The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-05-27
AMERICAN LAWS WON I Do.
UNITED STATES COMMISSIONERS
DISCOVER THAT RE&aARDING
PEOPLE OF MINDANAO
SLAVERY SHALL BE ABOLISHED
Federal Representatives Send Long
Report of Their Extensive Jour-
ney Through the Numerous
Foreign Countries.

| DAPITAN, Island of Mihdanao, April
; S-For the past week the United States
comm isson has been steanning around
/ the coasts of Mindanao, touching at It's
principal ports, to interview the leading
! inhabitants from adjacent districts Two
/ important points were settled, naSaely
that Mindanao shall not be ruled by local
governments and that slavery shall be
j abolished. The commissioners came to
Mindanao with the intention of establish
! ing several provincial governments. but
they were not long in abandoning that In
tention. That much was soon decided
at Zamboanga and the further the com
missioners penetrated into the country
and the more familiar they became with
! the heterogeneous character Of its peeple
| the more they were convinced of the I'M
wisdom Of attempting to apply any con-
siderable measure of civil government
on American lines to people, the great
majority of whom are nothing more nor
less than sayages, peaceful and thorough
ly friendly to the Americans; perfectly
willing to be advised and overruled by
them; but having no conception Of any
thing approaching self-government ideals
There is, therefore, no longer any ques-
ton that the people Of M ndanao and the
adjacent islands are to be led for years
to come by encouragement in char
acter and directly representative of the
central government to be established in
| Manila, July l. There will be local rep
resentatives to govern in the half dozen
districts of the island, who may advise
as to the legislation the people desire
but the latter will have direct voice in
the affairs Of government, excef ting those
in the pair of provinces to be established
on the Northern coast.
CHINESE ARE IPRTCHT
At Catabatto, one day out from Fam
boanga,- the commission party got into
contact with one phaseiof the real life Of
Mindanao The town was found to be
practically all Chinese: The Filipino
population of Cattabatto is insignificant
both as to trade and Numbers. The
Cinnamon control the commerce and
trade of the whole big region. They con-
duct themselves with such honesty and
tact that they seem to be on the best Of
terms with everybody The leading trad
ers at Cattabatto have business connec-
lions at Singapore and Hongkong
which are advantageous both to the
Moros and themselves. Whenever the
commission party embarked on the h gh
river bank they were greeted with sing
ing of America in English by the Chi
nese and Filipino school children. At
military headquarters, long private con-
ference was held by the commissioners
with representatives of all interests in
volved. The Chinese testified with
frankness, intelligence and since1tty
concerning their doings and relations
with the savages. Questioned whether
they intended returning to China, they
replied in the negative
The greatest, wealthest and cleverest
Datto in all that region is Piang, who Is
half Chinaman and half Moro. He is
also the original friend to the Americans,
having sent to Zamboanago for them
soon after the American occupation there.
He came into power by, the combined
influence of wealth, brains and fight ng
prowess. In relating something OF
these things to the commission, Piang
told of how, after he had reached a GER
tain degree of power and was making
encroachments upon the territory Of an
other Influential Datto he and his coun-
cilolrs7 and the other Datto with his head
men held conference, at the conclusion
of which Piang made a certain signal to
his men and ''the other chief died" CA
polite way of saying that his head was
cut off. And that his opponent being
dead, his followers rendered him (Piang)
their allegiance which he had since
happily held. Piang is immensely popu-
lar. He has a sort of joint agreement
with Ali neighboring Datto, by reason
Of which the two WELD very great in
fluence and authoriay.
While the Chinese hearing was in prog
ress, the town was rapidly filing w tn
clans Of Moros from near and far.