Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-08-23


these permits and no question has arisen
requiring authoritative decision.
Every consideration has been shown the
people of the sultan by disseminating. until
further orders, the collection of industrial
and urban taxes, and by suspending until
December 81, 1901, the levying of all i'm.
port duties on certain articles imported
into the Jolo archipelago. This exemption
was for the purpose Of enabling the IN
hGbitants to recuperate their recent losses
in cattle and certain products. The Phil
irpine commission has. by appropriate ieg-
islation, rendered more effective that article
Of the agreement which declares all trade
carried on by the sultan and his people
with the Philippine Islands shall be free
and unlimited.
At the present time the sultans jurisdic-
ton Is strictly limited to the sJolo archi-
pelago; he exercises no authority what
ever In the islands Of Mindanao. Palauan
or Basilan
Gen. KObbe ON Slavery.
The following extracts are from the re-
port Of Brigadier General w. A. Kobbe.
commanding the department OF Mindanao
and Jolo: -sF*
1t seems advisable to repeat In this. re-
port that slavery, as the term Is usually
understood, does not exist among the Moros.
and to add that radical and comprehen-
sive measures to abolish It would at this
time be premature and not effective. Tne
slaves belong to the same race as tine
social terms, and, as far as known, have
no hard labof to perform. The people are
improvident, and when In one section or an
other there is famine may sell their chill
dren for food. 1t has heretofore been I'M
possible to obtain an estimate of the MUM
Der of slaves held anywhere. or to get
any other information regarding them, not
because of unwillingneSs to furnish II, put
because apparently, of ignorance or an in
difference to an institution that Is without
well-defined regulations and that has taken
no very deep roots among them.
The few slaves who seek the protect1on
of our troops invariably receive it. and all
Filipinos, men and women, who were cap
tured during the period between the De
parture of the Spaniards and the ADVENT
of the Americans have been ordered s re-
turned and are now with their people.
The political situation remains practi-
caIly unchanged. and will remain so until
the government assumes control or analrS
between Moro and Moro. me conolslon
under the treaty Is good for the chiefs as
it gives them supreme and arbitrary power
from which there Is no appeal and allows
them to do what they like with the people.
The relations between the United states
authorities and the natives are excellent,
and continue to improve daily. The inter-
course between the sultan and his different
chiefs borders 50 nearly on war that II Is
justffable under their laws and customs to
steal horses, cattle and people from each
other.
The inter-tribal and internecine wars,
feuds, footing expeditions and quarrels
have given rise to a vast amount OF cor.
respondence in the third district, copies OF
which have been forwarded with the regu-
lar quarterly reports of the district COM
mander. Without endangering the good
relations between our troops ana the ma
tives. high or low, he has interfered In
the interests of justice and good order,
sometimes with diplomacy and often with
an armed force, with patience and good
judgment.
in the archipelago by over 300 men taken
from SLASH and Jolo. These relieved the
companies of the 31st Infantry, Unlted
States Volunteers, at Cottabato ana Farans
sent from Jolo to occupy Malabang IN the
fall of the year.
Col. Pettits Report.
Col James S. Petit. commanding the Sec
ond district of the department of Mindanao
and Jolo, with headquarters at Zamboanga,
reports thus:
Our relations with the Moros are most
friendly All of my officers have shown
excellent judgment and tact In handling
these people, and their friendship and trust
in the United States have grown constantly
If this treatment and policy IS continued
without in-timed interference see no rea-
son why our relations with them should
not continue to be such as to accrue to our
benefit and theirs. At Parang-Parang, Da-
posts who had not been In for ten or
twelve years under the Spanish regime.
Their markets and commerce have been re-
established and encouraged. In common
with most people they appreciate pros
perity and justice.
They are Mohammedans. and the Koran,
as interpreted by the Panditas, Is their
basis of action.
AS have stated In previous reports, the
two great questions as yet untouched are
land tenure and slavery, and there Is no
immediate necessity for legislation on
either subject.
Under our orders L believe all F1iipino
slaves and captives have been turned over
to us, and further slavery, either by con-
quest or traffic between islands, has been
prohibited. The adjustment OF slavery
can be attempted in one or two ways-by
war or by purchase. The latter would be
futile I cannot imagine more desolate
people than the Moro slaves would be II
set free. Their freedom would be Of short
1t is for the United States government to
decide II 1t wants 1t. The Moros have
plenty of arms and ammunition and q
country passable only by Its waterways.
Some traffic had been going on In chill
dren Of the Tiruarys. degenerate race
south of the Cottabato. but we are break
ing it up. The Moros occupy their lands
by right Of earliest possession, same as the
Indians, and the dattos have never claimed
any right Of disposition of them without
sanction Of the commanding officers of the
United States troops. No civil government
is possible In the Moro districts, nor win it
be In the present generation at least.
Maj. Sweets Work at JOlo.
Maj. o. ]. Sweet. commanding the third
district Of the same department, with head
quarters at Jolo, reports:
The political situation since last report
remains the same: our relations with the
sultan and the chiefs are friendly. They
will promise anything in the shape OF re-
forms, but these are never carried out.
The best way to look out for number one
Is their only object in life, and every other
interest Is secondary to 1t. Our relations
with the poor, who are the great mass Of
the people, are cordial Nine out Of ten
Of the population Of the islands would glad
ly renounce all allegiance to the sultan and
dattos and swear allegiance to the United
States. There can be no progress until the
United States takes complete control Of the
islands. Neither the sultan nor any datto
who is in line of succession to the sultanate
can make anything out Of the country.
They are bound up In traditions and an
cestor worship, and to do anything their
grandfathers did not do would be wrong
In many things they are inferior to the
American Indians, and know OF no trait
In which they are superior have tried to
bring the sultan and dattos together, but
80 far without SucCaSS- The sultan stands