
as mahogany black walnut and ebony. Gold, |
eoppct coal ron, sulphur lead, building stone,
There are many different irb,s living in these !
Islands the only ones in native rebellion being the |
Tng; e. C; T,, Ch p5vnSss
ciaiiOn with Europeans has made them more civil |
!iz.d than other tribes.
where an, insqrecnt force has hccn stationed |
for some time, hui around here and through This
psnn saTs saSn e,s dns snd SnSnG"' nm m
outskirts of this place, and the folds arr dotted
With. With men women and children planning rice.
others, that .vmparhizc with and MD the Tagalos
lam confident thar brigade Of cavalry could
which has npe skin is found. and aiso The Giid
lion, the tiger thc bycra leopard and the lear
are found in thesr islands, In variety. rlumarc
and charming singing tho birds arc said 10 h.
superior 70 thosc of any other part n the earth
'Crocodllcs boa constructors and lizards ere |
found. Their Nrc many dangerous snakes |
but n this dens-ly p,palI,cd district there are
very few. and the people 'cll me- that vcry seldom
Is any one bitten by them They also tell me that
the natives understand how 10 cure the worst |
Of the bites by using herbs.
The flowers Of the island are very beautiful |
and many years ago a priest collected thousands |
oi varieties and I saw in = convent a COPY oi |
some books giving n description of each flower |
AMI painting of the flower apparently in water |
oolnrs. each painting occupving largo spare.
The market place n cHch town Is Oiled with men |
women and children with their baskets and fruits |
and other articles for sale. Although hananas and
cocoanuts grow In our va DIS, We take care not |
TO modest anything, but rufcasc of the natives |
~ hISi prices We're TcaannPl!r hut now We pay |
apout cent, Mexican, ap!cC" for bananas and |
about hvc cents apiece Mexican for coCoanuts
ile natives bring very vic" little fish To us |
which they catch mar iic town
The relations between the soldiers Of NV com
mand and the people are most cordial Our sol
dletS protect them IN every rir,t alI ~ they sell
market products 70 ~" soldiers AZ higher rates
than formerly Obtained. tcy nppr"ciatr fhis !
at..r I.