The evening times., 1900-03-14

tives, and the Mineral wealth.
Senator Lodge from the Committee On
the Philippines, has presented a report in
accordance with a resolution Of the Sen
ate calling for a brief compilation OF the
latest Information and statistics obtaina-
bic on the number, area, population, races.
and tribes. mineral resources. agriculture.
exports and imports, forests, and harbors
of the Philippine Islands.
Under the caption of Historical Sum-
mary the report recites: THE Philip
pines were discovered by Magellan on the
10th of March, 1921. on the day CT st. Laz-
arus, but it was not until 1864, after sew
eral expeditions had failed, that Legaspi
succeeded with five ships, which he took
from New Spain, in taking possession of the
archipelago in the name of Philip II. The
discoverer had called the islands after St
Lazarus. but this name was not commonly
in use. The Spanlards called the western
islands Islas del Poniente and the Portu-
guese islands Islas del Oriente Legaspi
gave them their present name in honor
Of Philip H. who, on his side. added later
the title of New CASTLE to the group.
"Afterward Legaspi took Cebu and then
Panay, and six years later he conquered
Manila, which was at that time a village
surrounded by palisades and began at
once the construction of fortified city.
The conquest of the remaining provinces
I of Luzon was so rapid that at the time of
! Legaspi's death, in August. 1872, the work
was practically ended: but numberless wild
States OF Mndanao. and the Sulu group
have kept even today their independence.
Character of the Population.
The character of the population, as
well as their political tendencies, favored
: Legaspi's conquest. There was no power
full kingdom, no old dynasty. no influential
priesthood to overcome and no national
pride to crush down. The indigenous
races were either heathen or specifically
and recently converted to Islamism, and
lived under many little chiefs, who ruled
with great tyranny, fighting with one an
other and therefore easily overcome by
the Spaniards. Such a community Is
Barangay and il forms even today, though
in a very altered form, the basis OF gov
ernment among the Indigenous races. The
{ Spaniards limited the power OF the native
chiefs and abolished slavery. They accom-
plished these changes. however with fore
sight and very gradually.
/ The conquest and pacfcation Of the
! Philippines was performed for the most
part by Juan de Salcedo. called the 'Cortez
of the Philippines he was the grandson
of Legaspi and was man OF great courage
and energy In addition TO many eXplana-
tions and discoveries and much hgntlng
with hostile natives he defeated in a Sc
ries Of engagements an invasion OF Luzon,
which was attempted by about 5,OOU Chi-
: nese under the command OF Lima nong,
a Chinaman who had been eXiled from the
Empire on the charge OF piracy. This was
! in the year 1872 In 1916 Salcedo died, and
in 1880 Portugal and all her colonies pass
ed by conquest to the Crown Of Spain.
This was the period of the greatest power
in the Philippines. II was not TO endure,
however and in l640 Portugal again be-
came independent and her many colonies
in the East were no longer governed from
Manila
The later history of the Philippines is
not of any particular general interest and
is not important enough to enter into in
detail FruitIess expeditions against pi-
rates constant trouble with the Dutch.
and incessant strife between the spiritual
and temporal forces in the islands NIL a
+ long series OF years
In 1852 Manila seized by an En-
. gllEl Meet ana Dell lOE Il llult dS q vel
measure On the conclusion Of peace it
Was again returned TO the Spaniards
From then until its final cession to the
United States the only events worthy of
remark have been several Instructions in
/ the Island Of Luzon against Spanish rule.
which were all successfully repressed.
The Last Census.
/ In the section on population the report
saws. in part: The following is quota
ton from an article by VI. F. Wilcox. Of
the United States Census Bureau. II Is
well to notice that the last official census
was in 1887. and that the figures of that
census. though probably Understanding
the population OF the islands, are the ones
which in default of better. we are obliged
10 take as final 1t is probable that these
are an Understatement of the true p0pula-
tion of the Philippines for several reasons,
among which is one not observed by Mr.
J Wilcox and which is therefore mentioned.
Ii is. of course, only suppOsiton, but is
at least suggestive. For every adult count
ed in the census the officials were Obliged
to return a poll tax. Thus, for instance,
If 100 600 persons were counted 100000
pesetas would have TO be returned to the
treasury. 1t has therefore been supposed
that the officials counted, say 100000 and
returned only 100000 pesetas and 100000
names.
Mr. Wilcox says the population OF the
islands in 1872 was stated in a letter from
Manila. by DR.. A. b. Meyer, who gives the
latest not yet published statistics as his
authority The letter gives the popula-
tion of nine islands. as follows: Luzon,
4, ,467 III; Panay, 1.052, ,5S6; Cebu ,356;
Leits. 2S5, ,495; Bohol. 2S9.515; Negros,
255. .s72; Samar. O.062; Mindanao, 19i, ,S02,
and Mindoro, 1926.
On the subject of ethnography the re-
port SAYS that the inhabitants of the ISL
and belong to three sharply distinct races.
the Negrito race. the Indonesian race and
the Malayan race.
1T is universally conceded that the Ne
gritos of today are the disappearing rem
nants of people which once populated the
entire archipelago.
Habits of the Natives.
Centuries ago they were driven from
the coast regions into the wilder interior
portions of the islands by Malay invaders,
and from that day TO this they have steadi-
ly lost ground in the struggle for exist
ence until but a few scattered and numer-
ically insignificant groups of them remain
As a rule they are to be met with only on
the forestclad sides of the higher noun
tains of Luzon. Panay, Negros, and Min
danao although in the northeastern part