The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1900-09-15
CHINESE IN THE PHILIPPINES.
Massacres Which Were Ono 6f spain't
Attempts to Solve the Problem.

1
Attempts to Solve the Problem.
The protests Of WI. the Chinese
Minister at Washington, against ex-
| tending the provisions Of the Chinese
exclusion laws Of the United States
to the Philippine Islands are interest
ing when considered IN connection
with the current situation In China
and the history Of the Chinese inva-
sion Of the archipelago. Soon after
the discovery Of the islands the Chi
nese followed the Spanish into the
Philippines in great numbers and be.
gan to crowd the other settlers out Of
business. After struggling giisYcce
fully against industrial Adestrhrtion
the Spanish colon.sts obtainetFa yoyal
decree banishing the Chinese. The
Chinese resisted It's enforcement, and
in 1903 about $4,000 Of them were
slain.
Undaunted by the slaughter. the
places OF the dead We're practically
filled In two years by newcomers. and
in 1905 the Spanish Government de-
creed that Chinese to the number OF
GOOO might reside in the philippines,
that each resident should pay a special
tax OF SO year. and that none should
be allowed to follow any occupation
save that Of filling the soil. TO these
conditions the Chinese assented with
out demur. They went forward in
their operations. however, precisely as
1>~l u.
twenty-five years 10000 new immi-
grants had appeared in the most ia
vored spots in the islands, and in 1880
they were again ordered to leave or
suffer death.- About 1000 Of them
obeyed the-t1ecrpe, but $4,000 def1eG 1t
and were Slaughtered.
Instead of.checking immigration this
massacre seemed to augment the i'm
and in twenty years the Chi
nese had become. so strong that they
to wipe out the Spanish in
su)ar Government and establish on, of |
their own in its stead. Again they
were ordered. to leave the islands, and |
again defying the mandate. many Of |
them We're slain.
In 1915 the Spanish Government
sent special envoy to the Philippines
10 examine the Chinese problem, and
his report is probably as able as any
hing ever published on that subject.
He declared that the Chinese were
rreclaimable and utterly refused to
assimilate with other peoples. After
describing them and their methods in
he Islands. he concluded:
They impoverish the country,
cleaning everywhere and forwarding
heir savings to China. They under
nine and ruin all labor because they
i've on less and hence work for less
han our people. and then follow their
arnings to China. thus making room
or still more hungry swarms, which
ettle among u.s."
This report so aroused the Govern
lent that more energetic measures Of
xclusiOn were enforced. without much
uccess, and in 1909 the Chinese had
gain become so numerous that an
Their massacre took place. Not in
ne least dismayed, they instantly re-
ewed immigration from the father
md. and by 1859 had become more
than ever. The Spanish {
overnment ordered them to leave.
[any thousands returned to China; of
le others many We're put to death.
Still this strangely persistent race
cyan again to Overrun the islands,
nd by 1873 had become SO numerous
lat the viceroy decreed that every
hinaman found on Philippine soil on
certain day should be executed, and
lfs decree was carried out to the let g
r. In 1919, having again become in l
lerable by their numbers and meth +
Is. once again every Chinese that
'uld he found in the Philippines was Z
lied. z
Next a system Of extremely onerous
I'd burdensome taxes was devised and
essed upon the Chinese with relent- h
SO severity. This, however, proved
be as Intellectual as wholesale kill
g, and the Chinese now outnumber-
& all European inhabitants more
an five to one, practically control the
siness and trade Of the Islands,
wv York Sun.