death. One of their victims was that beautiful spirit, Dr. Rizal,
author of Noli me Tangere, the most learned and distinguished Malay ever
known. He had taken no part whatever in rebellion or sedition, yet,
because he was known to abominate clerical misrule, he was, without a
scintilla of evidence that he had broken any law, first expatriated,
then shot. This murder occurring December 30, 1896, did much to further
the rebellion then spreading.

"Once settled in his position, the friar, bishop, or curate usually
remained till superannuated, being therefore a fixed political factor
for a generation, while a Spanish civil or military officer never held
post over four years. The stay of any officer attempting a course at
variance with the order's wishes was invariably shortened by monastic
influence. Every abuse leading to the revolutions of 1896 and 1898 the
people charged to the friars; and the autocratic power which each friar
exercised over the civil officials of his parish gave them a most
plausible ground for belief that nothing of injustice, of cruelty, of
oppression, of narrowing liberty was imposed on them for which the friar
was not entirely responsible. The revolutions against Spain began as
movements against the friars." [footnote: Abridged from Report of Taft
Commission.]

Senator Hoar wrote: "I should as soon give back a redeemed soul to Satan
as give back the people of the Philippine Islands to the cruelty and
tyranny of Spain."

Freemasonry in the Philippines was a redoubtable antagonist to the
orders. There were other secret leagues, like the Liga Filipina, with
the same aim, most of them peaceful. Not so the "Katipunan," which
adopted as its symbol the well-known initials, "K. K. K.,"
"Kataas-Tassan, Kagalang-Galang, Katipunan," "sovereign worshipful
association." If the Ku-Klux Klan did not give the hint for the
society's symbol the programmes of the two organizations were alike. The
Katipunan was probably the most potent factor in the insurrection of
1896. Its cause was felt to be that of the whole Filipino people. In
December, 1897, the conflict, as in Cuba, had degenerated into a
"stalemate." The Spaniard could not be ousted, the Filipino could not be
subdued. Spain ended the trouble for the time by promising reform, and
hiring the insurgent leaders to leave the country. Only a small part,
400,000 Mexican dollars, of the promised sum was ever paid. This was
held in Hong-Kong as a trust fund against