r towns, in which contract
they exact from us $1250 which they call contributions of war (see
document No. 2 attached). Among the doubtful powers of these gentlemen
is the one to exact these sums included?

Have they express orders from that Government?

"Perhaps these blessed gentlemen--they are high flyers there is no
doubt about that,--have struck the clever idea of calling themselves
generals, governors, etc., in order to enjoy a certain prestige and to
give a certain color of legality to their acts--this, although they
don't know an iota of what they are doing. But what I am sure of,
and many other men also, is that there is no order, that here there
is not a single person in authority whom to obey. This superfluity
of rulers will finally lead to strained relations between them and
the towns of this province will end by paying the piper.

"But we poor ignorant creatures in so far as the republican form of
government is concerned, in order to avoid worse evils took them at
their word, obeyed them like automatons, hypnotized by the title of
'Insurgents' which they applied to themselves. But when I had an
opportunity to read the said decree, doubts were forced upon me, I
began to suspect--may God and they pardon me--that they were trying
to impose upon us nicely, that, shielded by the motto, 'have faith
in and submit to the will of the country' they came to these towns
'for business.'

"In order to dissipate this doubt, in order to do away with abuses,
if there are abuses, I made up my mind to send you this account
of the condition of things here. I flatter myself that when you
learn of the lamentable situation of this province, you will soon
deign to take steps to establish order, because thereon depends the
tranquillity of Pangasin~n and in the end a strict compliance with
your superior orders.

"There will be no limit to the thanks of the people of this province
if their petitions secure favourable consideration and an immediate
response from the high patriotism and honourable standpoint of the
Supreme Dictator of the Philippines." [265]

It will be noted that the picture thus drawn by Senor Apostol differs
in certain important particulars from that painted in such engaging
colours by Judge Blount.

In September, 1898, the civil governor of Pangasinan had to have an
escort of troops in passing through his province. [266]

On November 20, 1898, the head of the town of San Manuel wrote the
provincial gover