St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1905-03-11
OPIUM IN THE PHILIPPINES.
In Manila the Traffic Is Principally
in the Hands Of Chinese
Merchants.

The use of opium in the Philippines
| has attracted the attention of the war
department It was considered OF
enough Importance that commission
was appointed, several months ago, to
investigate the matter. Maj. Carter,
Bishop Brent and DR.. Albert we're APP
pointed. Their visit included Japan.
China and Java, as we'll as the Philip
pines But it is in the latter place that
We are chiefly interested.
1t is found that in the city of Manila
the opium traffic is mainly IN the hands
OF Chinese merchants. These merchants
keep their own secrets, and would tell
the commission nothing whatever about
the extent or the nature of the traffic
Enough is known about it, however,
to know that the use of opium as mar
cote, both in smoking and as dope, Is
rapidly spreading il the Philippines
Opium will soon be doing to this peculiar
people What it has done for China. The
worst form OF degradation will be the re-
action on the part Of the government to
prevent 1t.
To the oriental people. especially
those who live in the tropical regions,
the use of opium seems to have an ire
sistible fascination. As soon as they
discover the effects of opium they will
have it even if they are obliged to go
without food to get it.
The masses in China have suffered
greatly from this miserable scourge.
which was instituted in cold-blooded
manner by the British traders. No
greater crime was ever committed in
the history of civilization than the crime
that England has committed in intro
ducing opium into China, and continu-
ing, even by the force of arms, to sup
ply these unfortunate people with this
dreadful narcotic. Millions and millions
of the Chinese, who are an industrious
and sober people. through their ac-
quaintance with the British have been
ruined, soul and body, by the use Of
opium. The Chinese government I'M
plored and protested, but to no avail
The English people were the stronger,
and they continued to keep up the un-
holy traffic. They deoauched India by
cultivating topples from which the
opium was made, and then debauched
China in creating market for the opium.
Thus this so-called Christian nation has.
with eyes wide open, outraged these
semi civilized nations for purely COM
mercial purposes.
The same thing is going to happen in
the Philippines, unless some prompt &C
ton is taken.
The commission above referred to
recommended several methods, but the
one they gave special preference was
monopoly of the trade. They suggested
that our go, eminent institute an abso-
Lutte monopoly of the opium trade in the
Philippines. allowing the opium to be
sold under the direct supervision of the
government officials.
This might work. We hope so. At
least. it would be better than the British
method 1t seems pity that something
be done to save the multitudes
of human beings swarming the Philip
pine islands from the terrible fate OF |
the opium habit Nothing on earth so
completely deranges and debauches a |
person as the habitual use of opium, II |
destroys the body. benumbs the intel
lect. and deranges the moral faculties |
completely.