The Washington times., 1903-11-26
MOROS THOROUGHLY BAD,
SAYS GENERAL DAVIS
Sultans and Dattos Birds Of Prey Who
Gamble Away Property and
Person of Subjects.

I'm dealing with the Moros, refractory
to all that IS good much may be said,
and unfortunately all that can be said
is bad"
Such is the statement made by Mai.
Gen. George w. Davis. commanding the
Division of the Philippines. in his annual
report on conditions in the islands.
when we say that this race is re-
fractOry to all good Genera Davis con-
tinues. "or TO all civilization, we must be
understood as speaking Of its present or
ganization. with its sultans. dattOs and
panditas; because If on chosen day all
of these birds of the archipelago should
disappear the other Moros would obey
the constituted authority and become as
meek as lambs"
In reviewing the vices Of the Moros,
General Davis devotes much space IN his
report to gambling. cruelty, haughtiness.
robbery. treachery, and piracy
Spend Life in Gambling.
THE Moro dattos. as a rule. spend
their lives in gambling." says General
Davis rAnd when they lack money for
keeping up that occupation they sell the
first thing that falls to hand. namely. the
property Of their vassals. of whose lives
and property they are the absolute lords.
Moros on this point, who had been
robbed OF their only carabao, and who
were considered having no right to
reclaim or recover 1t. the actual pos
SCISSOR having purchased il from the
datto; and it is looked upon as luck II
they sold only the carabaos or their
sacopes, for at times they would sell
some individual OF the family as it hap
pened IN the case of Emilio Calumpit.
lost al play by his datto in gambling.
and who after several vicissitudes We
10 Tamontaca and became a Christian.
The lately deceased datto Galan, the
most famous gambler and greatest
mountebank of all the river, gambled
away the daughter OF his slave; and
neither tears nor prayers were of any
avail to cause him to desist from tear
ing her awav from the arms Of her
mother and handing her out to the
winner OF the game. What viii civil
izatiOn say to this?'
Horrible Punishment Inflicted.
General Davis describes the terrible
punishments Moro dattOs inflict upon
subjects who disobey them. Tendons
are cut in the legs of slaves who run
away. Slaves are bound naked to trees
and exposed by day TO the burning rays
of the sun and by night TO the torments
Of mosquitoes, which are so thick In
I the Moro country that they have been
known TO kill calves. Victims Of the
dattos are thrown into streams with
great weights attached TO them. Taey
are frequently put into water, where
they can barely keep their heads above
water by stretching TO full height at
nigh tide.
In discussing piracy. General Davis
avs:
The Moros are unexcelled pirates.
ana slavery constitutes perhaps their
greatest wealth. il is we'll known that
within the last quarter of q century
formidable fleets of vintas sailed cOntip
Ually from Jolo and the Rio Grande, and
after ~ king some pueblOS OF the Visa
vas returned to their strOngholds loaded
Gown with booty and with captive
Christians.
Piracy Still Flourishes.
commenced TO cross the seas Of the
outh 10 a degree did piracy cease at
ca; for the seventeen years l was on
he Rio Grande received notification OF
only three or four Christians being cap
tured- But the practice was renewed
arter the evacuation by the Spanish
when Filipino government was LETT
the American Government after the
cataclysm Of crime and violence with
which We are well acquainted.
But The Amer!cal Government has
aone nothing UP TO the present 10 put
down piracy. which has commenced
B once more 10 assume extraordinary pro-
portions. It's principal victims being the
T.rura1es, he third part Of whom have
other points in two years.