The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-02
MORO-AMERICANS,

Datto Mundi considers himself an Amer
lean. OF the datto we have heard before.
He is the Moro chief in the island or
Mindanao who some time ago made COM
mon cause with the Americans, and went
on a raid and slaughtered a number OF
the natives. The information that he
considers himself good American is
conveyed by Theodore w Moves, in edit
toral correspondence to the Washington
Star from Jolo, in the Sulu archipelago.
Mr.. Noyes has been interviewing a num-
Der of the leaders of the Moros and SUI
lus, and he finds that several of the dat
tos regard themselves as Americans They
have not given up either slavery or polyg-
amy. nevertheless they are looking for
ward mpa tienuy to the time when they
shall enjoy whatever blessings the Amer
lean government may have to confer.
meantime sticking to those of their own
customs In which they find pleasure.
Next to Mundi probably the most power
full datto that Mr.. Noyes has met, is Cal
vi. This chief is already kicking about
the tariff. His people he says, are bur
dened by the duties both import and
export which have been laid upon them
by the Americans. The import duties
he pointed out have increased prices of
things the people were forced to buy, from
two to four times the former figures In
the Est of these articles are Included
sugar, sarongs, rice tobacco gambler
matches, etc, all articles of necessity to
the natives Meanwhile the export duties
have reduced the prices received by the
natives for their copra, hemp, pearls
cocoanuts and fruit, until cit is almost
impossible for a poor man to live" Mat
Sweet, who is in charge of the district
in which Cavi holds sway, has recon-
mended that the rice duties be RENTED
Meanwhile however, the duties are being
levied and collected and the natives are
becoming Disconnected. 1t is likely that
Congress will hardly have gotten he Porto
Rico tariff question off its hands before
it win have upon them another tariff
question from the Philippines.
MIR. Noyes finds that the character of
the slavery practiced in the Suiu archi-
pelago is not so horrible as one might
| suppose. 1t Is of the mild. feudal type"
he says there is no cruelty based on
the existence of the rela ton, no humi-
Eating race or caste discrimination and
no severe labor required" In short. 10
judge from Mr. Noyes' observations and
the informa ion given him by Maj Sweet.
one might think that Suld slavery was
rather dolce-far-niente state in which
the chattel %yas relieved of all care ana
anxiety, while the master and owner had
to hustle for the food and clothing for
the whole establishment. In the treaty
with the Sultan of Sulu, It is stipulated
that the freedom of slaves may be pur-
| chased at the market price, but If Mr.
Noyes reflects conditions correctly, 1t may
be doubted II the slaves would thank any
| body to purchase their freedom for them.
At all events, says the Washington news
paper man. the matter of abolishing slav-
cry and polygamy in the islands must be
gone about very slowly and carefully.
else we may bring on a "holy war" In
the Islands. We shall of course, do this
The record of our government within SIS
own territory goes to show how carefully.
slowly, gently and considerably 1t goes
about such matters as freeing slaves. and
assigning them 10 a fitting place in the
body polite. san. il is quite possible
that the government at Washington will
show more consideration for the Malays
ten thousand miles across the seas rian 1t
dd for the white people within the south-
ern part Of It's own territory thirty-odd
years ago.
The salient feature OF Mr.. Noyes' com