The San Francisco call., 1899-11-01
MUST NOT INTERFERE
WITH SULU P0LYGAMY

WASHINGTON, Oct. S1.-In view of the
current discussion of the military agree
ment between General Bates and the
. Sultan of Sulu. the views Of President
Schurman of the Philippine commission
on this subject are interesting. Mr..
Schurman was one of the first Americans
TO visit Jolo, the seat of the Spanish
Government in the Sulu archipelago, and
he had an extended interview with the
Sultan before the arrival of the general.
The agreement entered into by the Sultan
and General Bates was considerably in
huenced by this meeting.
Although the full text Of the agreement
with the Sultan has not been made public
by the authorities 1t may be stated that
It practically conforms to the previous con-
vention existing between the Sultan ana
the Spanish Government.
In this agreement Spain never claimed
more than an external protectorate
in the Sulu group, the right TO
suppress piracy in its waters and to pre-
vent the periodic migrations Of oath
bound Mohammedans, who went TO the
northern Islands under a VOW to kill
Christians and thus secure an entrance
into paradise.
Professor Schurman said to-day when
questioned about the probable continu-
anCe of pclygamy and slavery on the
Islands after they came under the Amerl-
can dominion, that this was a subject
that would have to be dealt with in the
most careful fashion TO bring an ul-
timately satisfactory solution.
1T seems to me" said he, that were
It not for the ignorance displayed The
present hue and cry about polygamy and
slavery IN these islands would be abso-
lutely criminal. In taking over the Sulu
group we have acquired no rights of any
sort there except those beQueathed us by
Spain She was bound by her agreement
with the Sultan not TO interfere with the
religion or customs of the islands, and 1t
would be most unwise for US to attempt
this by force when it can be ultimately
accomplished by the slower method OF
civilization and education.
The Sulu group proper contains about
100 600 inhabitants. They are all Mopam-
medans, as are about 80 900 of the resi-
dents of Mindanao, directly east: To at
tempt to interfere with the religion OF
these people would precipitate one OF the
bloodiest wars in which this country has
ever been engaged. They are a different
race physically and mentally from the
residents of the Nisayan Islands-power-
ful men and religious fanatics of the most
pronounced type, who care nothing for
death and believe that the road to heaven
can be attained by killing Christians:
Polygamy is a part of their religion, and
slavery, about which so much is being
said just now, is mild type of feudal
THE Sultan believes from what he has
seen Of Americans that they are ready to
be friendly and deal honestly with him.
our soldiers and officers already travel
into the interior Of Jolo with perfect i'm
punity, where Spaniards have never dared
to set foot. 1t has been suggested indi-
reCtly TO the Sultan that he should main
tain an American of good standing as a
confidential adviser at his court to aid
him in the work of material development
for which the beautiful group of islands
IS ready. and which is bound to come
when they are thrown into touch with
the civilized world. I believe that he will
take kindly to this suggestion, and the
leaVen Of civilization introduced in this
way ultimately will do the work which
armed interference with immemorial reli-
gious customs never could accomplish
We have before us in this case the exam.
pie Of England in her various possessions
and of the Dutch in Java, where a re-
markable work of civilization and prog
ress has been accomplished. We should
take a leaf out OF their book, which
shows us that seni-barbarous people fire.