The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1921-01-13
RECALLS SERVICE
in THE PHILLIPIN
JOS. CARDINAL TELLS OF EX-
, PERIENCES IN THE INTERIOR
OF ARCHIPELAGO
lCOULD NOT TRUST NATIVES
MORALS OF ISLANDERS FAR
BELOW THAT OF AMERICAN
INDIAN


9.
With general discussion on as to
the probability of the PHILIPPINE
Islands governing themselves and the
great advancement made toward CIV
ilzation by these little Brown people,
Joseph Cardinal, erstwhile Soldier
of fortune" and seteran of the Span
ish American War and the PHILIPPINE
insurrection, unconsciously handed
out real story of the conditions in
the islands during the years of
1898-99.
Mr.. Cardinal, present manager of
the shoe department at the Boston
store, is the only remaining Span
ish- American war veteran in the city
of Sank Centre. Joe saw some real
army service and his sojourn in the
PHILIPPINE tropics as a member of the
Sixth Army Corps teens with little
bits of native environment almost I'M
known to the people of the states.
During the largest part of his
stay in the Islands, Mr.. Cardinals
regiment was stationed at interior
posts-out in the jungle where the
native, unrestricted by such civiliza-
ton as was introduced into Manila
and other cities by American inva-
sion, still lived the life of freedom
from all present social restrictions.
"The real native OF the PHILIPPINES
is more or less savage" said Mr..
Cardinal. "They have all of the in
tuition Of the American Indian and
their. methods of living and making
war are much on a par with that of
the American Indian of the early
days. Their morals are far below
that of the Indian.
"These natives, as we knew them,
wsss1 treacherous,-crafty fellows who
stood watching by our troops. We
never knew when on night patrol
whether we would be attacked sing
ley or IN pairs by the members of
the Island troops. Even those who
professed to be true to the Ameri-
can government, had to be watched.
can example of their keen sense
of hearing was demonstrated one
night while was .on patrol with
about ten native troopers. They
were barefooted, and slipped along
through the tall grass without max
ing sound. Their sense of hearing
was wonderful and on this occasion
my men suddenly dropped to the.
ground and told me to. do likewise.
After moment a figure appeared in
the clear moonlight fully a, half mile
behind us. / could not hear a
sound but my natives had heard him
at that distance as he quietly trav-
eled through the grass. He proved
to be harmless old fellow and we
did not hold him.
Speaking of the morality of the
early days of American presence in
the PHILIPPINES, Mr.. Cardinal told of
the practice of the native fathers
and mothers to sell their girls as
wives to anyone who would buy
them. The native girl could be pur-
chased for all the way from S. to
SIC. The girl wives upon coming to
their husband would build their own
"shack" and in most instances pro-
vided for the family needs.
"a number of discharged soldiers
are living in the islands today under
these conditions. They have pur-
chased wives of the natives and set
them up in small business pursuits.
The women do the work and support
the husband. Buying a girl was
then a common practice in the
islands"
On one OCCASION Cardinal tells of
being asleep in native hut. He was
awakened by a friendly native who
informed him that a number of
s'bad" Philippines were approaching
the hut and that they would kill him.
Cardinal, unable to escape without
being seen, resolved to make the
best of the situation and being arm
ed, he succeeded in taking the men
by surprise. After taking them into
the military post they were found
to have been important factors in the
native military. They were carry
ing messages which were of consid-
cradle interest to the American
forces.
The system of communication used
by the native troops was very re-
markable according to the narrator
They would know every move made
by the American troops. Often we
were told by native prisoners that
we had pzssed them enmarch within