The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1913-09-26
SLAVERY IN THE
PHILIPPINES
LIterary pige~t.l

the new Governor General with "A prol
lem to test his mettle at the verysbeyinn-
ing OF his term Of office. observe. man,
an edit,r. And il the editor happens ts
he one who objects to the plan for giving
the Filipinos their independence in a few
years, he tinds the IMPORT potent argn.
ment on his side. NEWSPAPER opinion in
this country, snd also in the Philippines.
IN - lar as We can judgr, arcrpts Mr.
Worcester statement n facts. tho one
daily, the Chicago Pp>r (Proy.). not.~
satirieally that the disclosure is made
Ion the eve of Congressional considera-
tioI of the Jones Bill. and thinks ..the
Democrats will ie able a. ,ss,h-tooh thr
story as an eleventh hour attempt Ia dis
credit the potential capscity of the FiliI =
nos for self-goyernment eight yean-
hrnee." The Filipino Resident Com
missioner at wa-l:.netnn, Manuel !.
Qnezon. fatty denies the existence 81
slavery ss an institution i'm the Philip
pines. hut most "i our editors ARE will
ing o. take Commissioner Worcester :
word. and the Manila WEEKLY Ttur.
finds the Commi-sioner' evisenes. ~ cum
vincing as to lay Mr. Quezon snd otli..r
Filipinos, ''voluble in detail" "unsI..,
the suspicion of d-lil e ate fal~t hoo.I. q"
The Manila paper -I@-aks sSlitorially e
he rrporf, i'm which Mr. Worcester draw
i,is Inevitable AMI hunniliating ,~,ncln
-ion, as Zone "f the most Important, n>
it IL one of tho most mast-rly. "f tn.
many notable pieoes of work which h.
mas performed during the many year- (
his service with the Philippine G.,err-
ment." To quote il still further:
1T establishes I~yond tl,e shadow of
'ioubt that the practis- Of hol.ling human
teinss in slavery is common ia tio-.. prn
yinces which are subject to the IegiSIa
tive control OF the Philippine Assembly.
and II carries the charge of peonage up
To the very doors of the Assembly itself
There IL no losphole Of escape FROM
the obligation Of honor which this report
forees on the A-sembly-the delegation
To pass at It's next session an act whirh
shail extend 20 those provinces under it,
Legislative control the pains and penal
ties which today await the slave-deaIer.
the slave-owner. and those who would
thrive IN peon labor in tlle non Christian
provinces.
Commissioner Worce-te's report t. the
na lar 80 4.
information made by the Unit II : stat.-
Senate u the War Depaitrsr {. tells 1.-The
captHre Of children and their sale in the
Islands or in China, OF their l-ing IN
ticed from home on various pretsxt-, and
Of their purchase from parrnt.. One
thirteen-year-old girl. for example. IA Il
been bought from her mother for some
pigs. chickens. rice, and a cloak" Sla-
very exists throughout the IssndS, ac-
cording u this authority. even in tl,e So
-slled Christian provinces" Ender the
direct control Of the Philippine Assem-
bly,. not otsrnly, yet on such a scsls. ~ n
make il one of the most serious prob
lens concerning the Government To
quote from pres -.-lections one or two
'.hsraetrristic paragraphs ia the Wor-
''e<ter report:
''it has leen and still y common
Thing for Filipino- living in Territory
sdjaernt t. that inhabited Ny Neyritp-.
raghbznau-. ~ ngot-, or Ifuga.~. o. ol,.
tain children by capture or purrha-e anil
10 hold them ~ slaves. selling them q
others whenever IL proves financially ad
vsDtsgeous H. do -. Such unfortunate
are clearly chattei -lsvs- and often arr
repeatedly -old and re-Old.
"A typical cas~ " that of La-so. =
Tsgianam of Palawsn. Ls--o Wa bronxif
from one Pafrico Taba-tsbas by Pastor
Nesiino for ~ J<-o- Meslino -sld him
to vincente Bacnlli for th. same I,ries.,
and in 1912 Tsi'a-talsss Ionght him bsek
Tor ~ p~so-. This year he -old him g.
Benito Marcel~<for - pe-n~. The cs-..
srtnslly came l<.fore the Secretary Trra--
rrer ~ Pslswan. Who y al-o jn-ti~e ~
the pesrr. on SrcOunt of -eme trouhle
over the lat payment ior -lsvs~, and h
wss in that way that the Government
znt wind "a the matter. The official -nt
the unfortunate man back b. hi- trasIe anil
inrnishs~i me With q ststrm-nt 81 the
fsrts.
"Amln~ Cumsrins- iss regularly or
gsnized province under control a tl.s
PhilipTine A-rmhly: go -iner the Amer.
icsn occupstion ehildrn have t~en sold
into slavery ther- for deportation int
China. The e~rnsssl fsct- ~ere reporf~sl
~ the FPipino GoverDor and the Filipi.
no Fi-csi ~ tie province. have beer
informed that 10 49, the cn~to,n ~ the
Chin~ss of this proyDce. Who bongh'
childrrn to -end to Bhins. IN give them
Bhinese haircut snd dres them IN
Chioese cIoti,es. And 10 y e>pecisIIy in
ssrssfins ~ note that the- ChiDe-'
claimed they were purchs~ing children
for adoption. tbi- s>ing the same Dc.
i~n-e offered by the P'iipino- ~ho pur.
chs-> Neyrito children ~ slaves"
A. 49, H., "a. ssWb~< -