The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-31
WHEELER ON THE PHILIPPINES
WRITES FOR THE FIRST TIME HIS
VIEWS ON CONDITIONS THERE.

Character of the Insurgent Army.
Observations on the Priests and
Religious Observation-Disclosures of the
New IsIands-COnditions of the
PeOpIe-ReIatiOns of the Soldiers
and the Natives-Sugar and Coffee
Industrfes-Wnd COttOn-DOmestic
Animals.
New York. Dec. 29.-Gen. Joseph Wheeler
writes this article from his headquarters
at Santa Rita:
Copyright, 1899, by A. R. Kellar)
Santa Rita, Philippine Islands, Novem-
Der, 1881 have now seen much of the
country and the people in that part of
Luzon for about fifty miles north of Ma
Mia. IN every town there is a magnificent
stone church and a convent or monas-
terry. The insurgents have a great an
tipathy to the priesthood or friars, and
they have dismantled many of the
churches The value of the church and
monastery of a town seems to be equal
in many cases to the value of all the
other buildings in the town.
The sugar storehouses are also expen-
sively constructed buildings. They have
metal roofs and cover considerable space
of ground; some of them have dimensions
of about so or 20 feet by 100 feet.
The church here at Santa Rita is the
orly one / have seen outside of Manila
whore services are regularly held
The more 1 talk to people the more
a convinced that tho insurgents are act
I'D ed in a measure by a spirit of com
munism, and in their talks, their most
serious objection to the church seems to
be the fact that the ecclesiastical organi-
cations own so much of the property and
one of Aguinaldo's most earnest demands
is that the church property be coniscated.
There is a general impression that the
insurgent army is made up very largely
of people without property and that peo-
pie who have property desire the Ameri-
cans to control so that they can have pro-
lection and feel that their property is Sc
cured to them, but / find that there is
also fear or apprehension among some
of the wealthy that if the Americans con-
troll and give universal suffrage, the power
of the wealthy people would be taken
away and their hold on property very
much impaired. 1 think that if the
wealthy people could be assured that
they would be protected in their property
rights by the United States it would have
a very good effect.
Priests and Friars.
The friars and priests are charged with
an sorts of expressions and misdemeanors,
but it must be remembered thar friars
and priests are very numerous, and in so
large a body there will be found every
possible phase of character and DISPOSE
ton. Some of them are no doubt OPP
pressors Of the people, exacting in the col
lection of rentals from the land indulge
themselves in many ways, and lead lives
very different from what should char
acterize the life of priest. But there are
very many good men among them. Many
of them have received good educations in
their youth and, being without famlhes
and having ample time, they nave pur-
sued scientific and other studies and nave
done a great deal towards the euucd0i'N
of the people.
The religious orders are very rich. They
have heen acquiring property for nearly
three centuries. 1t was the custom OF
organization and individuals TO acquire
property by settlement and occupauoh'
and title thus acquired is recognized az
valid even with no paper title Whatever.
The religious orders have acquired vast
properties in this way, and while 1t is sup
rosed that the proceeds and the income Is
to he used for religious ana chafllap.e
purposes. there is no doubt that much mas
been used for their personal comfort anu
benefit.
The statement I have seen that 20 per
cent. of the people of Luzon can read ana
write is a great mistake. 1t may be true
of Manila, but it is not true OF tne rurdl
districts, and the percentage OF nlteIacs
I'm the other islands is much greater tn isl
in Tuzon. The appearance mode OF NE,
ard method of performing work is to-day
Very much like that described in the Blple
OF the beginning of the Christian era
Methods 1000 Years Old.
The people dress very much as they did
1000 wears ago the means Of transporta-
ton by carts drawn by caraboas Is ABOUT
the same, and their methods OF slie l.ns
and cleaning rice is as primitive as possi77
BE and no better than they were z'VJJ
Years ago. During the lest few years 81
gar mills and rice mills have been erected
i'm some Of The large cities, and TINS na7
especially been the case since the Dullu.n5
Of the Manila and Dagupan RallrTao' ou
in the smaller cities and towns nee J.
husked by pounding by hand, and Is VIII
moved by rowing 1t up and thus sep tr'
ntug the C # just as it was done III th'
/ earliest tin
Proc - of the New Islands.
Nearly eerything can be grown. on
oranges and bananas are not as e9od as u
4 other localities, the reason no DOUBT DE
tAu they seem to give them no GU 10
Whatever. If they were cuitNa'eu' -
lieFe they would be as fine as the Aio
ducts Of any other country
Tobacco is grown in The valley of Cagay
an, I'D the northeastern Fart of Luzcr
which is said 10 be equal to any t9bace
iu the world. The coffee grown is ga
10 be superior to Mocha.
Rice Is the principal product, ana a Iai
ure Of that crop will cause terrible ran
Inc, as the people depend almost entirel
upon Il for food Sugar is the princip
crop for export. The greatest amour
exported ia any one year was 2jl,tSl ton
which was in 1886
Corn grows very rapidly and the tal
reach their fun growth about sixty day
from the Time OF planting. The provnc
which are especially spoken Of as prodm
n 1--WE Of corn or maize, are Nlscaya' l-
''iia South Camarines. Pampanaa' al
ttslnan Nueva Ecija. Bulacan. Batang
Aipay ana ARRAY. Wheat Is grown no b