Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1903-05-01
SLAVERY IN THE PHILIPPINES.
1t Is UnrecosnIzed Officially, But Per-
fect1y WeII-known to Exist
in the Islands.

States is equaled only by the univer-
sal ignorance in regard to many Of
the problems existing in our eastern
possessions, writes a Calamba, P. L.,
correspondent of the New York Sun.
Why should not the people of the
United States be properly informed
regarding a subject which should be
close to the hearts of all true Amer
leans?
For over three centuries this Gus
tom has obtained throughout these
islands: A poor Filipino finds him
self in debt and without the means
TIC meet his creditors. He forthwith
borrows from a rich neighbor the re-
CURED amount, often not more than
thirty pesos-two pesos are equal to
about 80 cents of our money-pays
his debts, and becomes from that mo-
ment, together with his entire family,
a slave to the man who had lent him
the money, to remain his slave until
this money is paid back. This poor
native and his family work for the
rich native, and in return receive
clothes and food of the cheapest
quality, but of course, never any
money. They also get house to live
in, but for this house the man is
supposed to pay rent. AS he has no
money and has placed himself and
family where not one of them can
earn any, this rent cannot be paid
and is added year by year to the
original sum borrowed. The man
dies without ever paying the debt
and dies like a slave, leaving his fam
lily in like bondage. If anyone else
pays the sum to the original owner
of these slaves, he in turn becomes
their master.
There is much wealth in the Philip
pines and it is customary for well-to
do Filipinos to own anywhere from
fifty to 500 slaves. I visited the other
day the house of the richest woman
in the Philippines outside of Manila
She lives in town called Lipa and ii
worth her millions. I was able t.
observe for myself the number of he,
slaves.
A certain army officer, living in tbs
same town as Gen. Mulvar-origina1
ly 'general-in-chief of the Philippine.
army after Northumberland t.
find a competent native boy to worl
for him. Gen. Mulvar offered to 1e
him have one of his slave boys, esug
costing that if the officer would pa.
the amount owed to the general by
the boys father, the boy would be
long to the officer. This officer woult
not enter into this agreement, know
ing full well that if he bought the
boy and gave him his freedom. a.
soon as he was ordered to the United
States Gen. Mulvar would, on some
preteXt or other, get the boy bach
into his power. I was told this lit
tie story, which is simply illustrative
by the officer himself.
Of course, there is another side to this
question of slavery as it exists here
The low class natives are woefully lazy
brainless and generally worthless
andthis system secures to them homes
clothes and food, for comparatively
little labor, a long as they live. This
lis very comforta BILE way to look at it.
but the fact remains that the condi
ton of these people is slavery pure
and simple and slavery on American
territory. This fact is unendura BILE
and should awaken the people of the
United States to some sort of action.
Originally the Spanish friars were
responsible for this condition of af.
fairs, or at any rate, responsible for
its con tinUance. These friars all
owned slaves, and if any powerful Fill
ipino had undertaken to inform the
Spanish Recommendation, like our
government, could not act on what it
was ineignorance of, which therefore
it chose to be blind tot would have
availed nothing. And these Filipinos
would besides have made untold
trouble for themselves, for the friars
to shield their own position, would
have proved to the home governmen mt
that the report was false, and would
have oppressed the Filipinos more cru
ely than before.
The virtual government and cruel op-
preston of the Spanish friars is still
another problem, and one which has
been little studied or understood
They are no longer in power, but prop
erly to understand the Philippine char.
acter, and political and moral condi-
tions existing here for years, it is nee.
essary fully to comprehend the com
pick nature of the dominion held for
centuries by the Spanish friars. in these
islands. They have left their mark or
all classes, and we cannot deal intelli.
gently with our new subjects without
giving this matter conscientious study
That slavery has existed in these is
lands so long after Spain abolished
slavery in her West India possessions
which was in 1S70-is due simply to
the absolute ascendency of the friars
an aseendency almost inconceivable il
its SuDreme mower for ays41 11naIifhOr
lied, and yet uncontrolled by the Span
ish government. That this same slavery
is allowed to exist under American
government is a menace and re-
proach to American civilization.