The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1904-07-15
MoRo ROAD BUILDERS.
VFarlfze NATIVES BecOme Peaceful
LabOreEs side ~ side with
Americans.

In the interior Of Nindanao, in the
Philippines, live the 300, 900 Nolan
medans known as MOrOs. The name
was given to them BY the Spaniardss
who knew Mohammedsns as MOOrs or
BIoros- The MorOs cali themselves the
People OF the Lake. Into their beau
tifm country, 1900 feet above the sea,
The United States government has built
two military roads Maj. R l. Bull
lard, one Of the American officers in
charge Of building one OF the roads, tells
in the Atlantic Monthly his experiences
with the Moros:
Let It be understood that our sol
diers who carried the road through the
wilderness were under orders 20 sub
due and open the country, but without
fighting. This command reflects honor
On the methods Of our government, and
that the men obeyed the command W
der severe temptations and prOvOcatiOns
reflects honor on them Our soldiers
cOnquered-so far as conquest has gone
in the ways Of peace, and in an al
most literal sense supplanted the sword
with the pIOwshare.
CAS- the road advanced the MorOs at
first stood by with suspicion and Won
der at the Americans Cholera had raw
aged the MOrOs; the Americans were
unscathed. Rains that were due, and
would have stopped the progress Of the
road. didnot fall. When Moro brought
the American warning Of a secret at
tack, the American smiled, and said:
Good Truly, thought the Moros,
these people are under a special Provi-
dence.
When they understood that the
American sOldier-labOrers were not
come TO plumber and destroy, but TO
build, they slowly grew friends. Then
began the task Of putting on them the
first wholesome, God-given yoke Of civ
ilizatiOn-labor. Like most savages,
the Noros have no tradition Of work;
their Iaborers are women, children and
slaves. But money is eloquent, and
with good money. honestly paid and reg
uIarIy. the Americans bribed the saw
age to labor
''The Moros came slowly at first, do
ing half-days' work. and asking full
pay. The dattos, OF petty chiefs, who
divide the Moros into many little COM
munfties, were jealous Of each other.
Each with his little band Of followers
must be given as much work and Of the
same kind as his neighbor. One datto
who had not received a contract to cut
poles went out for mere show, to pre-
serve his standing, and cut poles for
nothing
But soon the work showed its second
moral effect; it brought the dattOs into
a sort Of unity. Here were two lessons,
honest labor with the hands and unity.
There was a third, prOmptness and reg
ularity.
''In the Moro tongue now and to-day
are the same word. And the Americans
found that a Moro ordered to do some
thing now interpreted the order in
good faith to mean any time to-day
Slowly, however, contact with the
Americans was telling, and after three
months the MOrOs we're organized into
gangs under soldiers. and worked, like
soldiers, regularly by bugle-call.
The importance Of the datto was
waning. He who came not to work for
the Americans lost prestige Finally
more than 5000 MOrOs worked side by
side with the Americans. They had be-
come peaceful labOrers. and opened the
way to their own civiiAsSion."