The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1900-09-15
entitled to their confidence and be-
lief or the vaporings of a semi-clV1l-
ized caba1 Of Trisurrectionists.
1.-THE suLUs.

cratic club organizer, was heIe'
and here very properly, he made
strong point in his speech against
the Republican policy, referring to
the Sulu Islands and the Sultan OF
Jo1o. We thought that was about
the strongest point he made and II
he had stated the facts as they
were, it would really have amount
ed to a true bill of Indictment. But
Mr.. Bashor, unfortunately, over
looked the facts and while relating
circumstances that really existed,
entirely misrepersented the truth OF
the situation. We rather like the
way in which he handled the sub
ject though. He put it in this
way; The Republican party,
through its Representatives in Con-
gress, had elected Brigham H
Roberts of Utah from the House OF
Representatives because Mr.. Rob-
erts was a polygamists; while, at the
same time, the Republican National
Administration, meaning President
Mckinley, had given official recog-
milton to polygamy in the Sulu Is
lands, which had become territory
belonging to the United States.
He also said that the Repnb-
lican Administration had given le-
gal standing to slavery in the Sulu
Islands by virture of the treaty ne
gotiated by Brigadier General John
c. Bates. Now let us examine
the facts with respect to this prop
osition; In the first place, the Sui
tan of Jolo, who is recognized as the
big Chief of the Moros, the native
dewllers of the Su1u Islands, accept
ed the sovereignty of the United
States and asked for the protection
ofthis government against therebell-
ious followers of Aguinaldo.
1t must be remembered that the Nor
os are Mohammedans and haven es-
tab1ished faith; theyknow nothing
about Christianity or any form Of
civil government which has not
grown out of their religious belief
Upon the whole they are about as
ignorant and fanatica1 as any tribe
of North American Indians. II
consideration of their peaceable sur
render, Gen. Bates negotiated e
treaty with them, in effect about a
follows The sovereignty of the
United States over the whole Arch
ipelago of Jolo and its dependencies
1sdeclared and acknowledged; piracy
is to be suppressed and the Su1tal
agrees to help the United State
suppress it; the United States t.
give protection to the Sultan il
case any foreign nation should at
} tempt to impose on him; the United
J States is not to sell any Island o
the Archipelago without the consen
of the Sultan. Then in the origi
nal treaty of General Bates, thi
agreement was made: that an,
> slave in the Archipelago Q
Jolo shall havethe right to purchas
purchase freedom by payin,
to his master the usual marke
/ value and further that the Moro
shall not be interfersd with on &C
} count of their religion, but all thei
religious customs shall be respecte,
and none shall be prosecuted on &C
countofhisreligion. That agreemen
was only to become binding after i
had been confirmed by the Presiden
of the United States. When it wa
submitted to the President he con
tlrmed it subject to the action O
Congress, but with the reservatio,
that the agreement should not b,
, deemed IN any way to authorize O
give the consent of the United State
to the existence of slavery in tn,
| Sulu archipelago. The President,
| attitude in respect to this treat,
will be found in his message t
Congress, transmitted December Z
. 1899. This, as any sensible perso,
will at once see, knocks all tn
wind out of Mr.. Bashor's stat.