The Washington times., 1904-11-08
FILIPINO FREEDOM
RIDICULOUS TALK
Army Officer Tells Of ISL
and Conditions.
B0XED-UP INDEPENDENCE
RIGS, "Son Of GOd,' Sold Liberty From
Her Confinement 10 Wood
Case

'It would, indeed. bee a fine thing 10
promise Immediately independence for
The F1lipinos,F said au army officer, just
returned from Iuty In the islands.
They know SO much about IT., parIicu-
larry down in Tabayas province. LuzOn.
where rebel leader named Rios -four
ished until Colonel BaunhOlsr. OF the
eoustabularyl captured him and had
him hanged for d few murders COM
mltted during his career as particular
custodian OF independence.
Rios OF saiuJed memory. for seven
days, according 10 his own pTOClama-
ton, had Independence Cribbed. cabin
ed, and confined i'm a box guarded by
rour carefully selected guards.
~Son of God"
starting as a major OF boIomeu Rios
Promoted himself with rapidiJy TO the
grade OF brigadier, captain general. pope,
and finally 10 souship of God. son OF
God was his seIf-impOsed title when
ne was led TO the gaII0ws and hanged
BY the neck until dead according TO due
and ancient AngIo-Saxou form.
seven days hence 1 VIII reappear
here he told his followers, from the
scauold- More than three times seven
months nave gone and his bones are
stiu where the uuromauuc Yankee sol
Oilers buried them.
BoXed-Up Independence.
"BoXed-up Independence, however. is
the subject of this talk. One day after
Agulnaldo disappeared into the noun
tains whence Funston dragged him.
thereby earning the stars OF brigadier
general Rios appeared before the people
OF the chief town of Tabayas 10 make
them a speech.
You have all been talking about in
dependence he told them with all the
assurance OF a man knowing his sub
3ect ana confident none would rise up to
dispute MS monopoly. But not one OF
you has ever seen her. i have She is
mere even IN LnaL box
Opened 10 View.
'Just then box marked Iudepan-
dencia' was uncovered Tor The feasIiug
OF their eyes.
Il have ner here. I have authority
as Pope because j am the Son OF God.
You follow me. pay me what is ms due
as Pope. and IL / hnd you worthy / viii
confer independence upon YOU
"Idiouc as such a rIgmar0le Was il
gave Rios greater favor than ever The
Tabayans followed him. ana bought the
taVOrs OF his church. warranted TO do
anything Tie buyer wished Iu such
quantities that Rios became real
those who refused money and obedience
70 the chieitaiu. For those crimes he
rllC with his lie.
ridiculous Talk.
''Thiz talk of independence viii be the
most ridiculous stun ina giuabIe when
IL reaches the lowest classes OF the
population First, the native papers of
Manila viii publish such versions as
hey can make by first trausIatiug the
1sh into Iasal1g and other dialects
'+This version or versions VIII then be
read by the local leaders 90 yueir fol-
lowers. and how they viii give IL TO
their followers you can imagine when
you recall the fact that until the Amer
leans came they never heard of au cleo
ViOu, a party 81 ticket. or au gIucer who
got an Once iu amy other way than By
purchase from a Sp-lilrd who probably
could not read
while i was governor of Tabavas
asked an OLD TagalCg how he got the
tre4surershlp or the province. il being
SO unusual for "a native 20 have so high
an Office
Paid for the Job
q" 4 paid - 4g5J pesetaz for IT, He
answered. giving Jhe name OF "a Spanish
official I hadn't ana idea that Dee had
bought 80 and wasn't prepared for =Iel
an answer as he gave me. We have
found IL the hardest thing II the world
10 convince natives mJrusted with
money that they must not lend fl 10
their friends or bet IL ou cock fights.
'-Iu the Spanish days when man
bought au uuer the money that came
10 aim was his until l- E0L ready 90
turn iJ over 20 the government II le
lost 10 the loss fen lI the government
il was considered au outrage for us to
impllsgu q man VINO admitted "a. l- tlaL
be had lost Eis crust funds ON a. cock
night.
Army officers. particularly the slbaJ-
terms who come into contact with she
natives OF the lowest classes fear 10
talk about people and conditions. be-
cause the matter s. am issue I'm politics.
il is against regulations FOR au officer
10 talk politics.
Those who have eEEI e~z-a political
opinions have frequently s1t luto trouble
on account OF them. because the point
tArE were trying Tu maize was ul----H-
pretended sE The EepurIer- and lI some
cases probably miSTeuTt -eut-l. 10 seems
a. pity. nov ever that al the facts they
have an their tongue ends cannot DE
brought oEr simply because Tie recital
or them would result iu damage ~ one
on the other vi The great political par