Evening Times Republican

COCKFIGHTING IS TO END.
Filipino Youth Must Give Up Their
Favorite Sport Henceforth.

Seattle, Wash., Sept. 4.—Recent arrivals from the Philippines tell of a
remarkable moral crusade that has
been sweeping the islands. So great
has been the influence of the public
agitation for the abolition of certain
evils that the natives have entered into the movement with great zest and
have even cheerfully given up what
has always been considered the national sport of the Filipino.
The movement was started by several prominent natives, who joined with
Americans to abolish customs that
were considered as degrading and unworthy of a people who are striving
for self-government. Father Hardy of
the Catholic church, Bishop Brent of
the Episcopals and several members
of the commission were interested.
One of the first evils against which
agitation was started was cockfighting. This so-called sport was introduced into the islands about eighty years ago
by sailors from a trading ship. The
natives are naturally addicted
to
gambling and this feature with the
cruelty of the sport greatly appealed
to them. The fever spread until every
town or barrio had its cockpit.
Every Filipino youth had a fighting
cock. He spent his earnings in buying
him, in betting on him and in buying
him solid silver spurs. The natives
would take their cocks to church with
them, and, keeping the cock's head
under cover, would go thru the devotions and when over make a bee line
for the cockpit. Companies were organized to built elaborate amphitheaters where games were held.
The incoming of the Americans did
not help matters. Far from home, an
otherwise very humane youth wearing
Uncle Sam's uniform, became as cruel
in his delight in the sport as the natives. The Americans with their gold
dazzled the natives with their extravagant manner of betting, and not to be
outdone the natives endeavored to follow suit. Result, every dollar that
the native made went into gambling on
some vicious rooster that had been
trained from a chick to fight.
But complete as was the hold of
the sport upon the natives, it has not
been able to stand the great pressure
and thoroughness of the agitation to
abolish the sport. From many districts the reports come of the tearing
down of the former cockpits. Several
provinces have made the game a misdemeanor and hundreds of natives
have joined a society called the Moral
Progress League, which is formed for
destroying the evil sport.