Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1900-09-06
TIE FILIPINO PROBLEM
The islanders Apparently Incapable
OF Realizing the Functions of
the New Commissioners.
c0HED BY THEIR ARMED coUHTRYMEH.
a Genuine Reign of Terror Exercised by In
surgents and Ladrones Over she Peace
ably Inctined-Town OficIaIs, Appointed
by the Americans. Murdered-Trayeiers
Ambushed.

incapable of realizing the scope and
purpose of the legislative functions
of the commission of peace. There
is no possibility of separating the leg.
~islative from the executive branches
of the governments: and, therefore
assumption of power, Saturday, has
met with childish comments at the
hands of the Spaniards and foreign.
ers, who sneer at the new arrange.
ment, as they T apt to do at every
beneficial innovation on the part OF
the United States authorities.
The commission enters upon the
governmental field under the follow.
ing conditions:
Desire Peace.
A majority of the islanders desire
peace and the resumption of business
under the Americans; but they are sc
cowed by a long series of murderous
atrocities and destruction of proper
ty by their armed countrymen that
they dare not actively show their feel.
ings,~ especially because experience has
taught them what such an expression
of sentiment will bring upon them
from the mercilessly revengeful reb-
els. A genuine reign of terror is eX.
ercised by insurgents and ladrones
over peaceful country folk, in order
to collect the revenue and recruits
their operations require, and wide
spread vengeance is wreaked in the
vicinity of garrisoned towns.
the Town Officials.
For example, the insurgent general,
Cables, in the Province of Laguna, put
to death the president and office
holders of the town of Bay, on
Laguna de Bay,who has been install
ed by the Americans, and gave orders
that a similar fate should be melted
out to other adherents of the Ameri-
can cause. He also ordered hat all
Filipino soldiers who sold their rifles
to the Americans should be killed.
Would RetaIiate ON the FriensIies
Any change in policy involving the
withdrawal of the United States
troops, without substituting for them
an adequate defensive force, is Ger
tain to result in fearful retaliation at
the expense of the ~friendlies. The ap-
preaching ~patriation of the volun-
teers tends to influence the situation
unfayorably.
Quiet i'm Northern L.Izon.
In northern Luzon the statu quo is
fairly well maintained, and the peo-
pie in that quarter T quiet and en-
gagged in planting, except in the
Province of Nueve Ecija and Bulacan,
where there has been a recent out
burst of rebel and ladrone activity.
Travellers Ambushed by GucrrIIIas.
But, in southern Luzon conditions
are far from satisfactory. Life there
is not safe outside the garrisoned
towns. Travellers are subject to am
bush by guerrillas. Rarely does a day
pass without an encounter between
the United States troops and the in
surgents or ladrones, resulting in
casualties. There are $4,000 troops in
that district, Gen. Gates, command
ing, and in three regiments over a
third of the men are sick. The activ-
ity of the enemy increased last
month. There is evidence hat the in
surgents have come into possession
of new rifles and that they wish TO
annihiIiate some small American gar
rison.
Conditions I'm the Visayans.
Conditions in the Visayans continue
virtually unchanged. The lack of
troops in Samar prevents aggression.
Negroes, Romblon, Masbate, Sibuyan,
Tablas and Bohol, are tranquil, all
desiring civil governments. Mindanao
is also tranquil, excepting the dis
tricts of Ieagayan and Surigam,
where occasional encounters with the
Filipinos occur The enemy's fight
ing force there is limited, but it has
a number of rifles. The surrenders,
although they have n~oticeably de.
creased since May, continue.
Benefits of American Occupskfon.
The experience of northern Luzon
shows that the American occupation
of any locality tends to its pacifica-
ton and well-being. An unsettled
American policy retards the invest
ment of capital. Nevertheless the inn
ports for the last quarter and a half
were greater than during any equal
period of the Spanish regime. No
doubt the needs of the army of occu-
patton + responsible for a very con-
siderable fraction Of this.
The internal revenue collections
are a third greater than those made
by Spain. This is due to an honest
system of accounts, to a lack of IA
yoritism and to impartial enforce
ment of the law.
Cash for the Commissioners.
The military authorities will turn
over $4,000. 900. Mexican, to the COM
mission, and this will probably be ex-
pended IN public improvements, nota-
bly, in harbor developments, the need
of which is greatly hampering the
shipping industry.
The commission will first organize
municipalities in the provinces, nota-
bly, in Pampanga province. Suisse
quently it will turn its attention to
needed reforms in the civil and Grim
inaI codes. passing in due time to 9TH
er features of it's instructions.
Twelve Americans Killed.
Twelve Americans, including two
captains and two 1i~eutenants. have
been killed during the past two weeks.
The official reports of the encounters
in which these casualties occurred ara
meager.
: Vancouver, B. c., Sept. 3.--Papers
have been signed transferring the
Brallamar copper mines, situated on
uouya cornJ noar Vanoo,zo. -