The sun., 1903-08-16
CENSUS wORRIED FILIpINos.
Said TO Have Caused MANY OF the Recent
Uprlslngs.


Said to Have Caused Many or the Recent
Uprlslngs.
SAaAY, Camiguin, p l., June 28.--The
last six months have been time Of great
trouble and vexation to the Americans
who are engaged in the task Of preparing
the Fipinos for self-government. There
have been Instructions, or, better said,
uprisings, in almost every province of
the archipelago.
Provinces which were easily subdued
in the early days broke out again with a
wildfire of discomfort. These uprisings
varied in importance from the movements
of the self-styled Gen. San Miguel to what
are now called "Pulajans
San Miguel was a cross between an old
fashioned highway robbcr and marauder
and n crafty politician He and several
subordinates did what they could to raise
another Filipino republic and it is asserted
that they were helped in many ways by
the Union DemocratitgL Obrera, or the
Democratic Labor Union, which must not
be confused with any organization Of
similar title in the States, either III names
or meaning. democratic" and "labor, "
great deal of their significance. But San
Miguel was put down and killed and his
assistants We're chased all over the face Of
Luzon by combined forces of Filipino
scouts and constabulary. led by American
officers
In the Visayas the trouble in almost
every case rose ont Of the census. OF
course, it was combined with other mo-
tives and urged along by crafty trouble
makers. Besides, it must be remembered
that in these islandYthere must pass years
and years of fighting and worry and con-
fusion bsfore there Ia any great amount
of civilization tnstilled into the people
But altogether the census was most TO
blame, Imagine the experience of enum-
orators in the most ignorant foreign
settlements of the States, then multiply
it by any quantity you please to make it
equal to the results of a census among
people who never were enumerated before
in that manner of house-to-house vista
ton.
All over the Visayas the people refused
to answer the questions ran away into the
mountains, and then when the insular
police came after them formed into bands,
put red stripe around their shirts and
bloomed out as u new kind OF trouble for
the Government in a land where the differ
ent kinds Of trouble are as numerous and
as varied as the diseases and the products
of field and forest.
And the native enumerators did not
improve matters They were chosen for
their ability TO read and write Spanish,
without much thought for the towns of their
residence, and an educated Filipino in
place Of authority among ignorant people
cannot be beaten anywhere in the world
for conceit and arrogance.
In one barrio of Camiguin the people
declared that the census was to find out
how many boys and girls there were over
IL in each household. And then. having
found out, the Americans were going to
take one boy and one girl from each house
that had more than two children. Naturally
trouble followed
In Chairman the people objected to the
putting up Of notices which were not to be
taken down until June | under penalty
of fine and Imprisonment. The enumera-
tors tried their best, and then the Governor
sent over some constabulary which body
was Immediately attacked and cut up
somewhat.
Flushed with their first success, the OBJ
jectors donned the "Pulajan" uniform
and started to run the town in their own
way. The Cinnamon were obliged to fur
nish rice free Of charge, and at last they
moved out. Oaths We're taken to destroy
the Government and oppose any sort of
troops
At last there arrived a company of scouts.
and 300 "Pulajans," armed with bolos,
attacked fifty scouts, armed with SPRING
fields and the trouble was soon over Ca
tarman became very good in short order
and now is praying to have the scouts
taken away.
And the trouble is of old standing and
will serve as an example of the way the
Spanish rule went on here. The people
of that town always objected TO taxes and
the like, and the Government left the mat
ter in the hands of the parish priest who
tried to arrange it.
Once in a while a man would be taken
and punished by short imprisonment, and
the next year it all began over again The
Americans stand such foolishness for a
while and then teach the people lesson
that sticks for a considerable time And,
moreover, the Americans, by the much
abused policy of establishing civil govern
ment with native governors clothed with
powers. have made these latter 80 energetic
in fulfilling their duties that in many in
stances they are afraid for themselves. and
this may bring about their fidelity in times
of greater danger
The people of America need not worry.
There is Government here that can meet
any trouble that may come up 1t has
proved it this past year,
As soon as the scouts were Joined to the
constabulary, the places where the robbers
made their homes were very unhealthful,
and one by one the bandits began to ask
for a chance to surrender as in the old days,
with full pardon for all their deeds. But
there was a change of heart in the Govern
ment, and the outlaws were given TO under
stand that everything they had done would
be held against them.
The year has done a great deal to make
Americans little more acquainted with the
people. They find out that there are places
where the idea of self government means
merely freedom from taxes, and in many
cases where the ef-government business
was seemingly going along finely it was
largely case of playing at government,
and often some of the players refused to
play any longer and uprisings were the re-
suit of the children's quarrels.
In one province there were lust two
enumerators of the census who made any
thing like correct enumeration. Even
in the leading town there were mistakes
which required the careful revising of the
supervisor. Altogether the census would