The Philippine Islands and Their People i i i 



blacks knew the difference between Mex. 

 and American money, and made change 

 accordingly. An American dime bought 

 two newspapers, while a Mexican ten- 

 cent piece bought but one. 



PRESENT PEACE IN THE ISLANDS 



The question has been frequently 

 asked, " Is the war in the Philippines 

 over ? ' ' This would seem to indicate a 

 great misapprehension concerning the 

 situation in our Pacific islands. Many 

 people seem to suppose that outside of 

 a few garrisoned posts, it is dangerous 

 for white people to travel about. Noth- 

 ing could be farther from the truth. 

 The fact is that in the portion of the 

 islands inhabited b)' the civilized peo- 

 ples — /'. e. , three-fourths of their area at 

 least — a white man is as safe in traveling 

 or living as in Arizona or Colorado or 

 Montana. He may go about with per- 

 fect freedom. Not only that, but the 

 people are ready and anxious to show 

 him hospitality. The Filipino from 

 whom he asks a night's lodging feels 

 highly honored and gives him of his best. 

 The men salute him as he passes, and 

 the children cry " Buenas dias," and 

 are very proud if their salutation is re- 

 turned. Among the wild people, the 

 situation is much the same, although 

 here it is better to send notice of one's 

 coming in advance and to bear some sort 

 of credentials. With these precautions, 

 there is no more danger than in travel- 

 ing on the reserve of a tribe of friendly 

 Indians. 



To illustrate the situation, the work 

 of the provincial treasurers is instanced. 

 Each of these (they are all Americans) 

 is required by his business to visit every 

 pueblo of his province, and such a trip 

 may involve hundreds of miles of travel 

 overland on horseback or by carromata. 

 So far as known, no treasurer has ever 

 been molested, although he often carries 

 much money about him. The provin- 

 cial supervisors, also Americans, are 

 obliged to travel everywhere, as are 



many other civil officers of the govern- 

 ment. At the present time, Americans 

 are all over the islands on one errand or 

 another, public or private. No one 

 thinks of danger or provides against it 

 beyond, perhaps, putting a revolver in 

 his pocket. 



There are ladrones still at large, but 

 only a few, nearly all having been killed 

 or are in prison serving long sentences, 

 and the islands are now practically free 

 from ladronism. Ladrones, or, as they 

 were formerly called, tusilanes, are 

 simply robbers. The Filipinos have 

 always had them, and they were just as 

 abundant and troublesome in the days 

 of Spanish domination as they have been 

 since the flag of Spain came down. 

 They are often organized into gangs, and 

 their common plan of operation is to 

 shoot up a village at night, rob the 

 houses, and perhaps hold some of the 

 people for ransom. Their operations 

 are always directed against their own 

 people. They never interfere with 

 Americans. The big, husky, efficient 

 American soldier has taught even the 

 worst of them that it won't pay. Two 

 or three Americans have been killed in 

 fights with ladrones, but not one, so far 

 as known, has been intentionally inter- 

 fered with. 



Ladronism reached its maximum early 

 last spring, when a dozen provinces, 

 some of them near Manila, were infested 

 with them. The native constabulary, 

 with white officers, have been most 

 efficient in chasing them down and 

 breaking up their bands. The troops 

 were not called out, as they were not 

 needed. At present there are scarcely 

 any ladrones left, only a few in Albay 

 Province, in southern Luzon, where 

 the}' have not been pursued with as 

 much vigor as elsewhere, but recent ad- 

 vices indicate that the constabulary have 

 since destroyed their bands. 



The war has been over for more than 

 two years. The people are pacified, 

 quiet, and well disposed. They have 



