The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-26

From the Louisville Courier-J Journal
TyHE Manila Cabienews-A American
gives prominence in its news col
i umns TO the declaration of Com
missioner Dean C. Worcester, made three
or four weeks ago, that slavery is -four
ishing in the Philippine Islands. He
charges that this is due to the unwiliins-
ness OF the Filipino assembly to pass the
necessary legislation to give vitality to
the constitutional provision of the Philip
pine bill which forbids slavery. He be-
labors Manuel Quezon of Washington,
who has been telling Americans that
there is no slavery in the islands. and says
that If he is a truthful man he is not IA
Filipino familiar with the facts Mr..
worcester says in part:
ut has been and still is a comparative
ly common thing for Filipinos living in
territory adjacent to that inhabitated by
Negritos. Tagbanuas, Ilongots, or
Ifugaos to obtain children or adults of
these tribes by capture or by purchase
and hold them as slaves, selling them
to others when it proves financially ad-
vantageous to do so. Such unfortunates
are clearly chattels. and are often sold
repeatedly.
"A typical case is that of Lasso. a Tag
banua of Palawan. Lasso was bought
from Patricio Tabastabas by Pastor
Medina for 40 pesos. Pastor Medina sold
him to Vicente Baculi for the same price.
In 1912 Patricio Tabastabas bought him
back again for 40 pesos. The Following
year he sold him to Penito Marcelo for
* nesos The secretary--treasurer of
Palawan. who is also a justice Of the
neace. then gained knowledge of tho
case. which came before him because OF
trouble over his last payment. He sent
the Unfortunate Tagbanua back to the
neople of his tribe, and furnished me
statement of the facts. Other cases Of
slaves sold over and over again will be
found in the records which follow
In a report that fills numerous col
unns in an issue of the Cablepews-
American. which has just arrived in
America. Mr. Worcester cites many in
stances of slaves having been sold. He
saws he could give the names of thou
sands and tens of thousands of slaves
hut that it is not worth while to null
tiply instances.
uf the attitude of the assembly, which
&c the lower house of the Philippine leg
islature. the commission being the sen
a TO - reflects a desire to prevent the out
side world from knowing that slavery ex-
ists In the archipelago Mr.. Worcester's s
renort marks a failure of that effort. 1t
Is the accepted idea that Commissioner
Worcester knows more about the condi-
tions among the various tribes OF the
various islands than anyone connected
with the administration of Philippine al
fairs. He Will be believed when he says
that a letter to the New York Tlmes'
written by a jurlst who doubted the ex-
istence of slavery, was the work Of a
man learned in the law, but who does not
even know The names of the non-Chris-
tian tribes" TO learn the names of the
non Christian tribes requires sooo aeai
of travel and application. Mr.. worcester
has travelled all over the Islands ana
treated with the wild men in the remotest
corners OF the least known provinces. he
has reputation for integrity, and doubt
less he is holding the mirror up TO cohui-
tions that actually exist
II may be surprising to some Americans
thar there is slavery under the flag, but
It would surprise persons famllar with
the Orient if there were no slaves III the
Philippine group after only SO orief a
period of American occupation. IT the
members of the assembly desire to give
the islands the best publicity they would
better pass the bill providing for criminal
action against persons concerned in the
slave trade. The assembly several years
ago ohiected to making an appropriation
for the ..nissionary'' work 70 the CON-
mission in the region occupied py tne
head-hunting tribes. The decination was
based uponsthe contention that the Philip
pines were injured in the civilized world