New-York tribune., 1901-05-27
IN MINDANAO.
WHAT THE COMMISSION LEARNED ou
THE ISLAND.
HETEROGENEOUS CHARAcTEp On
PoPULATIoN-UNFIT FOR SELF
GOVERNMENT AS VET

States Government concerning them IT, =.
portant points were settled, namely that Mindanao
snail not be governed by local govern,oents "a
that slavery shall be abolished The commissioner
came 10 Mindanao with the intention Of es+abI,st,
ing several prov incial governments but they vera
not long in abandoning that intention Thar much
was soon decided az Zamboanga. and the further
the commissioners penetrated into the country ard
the more familiar they became with the ,a+e-,a
ueous character OF its people the more they were
convinced Of the unWisdom OF ATTEMPTING 10 anpIv
any considerable measure Of civil government on
American lines to people the great nnaiori-, ~
whom are nothing more or less than savares
peaceful and thoroughly friendly TO the Americans
perfectly willing 10 be advised and overrued nv
them but having no conception Of nor desire for
anything approaching self-government ideals
There Is therefore no longer any question but that
Mindanao and adjacent islands are 10 be ruled for
years 10 come by a government general in char
scCer and directly representative Of the central
government TO be established in Manila on July /
There VIII De local representatives Of the Gov
ernor IN the half dozen districts Of the island who
may recommend as 10 the proprietv Of what The
people desire, but the latter will have no direct
voice IN affairs of government excepting those in
the pair Of provinces TO be established on the
northern coast.
THE CHINESE OF CATTABATTO
At Cattahatto. one day out from Zamboanga. the
commissions party got into contact with one
phase OF The real life Of Mindanao The town was
found 10 be practically all Chinese The Filipino
population Of Catta batto is insignificant both 70
trade and numbers, the Cinnamon controlling the
togn and the trade Of the whole big region: they
conduct themselves with such honesty and tact
mat they seem 10 be the best of terms with
everybody. The leading Chinese traders at Catta-
batto have business connections az Singapore and
Hong-Kong. which bring advantage both TO the
Nor0s and themselves. When the commissions
party disern5arked on the high river bank they
were greeted with the singing Of America in
English by the Chinese and Filipino school chill
T--- rival
ference was held by the commissioners with rep
resentauves Of all interests involved. The Chinese
testified with frankness, intelligence and sincerity
concerning their doings and their relations with
the savages. Questioned whether they intended re-
turning 10 China they replied in the negative
The greatest, Wealthiest and cleverest datto in
al that region is Piang. who is half Chinaman and
half Moro. He is also the original friend TO the
Americans having sent Zamboanga for them
soon after the American occupation there. He
came into power by the combined influence OF
wealth brains and fighting prowess In relating
something OF these things TO the commission Piang
told OF how. after he had reached certain degree
Of power and making encroachments upon
the territory OF another influential datto. he and
his councillors and the other datto. with his head
men had q conference, at the conclusion OF which
P;ang made certain signal 10 his men and the
other chief died" polite way OF saying that his
head was cut on, and that, his opponent being
dead the larter's followers rendered him Piang)
1@-ANN
Piang is Immensely popular. lie has sort OF
Joint Arrangement with Ali. neighooring catto
by reason Of which the two WELD a very great in
fuence anc authority.
While the Chinese hearing was in progress the
town was rapidly filing with clans Of Moros from
near and far
The principal dattos. with their advisers, were
brought in for conference, a group at time, and
encouraged 10 talk about their conditions and af-
fairs. The gist Of their testimony was that they
and ed
can rule than ever before. because they felt their
rights 10 be more settled and secure and they
seemed 70 have objection 10 continuing matters
as at present 50 far as governmental control went
Il developed az the hearings that these people had
simple traditional modes Of judicial procedure
which impressed the commissioners being so fair
and simple that they saw no apparent reason for
interfering with them. Each community has a
man who acts as judge, appointed FOR life by his
datto on account Of his wisdom and familiarity
with Moro traditions. IN cases OF Importance. or
where close questions Of fact are involved, several
q the old men OF the community are called IN TO
assist in the decision The decisions stand unques-
toned but the datto must confirm sentence OF
death.
THE QUESTION OF SLAVERY.
~. o,,as-,or of slavery was scarcely touched
,,ro, in rba conference. except incidentally. but
President Taft afterward assured The Associated
Press correspondent that since the constitution
prohibits slavery any territory governed Dy tne
United States the question Woulo De cea4I Will
Ese Vas Of the opinion that II the people IN the
7-,5 states were willing that rhe government in
the Philippines deal with the question deliberately
and frnDartialy without arousing prejudice oy eA-
cited discussion or precipitate action, slavery
cs, r sbolizhed. in some islands more slowly than
in others perhaps but still effectively win the
r,l,,s-r,, question il is different No prohibition
of Do1vgarv is likely TO be enforced al present a'
least against the savages Of the Southern Pniap-
nine islands. The commission quilted Cattabatto
,fb IDEAS considerably enlarged and clarineo as 10
the situation in that part OF the country
The marty arrived al Davao the morning OF April
ra,ao Is so remotely situated that the news OF
,be .-,--arser Of Aguinaldo had not previously
reached the garrison. The chieIs OF an Ne Ni
in the vicinity came in turn peiore hie i
sione-s and related the circumstances, conoiuohs
.-5 ,s+orrs of themselves and their peoples. and
told abor,- their relations with other tribes. Be
sides e. Moros there were representatives, OF sew
eral tribes indigenous to Mindanao ana ioUiiu no
where else These included the basaDas' 80
Manobos. Guiangas, Drulangahos anu 'iie ~
The Eauales are most distinct from the rest
Though less bright mentally they are more indus
trious and steady and keep no slaves. The people
were generally poor and some OF them aetuaAy
Starving when the Americans came IN me ie0'i'
was that the situation had been so generally unset
lied that. what with the struggles ol tiie
against The Spanish and against each other they
had feen 50 driven about that little had been done
in the way Of raising food supplies Ihey s'@teu
unsnirnouslv that things had been very well Win
them under American rule. and apparently they
had no desire for a civil government Deyoho 'na'
outlined them by President Iai'' haine's' So
ersl departmental government Tor the southern
islands As 70 slavery and polygamy the conoi-
tions are very similar those IN the CattaDaIIo
Region Moros. Mahometans and the Chflst4dI4i%eo
savages dwell near together %lth1af GfilS al
csl friction and there appears 10 De no nhellIlo .
OF disturbances Of the present peace III Ia1 iei4'