The Philipsburg mail., 1899-03-10
THEPHILIPPINE ISLANDS
Very Little Accomplished by Spain During
Her Occupation Of Them.
OVER THREE HUNDRED YEARS
Taxes Mulcted Out of the
People Has Caused Them to Rebel
Many Times-Manila Large
and Up-tO-Date City.

Three hundred years or over of nom
inal Spanish occupation has developed
the Philippines so far that they have
long been ready to throw off Spanish
domination. In the 10th century the
Spanish discoverers found class of
half breeds in the islands, sons of
Chinese fathers and Malay mothers.
whom they called Mestizoes,' and
despised more thoroughly than they
did the Malay and Chinese payents.
Falling into Oriental ways, however.
as the years went on. the Spaniards
found themselves the parents of Mesti-
zoes, or half breeds, and today the
half. breed element is the soundest and
most powerful in the Philippine popu
lation. The physical stamina and
force Of the Malay has combined to ad-
vantage with the mental cultivation
and quickness Of the foreigner. The
Mestizoe arrived at full age, had high
ambitions and the capability to carry
them out. 1t was hard struggle for
him at first, but now, in everyday
affairs, he has reached the place that
belongs to him. The planters, the
commission merchants, the manufac-
turers, the middle men in every
branch of trade are Mestizoes. They
are the respectable people of the ISL
ands, the substantial, we'll educated
people.
Manila, the capital of the Philip
pines. has a population of 1870, 900 per-
sons, 1900 of whom live in the inner
fortress, called Old Manila; they are
either Spaniards or persons directly or
indirectly in the employ of the Span
ish government. Outside of Old Ma
Mia the Spaniard is an exception in
the population. The remainder of the
population are Mestizoes, Malays, Chi
nese, and foreign merchants and busi-
ness men. The Spanish have done
nothing. They have lived off the peo.
pie whom they ruled-and they have
lived well. Naturally the Mestizoes
have been restless under this unhealthy
condition Of affairs. They have seen
the profits of their business establish
ments absorbed by unreasonable taxes.
The cedua personal or poll tax had to
be paid each year. For 16-year-old
boy it was 70 cents by the time he
was Is it was increased to 81. 90; at 21
it was $3 70; after that it was as much
as the assessor thought he could squeeze
out of him. The business license has
always been exorbitant One man who
ran little drug store had to pay $500
a year for the privilege. There was a
tax of $3 wheel Oh carriages. Though
the Mestizoes are far more fit to make
their laws and to execute them than
are the Spaniards, they have had no
voice in the legislative Or executive de-
partments Of the government. The
slightest excuse has sufficed as rea.
son for confscating the entire property
and assets Of any man not under the
protection of foreign government.
All this has occurred in city with
the material conveniences of an Amer
ican city OF the same size. Telephones,
telegraph and cable connections, cleo
trio lights, steam railroad 25 miles
in length, and the like. They are be-
hind only in having horse cars instead
Of the trolley. The horse cars, by the
way, are imported from Philadelphia.
The coal, which is their fuel, is
brought from Australia.
In other cities the Spaniards' hold
has been less strong than in Manila.
A governor, little body of secretaries
and retainers, and garrison of few
hundred native soldiers, under Spanish
officers, have sufficed to keep the pyo-
pie in subsection.