The San Francisco call., 1899-08-22
THE SULU TREATY..

HE country heard with some surprise the
proposition to pay to the Sultan oi the ouluS
an annual subsidy for submitting to our lurls.
dction and the transfer OF sovereignty to ms part 81
the Philippines from Spain to us If SPAN had Val'u
title to sell and we bought the goods purchased De
longcd to us, without hiring anybody to say so
There was no more reason for substituting the Ma
hometans o the SuuS than for treating IN like man
ner the Christians OF the rest OF the group
This first surprise is increased by the report that
General Bates is visiting the Sulus and making
treaty with them! Ii Spain passed to us valid ut'e
why do we recognize these NIahomctans nation
capable oi entering into the treaty relation? What
right have they to such recognition that does not
equally belong to the Christian Fiipinos? These are
questions that will run until they arc answered. The
socitude OF this country rcjntorceS its curiosity as
the features OF the treaty are exploited According to
its terms we arc to leave poygamy and chatte
slavery among the Sulus undiSturbed but our juriS
dicon is to be acknowledged and eur flag is to fly
over the islands and wc5 TO pay the Sultan
salary larger than any paid to any officer OF the
United States except the President. General Bates
FASTENED to make it known that this treaty pro-
videS that chattcl slaves in the Suus may buy their
freedom. He says that the Sultan objected to this
but was appcaScd by inserting the provlso that the
slave must bay his freedom al the market price As
the slave-owuer makes the market and puts his price
upon A slave whom he wishes to sell, the benefit OF
this clause 70 the chatte is OF questionable nature
The slaves in this country. before emancipation, were
always given the right. The master would al
ways let slave buy himself, and the Instances we're
numerous in which slave would buy himself and his
wife and children but this did not soften the hard
features oi the institution to the minds OF the anti
slavery Republicans who bravely made their first
al, and slavery the
twin relics Of barbariSm.
The Civil War was the costly means employed to
put an end 10 slavery and all OF its incidents and
when million OF men had fallen in battle and four
billions OF treasure had been spent in the struggle, 1t
was by amendment written into the Federal oonStitu-
ton that slavery and involuntary servitnde are for
hidden in the United States and all places subject 10
their jurisdiction
We are spending eight hundred thousand dollars
day IN = military adventure establish our luriSdic
ton III the Philippine Islands The Sulu treaty is tor
the avowcd purpose Of asserting our purchased SOY
crcgnty oi that part Of the Philippines and TO extend
our Jurisdiction without the cost OF conquest. The
Sulus now come under jurisdiction and the
stars and stripes fly there hut the cost OF cgalizuG
and protecting both polygamy and slavery y Lin
coin Republican will despair Of finding reasons Tor
such a policy OF course. like the rest OF the
schemes now aoot II is borrowed from Great Britain.
Bu, she is not under written constitution Accord
ins to her scheme Of government such variant
policy is possible and proper Even the English
church Was surprised find that under its canon law
it could not Interfere with poygaWy, When Bishop
ColcnSo oj Natal made it practice 10 receive into
the church African converts who had numerous wives
Eyin9 in po'ygamy his accommodation was pro
posed, Bun the hierarchy discovered that had no
warrant III the canonS Tor such
In the United States, however, il is different
Leaving the ecclesiastical jurisdiction out OF the
question polygamy is forbidden by Federal
statutes and slavery is prohibited by the constitution
everywhere within Jurisdiction.
The people viii have TO be reckoned with the
Sua treaty.