The Washington weekly post., 1900-05-01

Americans have read and hfdsd Hsu'"
about The Sultan OF JOlo and the treaty
made with him by Gen. Bates last sum
mer. They have read of Ms three hun
ored wives. his thousands Of slaves. ihe
chief traffic between himself ana Borneo.
and how much tact Was necessary 10 or
der to make an ally Of this powerful Oh
Moro fanatic
But little. however. has been heard ot
the island o. MiudauaO. recently occupic
by our troops. where the followers of Ma
homet flourish with all OF their institn-
lions. such as pOiygdmy, slavery. and
what not And the worst feature Of IL Is
that IL Will take years of patient, per
s.stent effort 90 eradicate these evils, .oT
under various treaties made with trc
MDros We cannot attempt, officially as q
government, TO interfere with them
During a recent visit 90 the Philippines
a an attache OF the War Department, y
Washington man was enabled 10 visit
officially several Of the islands, among
them being Mindauao No Sultan, Moro
dstto. or native chief ever ruled a court
which can compare IN point Of bdrbdrlc
spIeudor and magniftence with that oi
Dat,o UtJu. whose seat OF government Eas
for years been at 'ottobato. on the banks
Of the beautiful Rio Grande. Mindan7o
Time was when this same Dttu was he
most powerful and most feared datto on
the island, but Of hate he has seen his
autocraJic powers dwindling gradually.
How Daito TtIu Rules.
Bent and grizzlcd with the weight OF
his three score and ten years. this old
man has come at last 70 realize that Id
longer can he inspire abject fear with
the dimmed lightning of his one eye
which peers at one suspiciously; aye
Indignantly, from beneath the bushy
brow and wrinkled. parchment-like fore
head. His race is all but run; his time
on earth Is shortening hourly. Submit
ting ungraciously 20 that which he knows
10 be inevitable. the old warrior spends
nearly all OF his time in these. his latter
days. in his harem. among the two nun
Gred and odd wives Of his bosom. Ther,
still cling TO him a few faithful retainers
who call TO mind the, 10 them, happy
days OF yOre. when upon the Will OF UttU
hung the lives Of men, women, and chill
dren i'm a radius OF one hundred miles
from his seat Of government. He was
feared and hated throughout the length
and breadth Of the beautiful, fertile val
ley Of the Rio Grande.
Cruel treaCheTOus, and crafty; a traitor
friend and fiendish foe; rich beyond the
widest dreams Of many of his civilized
brethren in America, Yet mlserly 10 de-
gree that would have put ShylOck 10
shame; espousing Mohammedanism only
because he was thereby enabled 10 stir
the fires Of fanaticism in the hearts of
his rude ignorant followers; most in
Veterate and accomplished liar; a past
master in the art of robbery and theft
hating Americans as he hated Spaniards
for years before them, yet in most dip
lUmatiC seryile way expressing outward
friendship for US, and greeting US with
hypocritical joy-such is Uttu.
His long, lively, and wicked life has
ruined his once rugged frame, and now
aged and stopped he is nothing more mol
less than a weakened old rascal, sur
rounded in his dotage by all of the pOmp
color, and fanaticism of which Moro
mind can think Of.
To an American the most Interesting par
OF Titus court is the harem. There, to-
cav. the hoOk-nosed old chief can usually
be found There, through official circum
stances. and partly because the Moro
does not keep the ladies' of his harem il
seciusion, as does the Turk, several army
officers and one or two civilians connect
ed with the military were given carte
blanche TO visit the chief in certain hour:
and under certain conditions and witnes:
to the fun the life OF the man whose ter
strange land.