The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-01-20
AG)|NA[DO Is No FOOL
How He Completes With Uncle
Sam in Business.
HOLDS ON TO PRISONERS
How an Anti-Expansion Cor
respondent Sees Things.
HOLDS ON TO PRISONERS

New York. Jan. 1s.-The Manila CORE
spondent OF the Evening Post writes:
Those people who think that Aguinaldo is
an ignorant bungler have not followed
the course of events here with attention
The last move of this very clever young
man is TO collect duties at all the ports OF
Luzon under his control. These duties are
just half the amount of those in force in
the custom house at Manila. TIE result
is that a great deal of merchandise which
formerly came 10 Manila is now going to
ports north of here. A great quantity of
these goods are coming down the railway
into Manila. BY this ingenious method
Aguinaldo gets a considerable income, the
railway is making money. and the dealers
can undersell those who snip directly TO.
Manila and pay double the duty in the
American custom-house.
Again, in the exchange Of letters be-
tween Gen. Otis and Aguinaldo concerning
the release of Spanish clerical and civil
prisoners. the Filipino has held his own in
refusing the demand. Gen. Otis asked for
the release of these prisoners on the
ground that civilians and clergy cannot,
according TO international law. be made
prisoners of war. Aguinaldo answered that
there was two reasons why these prison.
ers were exceptions 10 the rule Of inter-
national law. First. both the civilian and
clerical prisoners had been volunteers in
the Spanish army. Secondly. that, as the
Spanards have a large number OF Filipino
citizens, prisoners, whom the refuse ore
lease he has a perfect right to hold the
clerical and civilian Spaniards in reprisaL
He also intimates that he il perfectly will
ing to release the prisoners as soonas Spain
releases those Filipinos whom she still
holds as political prisoners.
In the meantime. the Spanish priests who
are prisoners are forced to do manual
labor, and.I nave no doubt, there is good
deal Of hardship endured by those prison.
ers who are in out-of-the-way places. On
the other hand. there are many instances
of Spanish prisoners being taken into the
families of rich Filipinos and treated with
every consideration. ] have In mind a Fiji
pinO lady living in Lipa who entertains as
guests in her house and at her own cost
ten Spanish prisoners, and at the same
ish prison.
The natives are now outspoken in their
desire for independence. They do not
want the Americans to stay, although they
do want them to protect them from the
outside Interference. Several members of
the Filipino Congress have openly ac-
knowledged to me that the people are de-
termined to have independence or fight for
it. Although ii is a question whether the
revolutionary government could hold to-
gether if allowed to run its course. still If
it came TO an armed conflict with the
United States, all Filipinos are likely TO
hang together 1t is growing more GER
tain every day that unless we give the
natives practically what they demand we
shall be obliged to fight for them. The ma
tive merchants also declare now that they
favor the revolutionary government. They
say that 50 far the American form of
government has not been much better than
the Spanish, ad that there is bribery going
on in the custOm-house. The insurgents
continue getting arms which are shipped
to them from China and Japan The diff
icuity the American commanders now
to prevent the landing of arms in the is
land Of Luzon alone suggests what a task
it will be to enforce custom duties among
all the islands.
The religious question is already making
itself felt. and in the quarrel the Roman
Catholic chaplains in the army are TAX
ing sides with the Spanish priests. The
trouble arose over burial service. All pau
pens are buried without collins. at the ex-
pense of the state and the priest who reads
the service receives a regular salary. Any
one who can afford to buy a coffin, how
ever. is obliged TO pay the padre from 8
10 s25 for his services. otherwise the soul
Of the deceased goes into the future world
without the blessing Of the church. and the
body cannot be buried in a consecrated
graveyard The tariff Of prices is made by
the Archbishop, and. just as a doctor
charges for healing the soul. II is a mat
ter of business. Chaplain Pierce OF the reg
ular army ran across a Filipino family who
spent their money on coffin for their
baby, and had only one dollar left TO pay
the padre.
You should have bought a cheaper
box" said the padre. The tariff is s. az
the lowest. and 1 cannot make any excep-
lion in your case"
The parents were distracted and did
know VIVA, to do.
why" said Chaplain Pierce. with true
American disregard for established usage, /
az viii read the service. an YOU can keep
your oIlar."
There the matter might have ended, but |
a few days later Chaplain Pierce received /
from a Catholic chaplain in the volunteer /
service 2 letter in which he was severely /
for a breach OF professional ell |