The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1904-08-24
NOLAN Mechanism
AND BUDDHISM
HAVE WONDERFUL HOLD ON THE
MOROs OF THE PHILIPPINES.
All Bow to the Prophef-Chrfsuan
Missionaries Have Failed Tor
Centuries to Dislodge Re-
Hgion of the Natives.

Special Correspondence of The chicago
- Record Herald from Manila.
The term Moro is applied to all Of
several distinct tribes OF Malay MO-
hammedans in the Philippine archipe-
lago, Just as the word Indian is APP
plied to the uncivilized tribes of the
United States. Both are of Spanish in
vention. Columbus and his contempt
raries called the natives of the lands
they discovered Indians, because they
supposed they had reached the coast Of
India on the other side of the ocean.
Magellan and his contemporaries call
ed the Moslem tribes of Philippines
Moros, because they had the same re-
ligion and complexion of the Moors.
who were driven by the Spaniards out
of the Iberian peninsula across the
Mediterranean into Africa.
The Moros occupy several islands,
they speak several dialects, all having
q common origin; they differ materi-
ally in disposition, habits and customs,
and in their degrees of civilization and
culture, but spring from common Ma
Law stock, and are the descendants of
the same savage sea-rovers and pirates
who were the terror of all the peaceful
tribes in the Asiatic archipelago
through the Middle Ages and until the
Dutch Portuguese, Spanish and Eng
1ish adventures appeared in this lat
itude. While independent and often
hostile to each other, they all recognize
to a greater or less degree. according
TO circumstances. nominal allegiance
to the sultan of Jolo, or Sulu. or Zoo
loo, as the name is variously spelled.
His capital in the Island of Jolo, has
been their political and religious head
quarters ever since their conversion to
- FnA ,,atc to- orfa
in the eleventh and Twelfth centuries.
The Sultan of Sulu. theoretically, is
the mapasari (Which means stainless or
spotless). pontiff. king or head of state
and church under the jurisdiction of
the Sultan of Turky, who, Is the Pad
ishah of Islam. the pope of Mahamme-
disrl, the successor and representative
Of the prophet. Thus. IL the Sultan of
Turkey should lift the green banner
and proclaim holy war al the fight
Ing Moros of the Philippine Archipel-
ago would respond to the summons.
and any orders they might receive from
Constantinople would be obeyed re-
CARELESS of the authorities at Manila or
Washington.
The Sultan of Turkey is recognized
as lord and master of all life and pro-
perty among the Moro tribes. although
90 per cent. of his subjects here do
not have the slightest idea who he Is or
where he lives or why they should
recognize his authority. 1t is simply a
matter of religious obligation and the
fact that the Sultan of Sulu has per-
formed a pilgrimage to Mecca gives
him a prestige which is acknowledged
bv all the dattos and other chiefs of
the other tribes although precious few
of them know where Mecca Is or how
to get there. This illustrates the
hold which the Mohammedan faith has
upon it's believers, and it must be adj
mitted that Christianity is a failure
compared with Islam. Buddhism Brah-
minism, and the other religions OF the