Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-25
CONSP|R|NG FIL|P|NOS
Deceive Their Countrymen
With Big Promises.
A CLERKS DETECTION
FOUND CORRESPONDING WITH
THE JUNTA AT HoNGKoNG.
Ignorant Natives Lured With Offers Of
Commissions in Insurrectionist
Army-Generals Galore.
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.


Chicago Record Herald.
MANILA, April %, 1904.
There is a small colony of irreconcila bles
at Hongkong who are continually plotting
and sending revolutionary pamphlets to the
islands, chiefly for the purpose of raising
funds for their own benefit They find that
the easiest method of earning a living. AT
Paris there is what claims to be an organi-
cation with a h,gh-sounding name for the
establishment of a Filipino republic on So
cialistic lines, but it has attempted nothing
further than sending infiammatory litera-
ture through the mails. So far as can be
ascertatned, the organization is limited to a
single man. an eccentric individual of out
spoken anarchstic sentiments, who has long
been at war with society, religion, law ana
morals and, although well known In Ma
Mia, has not visited this city for several
years.
There is, however, an uncertain quantity
of combustible material here and elsewhere
throughout the iclands, latent undercur-
rent of discomfort and ambition among a
class of young, falf-educated Fi1plnos, VINO
are continually plotting ard planning and
discussing what they will do when the gov
eminent comes into their hands. Ihey are
irresponsible creatures without the slight
est idea of what liberty means or 1ndepend-
ence consists of, but they have Unsuitable
aspirations for titles and power, and Will
make any sacrifice or commit any act that
will place them In position 10 OBTAIN
money without labor. These young men,
many ct them mere boys, are easy victims
of older and shrewder conspirators, who
entce them to raise and contribute money
and commit reasonable acts with large
promises and hlgn-SOund1ng omclai anu Hill
itary commissions.
The police are constantly discovering po-
itcal societies and secret organizations for
the establishment of a republic. The FIJI
pinos seem to have a passion for mystery
and conspiracy, and are very easily hum
plugged by any one who appeals to their
patriotism or vanity. One of these societies,
called the Kaliputan, was powerful and
had a large membership in Spanish times.
And there have been constant attempts to
revive it, which keep the police and con-
stabulary busy. 1t is particularly fascinat-
ing to the Filipino taste, because of the ter
rible oaths required of initiates, who sign
covenant with blood from their own
veins. Every few days somebody Is arrest
ed and a lot of reasonable documents,
pamphlets, correspondence. bonds, seals
and commissions for governors, collectors
of customs, treasurerS, generals and other
high official honors are captured.
A Young Clerk Detected.
Only the other day a young man named
Macario de Ocampo, who was assistant to
DIR. Neiderlein, the scientific member of the
I.
rested and is now awaiting trial. He held
a subordinate position under Aguinaldo, was
banished to Guam asked for pardon, came
home, took the oath Of allegiance, behaved
himself in an exemplary manner, secured
an appointment to a clerkship, and as a re-
ward for efficiency was given the position
of secretary of the exposition commission.
He assisted in preparing the exhibit, proved
quite competent, had excellent prospects
and would have started for St. Louis in a
sociate and arrested. An examination of
his papers disclosed that he was victim of
the Hongkong junta, and IN impotent
way had been plotting to overthrow the
government and organize republic, in
which he was promised high honors and
emoluments. He had organized secret
society of young men of similar position,
who had taken an awful oath to stand to-
gether, and had received commissions for
high offices under the prospective govern
ment, but will now spend a few years re-
fecting upon their folly in prison. Two Of
the persons arrested and implicated were
mainder were worthless, irresponsible
young fellows, who went into the insurrec-
ton under Aguinaldo while mere boys, be-
came demoralized and cannot settle down
to regular habits and industry again.
Everybody who joins one of these socie-
ties Is given commission and is promised
big salary. ALI OF the plans of govern
ment provide that none but Filipinos shall
ioiu OhiSc. All VI tISH PROVIDE the
confiscation of the property of foreigners
and of the church, and for the expulsion
from the islands of the entire foreign popu-
lation and every priest and friar of foreign
birth The constitutions and proclamations
invariably refer to President McKinley's
attitude, and declare that they will punish
the United States government for refusing
to carry out his alleged promise to give the
f1npinos independence. They all assume
that he made such promises. which they
claim, were confirmed and ratified by Con-
gress, and demand that the fulfillment shall
be no longer deferred.
1.-THE Philippines for the Filipinos, is
their motto.
Death to all foreigners and priests
"A government and church composed
of Filipinos only
Conspirators Sent to Prison.
Several of these conspirators have been
convicted and sent to prison for twenty
years for organizing paper governments
and attempting to excite the people to in
surrection. The court, in summing up the
evidence in one of the cases, said:
THE state of affairs disclosed by the evil
cence, the playing of the game of govern
ment like children, the governors and sec
retaries and generals and colonels the
coats-of-arms, the flags, the seals and COM
missions are all for the purpose Of dipping
and misleading the ignorant and vicious,
and should not be dignified by the name of
treason"
for terrible confiagration. Under present
conditions the organizations seem prepos-
ferrous and ridiculous, yet any encourage