The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-11-10
BAD SYMPTOMS
IN PHILIPPINES
The ablenews-American Speaks Very
Strongly on Disrespect For
Authority and Law.
N AMERICAN IS MURDERED.
Work of Band of Seventeen-Planter
and Party Hacked to
Pieces

news-American has the following warm |
editorial on the general Philippine
situation:
Americans in the Philippines have |
been compelled to taste a bitter cup
the past fortnight. What with hos
pitality refused by our brothers of the |
battleship feet, an expected time of |
joy turned into a funeral period by
the specter of death, we had thought
ourselves sufficiently marked out by
Fate for sorrow. But now, within a
week, two horrible crimes have been
committed, one of the sort so repug-
nant to the Anglo-Saxon, and the other
the murder and mutilation of an Anne
rican pioneer planter, whose butchers,
not content with hacking him to pieces
must set their political mark upon his
forehead, and fix even on his cold
corpse their sign of hatred for the race
that seeks to uplift them.
1T is true that these are single cases
of depravity which may not be argued
into proof of a general condition. But
in the one case three men participated
and in another seventeen. These were
what are called in criminal parlance
gang crimes, and are always con-
sidered, especially in the Orient, to
indicate a lessening of respect for the
constituted authorities, a lessening fear
of the law.
1--WE who have lived here for years
know that this is the hardest thing to
guard against. The Spaniards, who
until few decades ago, governed these
islands with couple of thousand sol
diers, did so by making their punish
ment for crime swift, memorable and
severe. The American civil regime
was so opposite to the Spanish system
and to the military rule that it was
expected it would take some years to
accustom the natives to the urbane
and philanthropic scheme of the Nc
Kinley policy.
I'VE had hopes we might attain sue
cess but lately we have been going
backward. 1t is not so much an IN
crease in crime as contempt for our
government by the minor Filipino Off
cial. One sees this on every side. 1t
has been shown in their disregard for
sanitation, in the actions of the recent
session of provincial governors in
which a many foolish and impracti-
cable recommendations were made, al
most all solely to extend the power of
the native officials and to afford OPP
portunities for influence.
1T is shown in the actions of the
prosecuting attorney of Pampanga
who did not proceed against the MUIR
derers of Trotter until forced to do So
Americans who travel through the pro-
vinces say that this spirit is growing
If that is true it is one of the worst
| signs. 1t must be checked by rigorous
measures. The offending officials must
be dismissed and disgraced
America must keep the respect of
the masses at all hazard and in most
cases this respect is inspired only by
fear of the consequences of misdeeds."
The story of the murder of the Anne
rican planter was told by the same
paper the day before in part as fol-
lows:
| Charles H. Trotter, an American
planter, Vivente Holedo, we'll known
and wealthy agriculturist and land
owner, and Jose Cayanan, partner OF
| ha foI1
ed by Filipinos in Gutad, Pampanga,
and Fernando Cayanan, a youth, has
been badly wounded as a result of
trouble over the possession of a tract
of land claimed by the leader of the
band or seventeen, a man named vi
tug, to belong to his father, whom he
represented.
The telegram received by the exc
cutive secretary from the provincial
treasurer of Pampanga states that the
crime was apparently a premeditated
murder 1t appears that the band lay
in wait for the party, which was look.
ing over the land prior to clearing a
part of it for agricultural purposes and
as the three doomed men came out OF
the wood they approached them and
entered into a dispute about the pos,
session of the land.
"Trotter was armed with a revolver
and was the only one in the party who
had means of defense other than his
fists. All the II men in the band were
armed with war bolos.
THE dispute did not last long az
from words they came to blows, Vitul
striking Trotter, signal for the 9th
ers of the party to commence theil
bloody work. The blow struck thu
unexpected attack commenced and yer!
soon Trotter was hacked to pieces, blu
not till he had put up a valiant figh
for his life against the ruffians, fou
of whom he wounded.
| 90