The Philippines: Past and Present Volume I Part 57

[277] Insurgent officers.

[278] Their on commander so reported. See p. 202.

[279] Shortly afterward "elected" governor.

[280] This form of torture is commonly referred to in the Philippines as the "water cure."

[281] Major Delfin commanded the expedition which took Nueva Vizcaya.

[282] P.I.R., 246. 3.

[283] Dimas Guzman.

[284] Blount, p. 112.

[285] Blount, p. 114.

[286] Blount, p. 113

[287] Blount, p. 114.

[288] A distance of 120 miles.

[289] "The former Spanish Governor of the Province was of course a prisoner in Villa's custody. Villa had the ex-Governor brought in, for the travellers to see him, and remarked, in his presence to them, 'This is the man who robbed this province of twenty-five thousand dollars during the last year of his office.'"--Blount, p. 115.

[290] _La Compania General de Tabacos de Filipinas_, a very strong commercial organization.

[291] "I call your attention to the fact that the only terms to the surrender were to respect life, and it was for this reason that I seized all the money they [i.e. the friars,--D.C.W.] had hidden away, which was accomplished by applying the stick. In this capital I found thirty-four thousand dollars in silver and a draft on the Compania General de Tabacos for twenty thousand dollars which can be collected here...

"The bearer can give you more details concerning the abuses committed in this province of Vizcayana by the forces of Mayor Duflin Esquizel. Also, I wish to inform you that we have done nothing to the Compania General de Tabacos, for we have learned from their records that much of their stock is held by Frenchmen, and consequently we fear a conflict. For this reason we await your orders on this matter. We took all the arms we found in their possession, however."--P.I.R., 271.2.

[292] P.I.R. 192.4.

[293] "I was in that town, for a similar purpose, with Governor Taft in 1901, after a b.l.o.o.d.y war which almost certainly would not have occurred had the Paris Peace Commission known the conditions then existing, just like this, all over Luzon and the Visayan Islands."--Blount, p. 116.

[294] "On account of this the vulgar people doubted the legality of our actions in the collection of taxes, and accordingly it became difficult; and this, coupled with the inveterate abuses of the heads of the towns, which the head of the province was not able to perceive in time to check, caused a tumult in Echague, which, owing to wise councils and efforts at pacification, was appeased without it being followed by serious consequences; but I have no doubt that this tumult was due only to the suggestions of ungovernable and pa.s.sionate persons animated by the spirit of faction, since those who took part in it were all Ilocanos, no native of Echague having any hand in it. The same thing occurred in Naguilian, where the disorders were also quieted. Not only did I make no report of all this to the government of the republic on account of the abnormality of the present conditions, but I also succeeded in concealing them from the foreigners here so that they should not succeed in discovering the truth, which would be to the prejudice of our cause."--Taylor, 42 AJ.

[295] "I may add that as judge of that district in 1901-2 there came before me a number of cases in the trial of which the fact would be brought out of this or that difference among the local authorities having been referred to the Malolos Government for settlement. And they always awaited until they heard from it,"--Blount, p 112.

[296] "General Otis's reports are full of the most inexcusable blounders about how 'the Tagals' took possession of the various provinces and just about those of a New Yorker or a Bostonian sent up to Vermont in the days of the American Revolution to help organize the resistance there, in conjunction with one of the local leaders of the patriot cause in the Green Mountain State."--Blount, p. 112.

[297] Blount, p. 114.

[298] Taylor, 42 AJ.

[299] Blount, p. 111.

[300] P.I.R., 974. 3.

[301] "December 20, 1898.

"_To the Honorable President of the Revolutionary Government_.

"The undersigned residents of the _barangay_ of D. Francisco Querubin and D. Melchor Balueg, of Bucay, of the province of Abra, appeal to you with the utmost subjection from their place of residence and state: That their heads or representatives, D. Francisco Querubin and Melchor Balueg, respectively, force them to pay two _pesos_ each as a war tax, your humble va.s.sals above cited being hardly able to earn their own livelihood and support their families, and, notwithstanding their labor, some of them cannot get anything to eat without appealing to the charity of their richer neighbours; but notwithstanding this sad situation, they offer a _peseta_ each as a mark of grat.i.tude to the mother country, Filipinas, but said gentlemen, the representatives mentioned, have not the slightest pity and worry us to the extent of having kept us in our houses a day and a night without anything to eat, not even permitting us to go out to get a drink.

"We must inform you that the head of the _barangay_, D. Melchor Balueg, when he gathers the supplies for the troops stationed in his town, said supplies consisting of rice, pigs, chickens and eggs, uses one-half of what is gathered, and then again orders his a.s.sistants to save."

"In fact, the undersigned request you to direct that the _peseta_ which they offer be accepted and that the said Don Francisco Querubin and Don Melchor Balueg be relieved of their duties, in order to put a stop to the abuses constantly committed by them; and if this be not done, the pet.i.tioners will be obliged to leave their homes and property in the town and take up their residences in the mountains with the Negritos and Igorots, in order that the others may remain in the town and live tranquilly.

"This is a grace which we do not doubt we will receive from you, whose life may G.o.d preserve for many years.

"_Bucay_, November 12, 1898." (26 signatures)

(In blue pencil in the handwriting of Aguinaldo:) "It will be approved.

"Dec. 20, 1898.

"E. A."

--P.I.R., 991. 4.

[302] P.I.R., 849.

[303] Blount, p. 130.

[304] _Ibid_., pp. 130-131.

[305] P.I.R., 1142. 4.

[306] _Ibid_., 2002. 3.

[307] P.I.R., 964. 3.

[308] On November 30, 1898, the commander in Alaminos, Zambales Province, telegraphed that his soldiers were all about to desert as the head of the town would not furnish rations or pay without orders from the governor."--P.I.R., 2002.3.

[309] "On December 22, Aguinaldo, in accordance with a request from the governor of Zambales Province, ordered the heads of the provinces of Pangasinan, Tarlac, Bataan, and Pampanga to prohibit the people of their provinces from going to Zambales without pa.s.sports signed by them, stating the route they were to take in going and returning and the length of time to be spent in the journey. The governor of Zambales had asked for this regulation in order to prevent the commission of robberies in Zambales and to distinguish persons justly subject to suspicion from those of good conduct."--P.I.R., 266. 3.

[310] "On January 9, the governor of Zambales found it impossible to continue the inspection of certain towns of his province and to continue holding elections, as many of the officials had fled to escape the exactions and abuses of the military commanders."--P.I.R., 988. 2.

[311] "The Governor of Cavite reports two drunken Americans have been killed by our soldiers. I tell him to have an investigation immediately and report the fact to the American commander."--P.I.R., 849.

[312] "Most urgent. Gen. Anderson informs me in a letter that, 'in order to avoid the very serious misfortune of an encounter between our troops, I demand your immediate withdrawal with your guard from Cavite. One of my men has been killed and three wounded by your people.' This is positive and does not admit of explanation or delay. I ask you to inform me of your decision."--P.I.R., 849.

[313] "_Gen. Riego de Dios, Cavite_: Telegram received. Do not leave the post, and say that you cannot abandon the city without my orders, and say that he was not killed by our soldiers, but by them themselves [the Americans.--D. C. W.], since they were drunk, according to your telegram. Give up your life before abandoning that place, and investigate matters."--P.I.R., 849.

[314] "Urgent. Gen. Alvarez telegraphed that Riego de Dios informed him that the town of Maragondong had risen in arms on account of abuses committed by the local President against Salvador Riego. This is the reason the town took up arms. Will go there to-morrow."--P.I.R., 849.

[315] Taylor, 19 AJ.