The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-08
BY WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN.

BY WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN.
Copyright, 1900, bv Joseph B. BouIts.
copvri0hi IN Gredt BnidiH-AH Rights Rsserred.
SINGAPORE, Jan. 22.-While a deep in
terest In the political problems tempts me
TO deal at once with the policy to be pur-
sued by our Government with respect to
the Filipinos, / an constrained to proceed
logically and discuss first the stands and
their pr o lie. And in speaking Of the Fill
pinos q distinction should be made between
those who inhabit the northern islands
and are members of one branch Of the
Christian Church and those who inhabit
the island of Mindanao and the Sulu arohi-
photographic who are followers OF Mo-
manned.
While a considerable number OF Fill
pinos are to be found in Mindauao and
sone in Sulu, he Sultans and Datus nave
dominated the country. Even Spanish
authority never extended over the southern
islands, and the garrisons maintained at
the seaports were constantly in fear Of
massacre.
Leaving the southern islands, for the
next article ! shall oonflne myself at present
10 Luzon, Panay, Negros. Cebu. Samar and
the smaller islands which make UP the
Visayan group. These islands contain the
g Dulh Vi tHe ltlIllOlN, d ldlBt IldJoIIlJ VI
the people, most Of the material wealth and
practically all of the civilization of the
Philippines.
Luzon, the largest OF the entire group,
reaches almost to the nineteenth parallel
and is about six degrees long. Like the
islands Of Japan, it is mountainou and
we'll watered. The other islands of the group
are considerably smaller and extend as far
south as the ninth parallel.
They. too, are mountainous, but the val
legs are fertile and support a large popu-
lation. The principal industry is agrioul-
ture, and the soil produces a variety of
cereals, fruits and vegetables.
Rice, as in other Oriental countries, is
the chief article of food, though hemp is
by far the largest export. The hemp plant
looks 80 much like the bananl tn at the
traveller can scarcely distinguish between
the two.
Sugar cane is also grown in many parts
OF the islands, and would be cultivated
still more largely but for the low price Of
raw sugar. Sugar, however, cannot be
raised here with the same profit that it
can in Hawaii and Cuba, because it must be
replanted m IRE Frequently.
Tobacco of an excellent quality is pro-
duced on several Of the island sufficient to
supply the home demand land nearly all
Filipinos use tobacco) and leave a surplus
for export. The cocoanut is a staple prod
uct here Of great value and its cultivation
can be indefinitely extended.
OF all the crops it probably yields the
largest income on the investment, but az
the trees do not begin to bear until they are
about eight years old, they are only cult
waited in small groves or by those who can
afford to wait for returns. Copra, the dried
meat of the cocoanut, is now exported to the
value of $500, 900, but systematic effort
orght to very largely increase this export.
The methods of cultivation and the i'm
plements used are not as modern as one
would expect. The caraba1, or water
buffalo, is the one all purpose farm animal.
Carabaos are something like the American
OK, but are more heavily built; they are uni
form in color a dark drab-and have heavy,
flat horns, which grow back instead Of for
ward.
DISTRESS IN THE ISLANDS.
The agricultural situation in the islands
Is at present most distressing. The fields
were devastated by war, and before labor
could restore what the soldiers had de-
stroyed rinderpest attacked the carabao
and, in some places, carried away as many
as 90 per cent. of the animals. We visited
a sugar plantation which had lost more than
half OF its carabaos during the two weeks
preceding.
Everywhere one sees fields overgrown
with grass which cannot be cultivated for
: lackof plough animals. One can understand
something of the r~inderpest calamity when
it is remembered that these patient beasts
do all the ploughing and all the hauling in
~ nl.l.--s-. I,Ia-l, u aftaz 81 -, thara
ridden, sometimes bearing two persons.
In addition to the ravages of disease and
:. the ruin wrought by arms the Filipino
farmer has suffered from the closing Of his
market. When the United states authority
was substituted for Spanish rule the Fill
pinos lost the advantage which they had
previously had in the Spanish market, while
they were shut out of the United States by a
tariff wall. And to make matters worse,
they now bear the brunt of the Chinese boy
colt aimed at American goods.
Every speaker who has attempted to
voice the sentiments of the people during
our stay in the islands has laid special en-
phasis upon the injustice done to the islands
by our tariff laws. This subject was also
brought 10 the attention of Secretary Taft
and his party, and all of the American off,
Gals here urge the importance of relief in
this dire ton.
HOMES OF THE PEOPLE.
The well to do Filipinos live in houses
modelled after those built by the Spaniards,
but the great majority OF the people live
in what are called nipa huts light struc-
lures made with bamboo frames and with
sides and roofs Of nipa palm leaves. The
houses are several feet above the ground
and ara raacbad nv n ladder or aiana
As the temperature at midday does not
change much the year round, the main
objects in buildings are to secure protec-
ton from rain and an abundance Of air,
and the nipa hut meets these requirements.
The Filipino house is not only light and airy,
but it is inexpensive; we saw a sohoolhouse