If Not Slavery, What Is It?
By B.
It has been repeatedly stated, and so far as we know has not been denied, that the rebellion in the Philippine Islands against Spain was “more a rebellion against the monks and clergy than against the sovereignty of Spain.” The same is true of the war which the natives have all along maintained against the United States. But why a rebellion against the monks, and against the government of Spain and of the United States because of the monks? Under Spain the monks were the real rulers, and the natives fear, and not without reason, that practically the same system will be continued under American government. Under Spanish rule the monks taxed the people in various ways while living and even pursued them to the grave when dead. Marriages, births, funerals, etc., were all made a source of revenue to “the church.” Besides this the monks owned the land and the people being merely renters, eked out a precarious existence at best. Moreover, these lands had not been acquired by the monks by purchase, but by confiscation; largely upon false charges corruptly sustained. “Whenever a man had a desirable plantation, they would trump up some charge against him, have him arrested, and, without investigation, shot; and the property was turned over to the monks. It was in this way, principally, that they had acquired their possessions.” The avowed purpose of the revolutionists was to confiscate this property and turn it over to the government for the benefit of the people. This is exactly what was done in Mexico forty years ago. It was this that led to the attempt by Napoleon III., backed up by Rome, to establish an empire in Mexico under Maximilian. This empire failed as soon as the support of France was withdrawn at the demand of the United States, and Maximilian was shot. But now the United States have been entrapped by Rome and are being used to fasten upon the Filipinos the very system which this Government refused to permit France to fasten upon Mexico. The facts have been thus stated: “When the commissioners met at Paris, to make peace between this country and Spain, it will be remembered that the Philippine government, of which Aguinaldo was the head, appointed a commissioner to appear before that body and state their grievances, but the commissioners refused to listen to them, or in any way receive him. “About this time, Archbishop Ireland, as the daily press informs us, had an interview with President McKinley, and it was there agreed that the property rights of the church or monks, should not be interfered with. Accordingly, a clause was put into the treaty that all the property rights that existed under Spain would be accordingly respected by the American Government. So the people of the Philippine Islands found that practically everything they had fought for against Spain would be lost if the American Government’s supremacy was maintained.” These facts are not very creditable to the United States which by papal intrigue were induced to bind themselves to take the side of Rome against the people, and this without regard to the real merits of the case. Right or wrong, this Government must maintain the claims of the monks, or of “the church,” as against the people of the Philippine Islands. If this is not enslaving them, what is it? B.