Daily inter mountain., 1900-11-10


have to contend with. There are several
measures which the United States au-
thorities could adopt in order to increase
American popularity and materially
hasten the softeniHg influences of time
Living today in Manila is very eXpen-
sve compared to former times. and the
increased cost Of food and clothes. as
Wen as higher rentals, more directly
affect the poorer classes. and conse-
Quently the mass of the people. than
they do American officers and govern
ment employees. who enjoy the inestlma-
Bile advantage of buying the necessities
and luxuries of life from the army COM
missary, or the element of resident
Americans who live at the best hotels
The poor people are hard pressed now
adayS to make both ends meet. and this
telling poverty has followed the Amerl-
can advent into the islands. TWO years
have gone by since the Americans came
here. and there is still no relief. Under
Spain. when meat in Manila sold for
more than 10 cents pound. the govern
ment competed with the meat vendors
and thus prevented their selling meat
for more than this amount. Since the
United States troops have been in pos
session meat has sold generally from 40
months ago a private firm entered the
lists with cheap meat at 10 and 70 cents
a pound and for a time prices We're kept
down: but within the last week they
have again risen to 31l2 cents in gold
and there is every likelihood of their re-
naming excessive.
In normal times in this country rice
was sold at three dollars and half
Mexican tor one dollar and seventy-hVe
cents golG) for a cavan. and cavan OF
rice Will maintain a Filipino family OF
five persons for twenty days. Today
this same measure of riceS costs seven
dollars and a half Mexican and Amerl-
cans unless they live with the poorer
people and as they do. cannot possibly
realize what this difference in price
means to them. The American author
tiles could have regulated the price or
meat and could have regulated the price
of rice. but they have not done so. A
grateful people would have said. The
Americans consider and provide for our
We'll being; they are good to us. and
the Americans would have increased that
popularity which they so much need
Three days ago Filipino who keeps
family on thirty dollars Mexican
month. said to the correspondent:
Can you blame me for believing that
as long as you Americans live cheap{y
yourselves through your army commits
sary, you care little enough for what
happens to the people at large? Of
course you are not popular, and We see
but few reasons for liking you. Still,
you improve on acquaintance. You
must remember that our leaders have
filled our ears with fearful stories of
your cruelty and barbarities, and that
- -"1-ee -i--'7s and contact for us to learn
the contrary"
MAuaArs EASIER THAN WORK.
While some Filipino leaders will un-
doubtedIy surrender if President Mckin-
| ley is reelected, and while their ex-
/ ample can reasonably be expected to
! have a number of followers among their
soldiers. there are still many of them in
arms who will go on in the same old way
no matter who is elected president Fol
I there is a certain portion of those men
I who for years have been living the life
! of military freebooters which will not
| take readily to the work of an honest liv-
ing There is an attraction in living or
the country with a Mauser rifle in Eel
of money, which will appeal to some mer
more than tiling the ground and driving
cattle and these will elect to stick to tn
faMacious flag of liberty and loot Gen
eral Vincente Lukban, of Samar Island
will probably continue to follow his pres
ent course of resistance. Lukban and hi
men control the entire island of Sama
with the exception of the sea coast town
of Catbalogan. Calbayog and Labuar
these three points the Americans sti
hold from the enemy by sitting close
them, and valiantly resisting his on
s!aughts. There are not nearly enoug
: troops to properly operate in Samar an
! consequently the Americans hold tn
land. They actually can shoot over an
nothing more. Lukban worries the Amer
lean garrisonS night and day and defie
them to come out to fight him in the hill
He has issued a decree of amnesty
- American soldiers promising them prol
erty and good treatment if they will SUI
, render to him. He and his followers Ii,
on a rich island. gathering tribute fro
their countrymen and the Chinese me
chants and they are currently reported
have accumulated fortunes. Lukba
himself has a fat bank account in Hor
Kong and he is rich enough to hay
quickly run away from Is. 600 dollars
silver when pursued by our soldiers.
is king of his island with the exceptit
of the very immediate vicinity of thr
American flags planted on his cGasD al
his life has it's compensa tions and it's a
fractions. He has had no commune
tion with Aguinaldo for months past. +
is his own boss" and a despot and a
cording to the accounts of his friends
Manila is having a good time and plen
of profit. Therefore it is very improb
BILE that Lukban will pay any attenti
whatever to the result of the PRESIDENT
elections.
A REIGN OF TERROR.
The American officials in Manila f;
to realize how greatly the terror SIN e
ercised by the Filipinos in arms ov
their most peacefully inclined countr