The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-12-06
LIFE Of MOROS IS
SERMONS subject
Chaplain Returned From the
Philippines Gives an Inter
eSting Talk.
M0R0S STRANGE PEOPLE
CUSTOMS AND LAWS COMBAT EF-
FORTS TO CIVlLIZE THEM.

Before q large congregation at Ill0
Phillips Congregational church last
night, Chaplain John AXton of the
Eighteenth infantry, who has just re-
turned from a two years stay N Ihe
Philippines, delivered q most mstfuc-
tive and interesting lecture-sermon On
the RELIGIOUS customs and folklore OF
the MOros of MindanaO. Chaplain AK
ton interspersed his remarks with nu-
merOus anecdotes and Legends o. the
Moros. and began his lecture with
brief description of the Filipinos IN the
northern part of the islands.
Practically all of She natives or the
northern part of tire Philippines are
Roman Catholics, according to Chap
lain Axton. and he ascribes the present
good conditions among them to the un-
tiring efforts Of Bishop Hartley, the
Roman Catholic prelate of that sectlon.
ChaDlain AxtOn saws that Bishop Hart
ley has succeeded in bringing about the
almost total eradication of the permcl-
Gus fee system which prevailed at one
time in that country, and has also cor
rected several other minor abuses.
This work has been done said
Chaplain AXtOn, by Archbishop Hart
ley i'm such a manner as TO retain Jhe
friendship of the FilipinOs, and L most
heartily commend him for the wonder
ful work he has done and is still do
ing"
Good Work for Natives.
Continuing, Chaplain Axton spoke on
the good work of the PrOtestants IN
part of the islands, referring especially
TO the Silnman institute on the island
of NegrOs,
1.-THE Sillimau institute he said, is
- Cd f.
Tuscogee institute i'm this country, and
is supported by Presbyterian mission
arv effort. The school is now on SO
good a basis that leading men of the
islands. REGARDLESS Of denomination, are
sending their sons there for training.
Chaplain AXtOn also spoke briefly OF
the development Of the army chaplain
lie said that in years gone by the
chaplain was generally an old man, an
invalid or cripple of some sort, valo was
given the post practically as pension
This system, however, has been almost
totally done away with, according 70
Chaplain AxtOn, and the men now III
the service are nearly all competent III
an emergency, to do any of the work OF
the best soldier.
History of the Moros.
Quoting from a large number Of Da-
toe manuscripts. which he had been
permitted TO examine during his stay
i'm the island of Mindanao, Chaplain
Axiom then traced the legends and folk
lore of the Moro people from the time
of Kabung Suwan down to the present
date. The Datoes, Chaplain AXton
said are the tribal leaders Of the Mo-
TOs.
Referring TO the early history of the
latter people, Chaplain AXton said, III
part:
.'The lIoros were brought to the
southern part Of the Philippines by ka-
bung Suwan practically by force. They
have among them many positive char
acters. but their attitude towards the
American, and in fact any member OF
white race, is that of liberation, as
though it is our turn now, but their.
viii come They seem to believe thai
the Americans will leave, as did The
Spauiards. and give up trying 70 i'm
part any notion of civilization TO them
The women of the MOrOs are ike the
eastern Nohammedan women, avoiding
men, and covering up their features IL
the presence of men. The MOrOs haV'
implicit belief i'm the supernatural
powers of their priests, which can read
lily be seen from the legend from tht
island of Satauki.
An Old Moro Legend.
"On the shore of this island is
large 1O-toa ship anchor which the ma
tives claim was lost far out at se'
from a large liner The anchor, the!
claim. was towed in by one of thei
priests on a small fishing line, tn
priest performing lamentations and Ger
emonies which made this small lin
strong enough for the work demanded
of it.
"They are the most bumptiOus ant
arrogant race 1 have ever encountered
and carry their heads very high. All o
the AIOrOs are slave owners and pOlyga
mists. and instead of any cooperation
among the various tribal leaders, o
Datoes, there is q system of continue
warfare which might be compared wit
the ancient feudalism. The Spanish en-
couraged the Moro leaders i'm thi
course, and did all in their power to in
still hatred of each other into thei
minds, under the belief that such
course would prevent the entire rae
from uniting against them. The eX
IRENE brutality of these people is wei
illustrated by the fact that only las
wear. to appease the spirit of matri
mony. a boy was killed in cold blOO
and later burned.
Humans Sacrificed.
"Tha natives believe in spirit O
god of matrimOny, and two widows
Addv and Obey, who had for some tim
been without husbands, appealed t
Datoe Ansig for a human sacrifice. Ac