Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-29


pensated emancipation
New Taxes in the Sulus.
BY treaty between Spain. Germany and
England free trade was established in the
ports of the Sulu archipelago When we
succeeded to Spaln's sovereignty the treaty
became voidable and is now terminated by
us We gradually putting in force in
the Sulu ports occupied by our troops the
system of customs duties, adopted with
some notifications from the Spanish regu-
Iations. which prevails throughout the rest
of the Philippines. Major Sweet said on
this subject: There are no Moro mer-
chants and the customs duties do not fall
directly upon them The Chenos (Ch!nese)
are the retail merchant class of the east
They, of course, shift the weight of the
duty as far as possible upon the Moros.
have recommended to Gen. Otis remission
of the duty on rice for one year. Disease
has swept away the cattle which are used
TO cultivate the soil of the island. and the
people must have cheap imported rice in
order to live
The sultana, the sultan's mother, who
has been Of service to US through her good
will toward the Americans and through her
influence with her son, has asked the ex-
elusive right to introduce Chinese tobacco
into the Sulu archipelago This request is
in pursuance of the Spanish custom of
creating such monoDoles and of selling
them or parceling them out among favor
ties 1t is entirely inconsistent with the
American system and had, of course, to be
denied"
The sultana, to whom Major Sweet thus
referred is an intelligent, witty and very
interesting woman. Unfortunately, she Is
old and infrm, and has not the strength 20
unidentified inf1ll-
ence with the sultan.
The Sultana's "Vofce-Engfne.o
Gen. Bates had photograph purchased
for the sultana, which Major Sweet sent
to her. This machine talked Moro, repeat
ing several passages from the Koran, and
conversations in the same language con-
corning affairs in which the sultana was
interested The effect upon the royal au-
dlence when the photograph began to de-
clare itself IN Moro is reported to have
been tremendous. In view of the boyish
enthusiasm of the learned and dignifed
members OF the American Academy of
Sciences as they listened with curiosity
years ago to the metallic outgivings of the
perforated tin-foil of the first Edison phono-
graph in the Smithsonian Institution at
Washington. any open-mouthed wonder dis
played by semi-savages at a similar ex-
perience could well be pardoned. The sui
tana expressed her appreciation of the
photograph in letter written In Arabic
and marked by her seal, which reads as
follows:
This letter from your sister the Sultana
Inchy Jau1ela to my brother the Briga-
der General John Bates, and to Major
Sweet, the governor of TIangy. / beg to
inform my brothers that the voice-engine
You made me a present OF has reached
me, and that I shall look upon 1t as an
heirloom l am very grateful TO you for
the brotherly way you are treating me-
You have placed me in your heart and /
will also place You in my heart 1 beg to
send You my best wishes, and may God
repay You for your kindness toward me-
Written this 18th day of the moon Rajah,
IN the year 1317.''
A Royal New Years Greeting.
But the sultana IS not the only ready
letter writer in the royal family At the
end OF December. 1859. the sultan sent
through Major Sweet a New Years greet
ing for 1900 to President Mckinley, which
has been duly forwarded and received. and
which may consequently without impro-
priety be here recorded:
This letter from your brother His High
Hiram 20 my brother. Maj. o. j. Sweet.
ODD Infantry, the governor of Tiangy (Jolo):
Il beg to send my heartiest New Years
greetings 10 the President of the United
States. also TO yourself and all my brothers
In TianSy JOlO), your adjutant and the
secretary and all the soldiers. May you all
De prosperous and happy during the COM
ing year. and may God assist you in all
your undertakings. and may We become
closer friends and brothers. l also beg YOU
I" be kind enough to give me a copy of the
agreement in English and also a flag for
the purpose of sailing about with If can
possibly manage it l shall pay you a visit
today Written this 18th day Of the moon
Shaaban (December), in the year 1877"
4 Moro Protest Against Taxation
While I was talking with Mai. Sweet at
his headquarters Datto Calvi the powerful
Moro chief who lives nearest to Jolo and
VINO has been firm and effective friend of
the Americans, appeared on the street with
small crowd of followers. and in an inter
View with him L obtained an idea of the
Moro view Of the burning question of the
day in Jol0
As We awaited the arrival of the inter
prefer Maj Sweet showed the datto and
his party a handsome sword described as
an American barongJ and q gold-ornament-
ed helmet. Cigars were offered and eager
ly accepted and soon all the members of the
party were smoking.
Datto Calvi has clean cut rnulatto face
OF Keen and attractive expression. He has
closely cropped, straight black hair. a
thin mustache and goatee, and his teeth
are frightfully discolored. He was bare
headed and bare-footed He wore an I'M
ostentatious Moro business suit, consisting
of thin gauze shirt, tight-fitting canvas
drawers for trousers and several circum-
ferences of many-colored scarfs at his
waist He carried the inevitable kris and
wore seal ring on his little finger. Close
at hand was a boy bearing a silver box