The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-12-16
CBv FRANK G. CARPENTER.)

Washington, Dec. 13.--Ihe govern
ment is again having trouble with
our Mohammedan cousins. The Mo-
ros in places are up in arms against
the new laws, and are openly and Sc
cretly fighting h regulations as to
slavery. There is no doubt that sla-
very exists not only in the Moro coun-
try, but also here and there in other
parts of the islands, and it will be a
long time before it al be wiped out.
l do not mean or debt bond
age. That is common in all the farm
ing localities. / mean actual slavery,
such as existed when we took hold
of the islands | Travelled through
Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago
when we were just beginning to paci-
fy that part of the Philippines. l
then found slaves everywhere, and
once had "a chance to buy fOur likely
Mohammedan children for $50. The
owner was "a Filipino woman who
lived several hundred miles west OF
IamboanGa, at Davao, under the
shadow Of Mount Apo. She had the
little ones brought for me out into
the sunlight and | made a photograph
of them. There were three boys and
a girl ranging in ages from nine to
twelve years. The girl was the old
est, and, as is common in tropical
countries, at that age she was almost
Teduy IOT uldTTldSt. sic was d
naked. her only garment being a vic
strip of dirty cotton wrapped around
her waist and falling to her knees.
AS i looked at her her fat, old mis-
tress ~seductively said: "Mucha
buena,' or very good. She told me
a girl ought to be worth $25 of any
mans money and seemed surprised
that / did not jump at the bargain.
Dear Worcester says he was offer
cd slave girls on the island of
Tawi for fifteen bushels of rice, and
that on many Of the islands he could
buy girls of fifteen for SO apiece. A
captain of the army told me how he
had recently bought a slave girl for
$40 and given her her freedom. This
sale was made out of pity. The cap
tain, who was engaged to a very pref
~ girl in the United States, Sympa-
tized with the female slave, who al
though in love with q young man OF
her village was about to be sold into
the harem Of an old Moro chieftain.
The girl said she would rather die
than submit, and the captain bought
her and gave her to the man Of her
choice.
Another man whom / know, an Of
ticer of u army, saved a slave glrl
from death. She had angered hel
master, who was n of the Dattos
ana udO run Ill " III ANA j. d4iN
thrown herself at the loot Of the Off.
Ger saying the Datto had threatened
to kill her. The officer made tht
Datto promise to spare her life, t.
agree to bring her nee a week t.
his quarters to show that she was Still
living. This was done for severe
weeks and then the girl disappeared
her TO one of her friends was neve'
known.
A few years ago the Sultan Of Sui
got UP a new code Of laws which h
sent to Manila for approval. Man,
OF them related to slavery and to tn
treatment of the women of the ha
rem. Our government does not lik
to be mixed up in religious matters
and according to the treaties we alloy
the Moros to worship practically a
they please. BY the Mohammeda
religion every follower of the pre-
phet has the right to four wives an
change, is to say to such OF his wive
as he does not like three times:
II divorce you! l divorce you.
divorce you!"
This means that they must go an
not return. and ne can then fill up tt
quota with a fresh assortment. Al
cording to this ode the relations b,
tween the Moros and the slaves wei
plainly laid down. 1t was provide
that il a slave laid his hand upon
free married woman with any in
proper intention he should be IL
property Of the woman's husban
and also nat if a free man laid h
a upon a married slave woman
should be fined $500. If the sla,
woman informed AS to the outra,
the fine was to be divided between h
n the State, but if it was detect,
by others. the whole fine went to Il
State.
Another clause in the code provid
as to the sale Of slaves and others
to debt slavery. Among the latt
regulations was one that if a m
could not pay his debts his fam
should belong to the debtor until pa
but that this slavery could not l: