Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1906-02-05
ANNUAL REPORT OF COMMITS
SION PUBLISHED.
LADRONISM ON THE WANE
Outlaws Punished and Made to Un-
derstand That the Government Is
in Earnest for Enforcement of Law
and Order-Amendment to Pres
ent Statutes Recommended.

| for 1904-5, together with the separate
reports to the commission of the gov
ernOr general of the islands and of
the heads of the four executive de-
partments, has just been published by
the war department.
The wild and semibarbarous hillmen
of Samar, fired by the fanatical teach
ings of an old Filipino who called
| himself Pope Bulan, who supplied the
soldiers with charms called "anting-
anting," which they were told rem
dered them invulnerable to bullets,
banded together under the direction
of several shrewd and unscrupulous
| leaders, some of whom had been out
laws from Spanish times, and began
series of attacks upon the isolated
! detachments of constabulary and the
peaceful and inOffensive people who
did not want to join them, in which
they committed many cruelties and
! barbarities.
1t now looks as though the worst is
over in Samar. 1t is not doubted that
when schools are established among
them and they become more enlight-
ened and made to appreciate the bene-
fits and blessings of decent and Or
derby living, they will become law
abiding and prosperous.
The province of Cavite, known as
''the mother of ladrones," has again
been the theater for the operations of
this class of people, generally recruit
ed from the idle and vicious classes,
who have preyed upon the peaceable
and inoffensive people. Their leaders,
most of whom had criminal records
during the Spanish regime, styled
themselves by such names as Dictator
of the Filipino Republic, Lieutenant
General of the Army of Liberation,
and other CORRESPONDENCE high-sound-
ing titles, and issued frequent mani
festos while spending most of their
time lodging the police.
The ladrones, dressed as constabu-
larry, made sudden attacks on small
posts and captured a few rifles, and
their number was augmented by some
thirty desperate prisoners who es-
capped from the military prison after
numbering the small guard which ac-
companied them from their work.
Their early successes in capturing
arms and escaping to their mountain
Businesses caused them to show more
activity and to become holder.
1t was only found necessary to de-
n tho DpOnIo tho
thorities were really In earnest; that
the campaign was to be continued I'M
til the leaders we're captured or killed,
and that protection in the meantime
would be accorded those who demon
strated their loyalty.
Thus assured, the response was
ready, energetic, and complete. Soon
information began to come in of in
tended movements, and the authori-
ties finally got to know where these
men expected to stay, and one by one
they fell into the tolls, some being
killed in action, others captured, and
the smaller fry, worried by the con-
tinued pursuit, came in and surren-
dered in considerable numbers.
In most Of the provinces of the
island of Luzon practically the last
vestige of armed resistance to consti-
| tuted authority has been wiped out, and
| in others, with the maintenance of a
small force of constabulary, an admir-
able peace is now maintained, except
| for such raids between wild tribes as
have always existed, and which have
not been entirely stopped nor will be
until education has had an opportu
nifty to reach the farthest barrios.
! There is said to be a marked i'm
provement in the conditions in the Mo
70 province. With the exception OF
the opposition which was maintained
by Dato Ali, who was later killed and
his band dispersed, everything, as q
rule, has been peaceful and quiet. The
| commission believes that, generally
speaking, it may be said that as tC
this province it is a work of time, tact
and constant watchfulness to change
the feelings of the Moros from suspl
cion and distrust to friendship and
! confidence.
The commission states that so Mo
ros and so Igorots have joined the
constabulary and have proved them
selves to be excellent fighters and
very determined officers of peace.
Industrial Conditions.
With the exception of the disturb
ances cited, quiet and order have gen
orally prevailed throughout the archi-
| pelago, and. on the whole, life and
property have been as safe as in other
civilized countries. In many provinces
there is fully as much land under cul-
| tivatlon as ever before, and in all Of
them the only drawback to the full
| cultivation of all lands heretofore cul-
tivated has been the lack of carabaos
and other draft animals, on account Of
the death of many from rinderpest
and ether cattle diseases. There was