The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-02-11
AN ENGLlSnmANS STORY.
He Tells the Peace Commissioners
About the FiliDinOs.

He Tells the Peace Commissioners
About the Filipinos.
A British author named John Fore
man. who is said to have passed Is years
In the Philippines, appeared before the
American peace commissioners in Paris,
| and gave them the benefit of his obser-
! vations. He told them that immortality
was fragrant among the monks, that
they steal the land and grind the people
down with taxes. He condemned the
Spanish government for doing exactly
| what the British government has been
| doing In Ireland with the tenants, and
blamed it for supporting the clergy in
the same way that those of the estab-
| lished church are supported in England
today. He saw the mote in the Span
iard's eye, but failed to see the beam in
| the optic Of John Bull. He Is a typical
British pharisee, and a liar to boot.
Among other things told to the commits
sioners. Mr.. Foreman said:
"The .Tagals are of an easy-going,
plastic nature, willing, should say, to
accommodate themselves to and take up
any new dominion which might be de-
cided on. I think they would fall read
lily into any new system adopted. The
Inhabitants of the central islands, or
Vlcayas, are more uncouth, decidedly
less hospitable, and somewhat averse to
associations and relations with OUTSIDE
ers, but I think they would easily come
under sway. They want little more
pressure, and would have to be guided,
more closely watched, and perhaps a lit
tie more of the iron hand would be
needed than in Luzon.
There is a peculiar class in the island
OF Panay, in the neighborhood if Iloilo,
and in the province of Ilollo. They are
Chinese half-castes, the issue Of Chinese
men and Visayas women, and they hold
the trade, as far as it is in native hands.
outside the foreign houses at Iloilo. They
are abrupt and not sociable, but have
no power, cannot organize themselves,
and OF course would have to knuckle
under to anything that might be estab-
| lished.
There are four orders of monks-the
Augustinos, or Augustinian friars, the
dominican friars, the Recolletto friars.
and the Franciscan friars. These are
the monks who are alleged to have
usurped the incumbencies and are Wears
or parishes. In addition to these are
the Jesuits' who for some years have
had nothing whatever to do but to take
care of the education of the people.
There is not anything like the same ami
mostly against them that there is to-
ward the others.
"The morality of the Jesuits is good
There is nothing to be said against them
now. The head of the church ia tho
archbishop, but provincials do as thew
please.
The titles to lands are usually in the
hands of the monks. They hold large
tracts. Usually they simply took pos
sesslon-appropriated it. They have in
their orders what are called sbrothers >
mere are fathers of the orders, and
the brothers are simply persons WHO
nave taken certain VOWS. but who are
not allowed to celebrate mass, simply
Workmen. and they put these in charge
OF the land. Subsequently they receive
DEGREES, but never could they get title
deeds. owing to the opposition of the
natives
They let the land out in parcels for
rent. The men to whom they were
rented held them generally for three
years. No guaranty of any kind passed.
AT the end Of three years all improve
ments made by the man in possession,
the tenant, were capitalized by the cor
poration, and they say that they regard
the land as of SO much more capital
value on which they base the rent and
require higher rental.
$50 really they steal the fruits of the
labor of the tenant, and they charge a
| new rent on the new valuation, and this
new valuation has come from the work
of the tenant The natives kick at this;
| it is sore point with them.
GIN the province of La Guna, where
| the Dominican corporation had their
lands, they even pretended to say that
cane mills and machinery for crushing
| the cane should be left on the estate.
| "a great question arose, and then
there appeared man called DR.. Rial,
who was executed in the first week Of
last November, or the week previous.
| He went down to his native town and
raised this question as to title straight
way with the Dominican order, and he
said: Show us your title deeds; it will
satisfy me and the people around here,
| and it will be better for ourselves, be-
cause it will restore peace and order,
and 1t will not do you any HARM
But they could not show their title
deeds. Here and there some of the ma
tives have holdings of their own.
"The administration of Manila may
be regarded as purely and simply the
rule of the priests, who are the chief en-
| ecutives. Over and over again COVER,
nors-general have been sent away on the
I recommendation of the monastic Or
| ders.