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    15 views52 pages

    Friar Lands and Negros Hacienda

    Uploaded by

    Finni Jean Tajanlangit

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    of 52
    La polidaridad Democratic Fortnightly ‘Year I BARCELONA, May 31, 1889 No.8 , spina ae 7 RATES: EDITORIAL AND BUSINESS OFFICES | Advertisements and Notices at agreed a pin 3monis07S pnt = a 12 sad nd ces 125 Mea N S| ogy as ing oy Scns VERY DISTURBING Very disturbing has been the scandal which took place during the lst days of Congress owing to the abstention of President Martos (0 vote on the Villaverde proposal. “The attitude of Mr. Marts has weakened the government, in spite ofthe majority it counted on in the issue. No doubt Sagasta was left alone in the hands of Providence. ‘Today intrigues and compromises are made to achieve unity, to search for means to calm the turbulent spirit of the majority against the conspirators. But whether Mr. Sagasta fails or succeeds, the government has lost its power, ‘We predicted all the scandils in Congress long. ago because the party in power lacks unity and definite policies in its program which should al- ‘ways vitlize the whole party. A party composed of divergent groups with different interests, with definite and termined leaders atthe helm can Unify it temporarily, but sooner oF later the party dissolves when confronted by difficulties, ‘The attitude of Mr. Martos and of all the con- spiators results and when the Presiden site spular Chamber adopts this policy, something is elas ploted which ought wo be feared becase is a Machiavellian move. "Moreover, ie spectacle which the majority had shown in putting the President on the spot was a glaring mistake, ; . ‘We regret it fr the loss of prestige of parli: ment. ; Tf Sagasta remains weak in the wake of this serious situation the return of the Conservatives ‘would not be long in coming. ‘And then it would be the end of ProBes. Scanned by CamScanner 169 ‘THE TRUTH FOR EVERYBODY ‘Two lengthy articles entitled “Petitions” and “The Authorities in the Philippines” were pub- lished last March by a newspaper of Manila to the effect thatthe principales of the towns are despicable people, las, depraved, troublesome, treacherous, prone to evil doing, indifferent 10 everything g00d, who neither understand what they say nor practice whet they know; that all these are defects inherent in the race; that their complaints should not be taken seriously against their oppressors, who should be permitted to en- joy immunity ic; thatthe destiny ofthe people, in shor, should be placed in the hands of three nen lad cen by ee a Tinpeceable persons, and that these three ony should be concerned with constructing roads, ec. ‘These have become the sure of many ambigu: iu phrases, suggestions and directives. "that felts of 2 few are transfered 10 the entire race is not & new thing to us. To vilfy & nation, there is nothing better than to generalize the bad in it just as to ennoble it, one should strengthen it by good examples. The system as can be seen bears frit. That they should berate Sand insult the mass of the Filipino people—the ‘ight million inhabitants who feed thousands and thousands of their Spanish brothers with the oftheir toil and who shed their blood for pin whose language hey arly speak, and tat udo- they should do all these safely behind nym does not surprise us ether Inthe Phi insults from those above aze pe {alk back isnot allowed. It seems that Spanish fobility and gentlemanliness are thrown oves- Board in other lands: in the Peninsula it would be ‘cowardly to insult a paralytic andthe helpless: in the Philippines. in the Philipines it would be different. 1, 8, May 31, 1889 ‘On our part, we shall leave those insults re counted and noted. We shall analyze the basis of such concealed accusations ‘We agree that there is much immorality in the Philippines, much disagreement, much intrigue ‘and much misrule, but we shall not accuse the people of all these; we shall not divest ourselves tnd others of the charges. In a household where the head of the family has unlimited power, he is responsible for the state of affairs. The sufferings of a people without freedom should not be ascribed to them but to their rulers. To be responsible, its necessary that one be master of fis own acts, but the Filipino people are not free in their actions or in their thoughts This bitter thought may be galling to many, but since some people have already exposed diny en in public, let them expose everything ‘Let us study how the unfortunate principales of the towns are selected and appointed. Excepting a few honorable ones, the majority ofthese unfrtanae people if nt weary of the bffice ae contemptible slaves, blind instruments ‘of some, cowardly minions of others, humble and omplaisant to all the wishes of their superiors, insensible and tyrannical to their inferiors and to the poor people whose well-being is placed in their hands. Yes, we know that what many of them think about isto serve in order to command, to bribe in order to exploit, 1o abase themselves in order to humiliate others and satisfy their vile passions, But why is this so? What isthe origin of this attitude? We shall describe once more internal politics in the towns ofthe Philippines so that the Home Government can be informed of them and ean take strong measures which are necessary. ‘Unquestionably, in each town there aze two groups (o start with: one, the educated the inde- jendent, those who live by themselves without {he necessity of eruiches or sponsors, those eager for justice and peace, those filed with reproaches ‘against the iniguities and tyrannies of some classes, those, in short, denounced by their en. mies as flbusteros because they are composed ‘of honorable men and from which group the real filibusteros would come if the present lamentable System were continued, The other group is com- ‘posed of the shifiless, the intriguer. improperly called te party ofthe ars because they obey tnd serve them and because they are considered asthe strong supporters ofthe friars, although the fatter have neither love nor respect for them and may become their most contemptible enemies ‘when they are no longer useful. A small group ‘belongs toa neural position. These people are the indifeent one. se aon ‘Naturally, beiween these two groups, the par~ ish priest who aspires to command in order {0 strengthen himself and be dominant over the of Scanned by CamScanner im ficials chooses the second for being more docile, ‘more amenable, mare blindly obedient, and the better too! for the execution of their ideas. From them the friars get their secret information. Their members are extolled while those of the other group are painted as the most dangerous enemies of the tate. Thisis what many are made tobelieve in tums out then thatthe servant, the sexton, the ingratiating mischief-maker of the curate occupies very often, thanks to the powerful infiu- ence ofthe master in official circles, the first place ff honor in the town, to the prejudice of the educated class, The new local tyrant thus pays back in official dispatches, denunciations, et. aided by his master, who also looks after his own interests. The pracice isto serve the master 50 that the latter will protect him when be is accused ‘of exploiting the poor or be remiss in his duties. ‘The essential thing isto have a powerful sponsor. Cor this practice produces hatred in the opposing party, hatred which constitutes the desideratum of some politicians who have no other knowledge and no other trick than to intro- duce divisions and emnities among the people, favoring this or that party, demoralizing them, ‘without suspecting that similar weapons may someday be dangerous fo them also. Who sows an illewind, says the proverb, reaps a whielwind. Debased and degraded, these honorable peo- ple of the towns where there is honor still pre- Served in some Filipino families that have not teen contaminated, Feftain as much as possible from occupying the seat left vacant by a con- templible man; the educated families, those who love their country, keep to themselves in gloomy silence. ..and sigh. We know wealthy proprietors ‘who have given their money and bribed cabezas ‘to tat the latter do not vote and elect them. Who ‘she, with ail «lite pride, who would take the staff still damp with the seat of a despicable and Vile hand—that staff that once was a symbol of power, but now a symbol of corruption and stav- ent Nevertheless, there are stil afew of those who will retire toa useless Stoicism and, like Caesar, ‘Wrap themselves ina mantle and surrender them- selves to their assassins, "Among a great many of the people, there dissatisfaction. Some, in order not to see their enemies protected while they expose themselves {eattacks, try to oppose them by placing obstacles to prevent molestations, others, and there are many more of these, carried by the bad example ‘without a solid moral education wish to take part jn the feast, and they sey: “The social machine is ‘drawn by the blood of the poor: we shall oppress 0 that we are not oppressed.” A few, very care few, perhaps the foolish ones, fight also dreaming of improving the town, introducing ue 1, 8, May 31, 1889 T tice, honor; but, these persons if they win do i sng ou foam because they. ie eben or sent into some exile, “in this petty war all means, good or bad, are employed: bribes, gifts, Ties, accusations, tating fic’ We know of ruined families who recovered their wealth after (wo years in office; on the other hand, there ae rich ones, who ruin themselves by pleading to the people after they had paid voters, Kind if he were the candidate of the friar, thanks fo the latter's influence and machinations, he would win while his opponent may consider imselflucky ifhe were not exiled. This was what happened to Manaksa of Kabuysw. eis thus that passions are excited, resentments aroused, and these are the causes of the general hatred of the friars in the Philippines. “The columnist of La Vor de Espafia mentioned petitions signed by the principales who knew Fothing of their contents. We shall not deny his iatement because we know very well and for iuite sometime now that many cabezas de Farangay have signed, on urgings of the curate, ‘written in Spanish the contents of which they had not even read. The excuse given us was that they were threatened by the curate. We do hot condone the cowardice of such cabezas, but neither shall we praise the machinations of the far. [there are persons who would doubt these focts, we shall cite examples of towns and persons soho are sill alive. “This is why the fiar works hard to make the native remain ignorant and blind; butt would not be difficult to understand how these blindness and ignorance have turned against him, and how the Mays the friar taught him are now employed all the writings fiiars are different they unleash against their enemies: the former sk. the Government to clarify facts, the later d9 not illow the enforcement of the law or the defense of the accused. ‘The author of the above statements placed himself at the bead of the antifriar moverns™ aroused by an inquiry of the government reply, i itwere to be based on truth, would Have ‘ee prejudicial tothe interests of the Fars, Te feiars wanted that it Be ‘according © the repl z chiaatship The author wrote the reply with &

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