The document summarizes key aspects of La Solidaridad, the propaganda newspaper of the Philippine Propaganda Movement. It discusses the newspaper's goals of advocating for political reforms in the Philippines under Spanish colonial rule. It also outlines some of the tensions that arose between its contributors like Rizal, Lopez Jaena, and Del Pilar over editorial control and direction. The document also examines factors that may have contributed to the perceived failure of the Propaganda Movement to achieve its aims, such as censorship and lack of funds and unity among its members.

1. “The pen was yield to the sword.”

2. La Solidaridad
and the Propaganda Movement

3. The Propaganda Movement
Reforms Desired
• Equality of the Filipinos and Spaniards before the laws
• Assimilation of the Philippines as a regular province of Spanish
• Restoration of the Philippine restoration in the Spanish Cortes
• Filipinization of the Philippine parishes and expulsion of the friars
• Human rights for Filipinos, such as freedom of speech, freedom to meet
and petition for redress of grievances

4. MIAGAO 23 MARZO DE 2018Año II Num. 09
Quincenario democratico
La Solidaridad
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NUESTROS PROPOSITOS
Our aspirations are modest, very modest. Our
program, aside from being simple, is clear: to combat
reaction, to stop all retrogressive steps, to extol and
adopt liberal ideas, to defend progress; in a word, to be
a propagandist, above all, of democratic ideas in order
to make these supreme in all nations here and across
the seas.
The aims, therefore, of La Solidaridad are
described as to collect, to gather, libertarian ideas
which are manifested daily in the field of politics,
science, art, literature, commerce, agriculture and
industry.
We shall also discuss all problems relating to the
general interest of the nation and seek solutions to
those problems in high-level and democratic manner.
** *
With regard to the Philippines, since she needs
the most help, not being represented in the Cortes, we
shall pay particular attention to the defense of her
democratic rights, the accomplishment of which is our
patriotic duty.
That nation of eight million souls should not,
must not be the exclusive preserve of theocracy and
traditionalism.

5. LA SOLIDARIDAD. -- 23 MARZO DE 2018A$o II Num. 09
PLARIDEL,
GATMAITAN,
DOLORES
MANAPAT
DIMAS-ALANG,
LAON LAAN
DIEGO LAURA
NANING,
KALIPULAKO,
TIKBALANG
TAGA-ILOG JOMAPA,
JMP

6. A$o II Num. 09
RAMIRO
FRANCO
JUSTO
DESIDERIO
MAGALANG
BUAN,
JB
DON BELONG KUITIB MIGUEL DE
MORAYTA
LA SOLIDARIDAD. -- 23 MARZO DE 2018

7. We know their present. Now what will their future be?
Will the Philippine Islands continue to be a Spanish colony, and if so, what kind of colony? Will they
become a province of Spain, with or without autonomy? And to reach this stage, what kind of sacrifices
will have to be made?
Will they be separated from the mother country to live independently, to fall into the hands of other
nations, or to ally themselves with neighboring powers?
Filipinas Dentro De Cien Anos
LAONG LAAN

8. Sobre La Indolencia De Los Filipinas
This logical essay is a proof of the national hero’s historical scholarship. The essay rationally countered the accusations
by Spaniards that Filipinos were indolent (lazy) during the Spanish reign. It was published in La Solidaridad in five
consecutive issues on July (15 and 31), August (1 and 31) and September 1, 1890.
Rizal explained the alleged Filipino indolence by pointing to these factors:
1) the Galleon Trade destroyed the previous links of the
Philippines with other countries in Asia and the
Middle East, thereby eradicating small local
businesses and handicraft industries;
2) the Spanish forced labor compelled the Filipinos to
work in shipyards, roads, and other public works,
thus abandoning their agricultural farms and
industries;
3) many Filipinos became landless and wanderers
because Spain did not defend them against pirates
and foreign invaders;
4) the system of education offered by the colonizers
was impractical as it was mainly about repetitive
prayers and had nothing to do
with agricultural and industrial technology;
5) the Spaniards were a bad example as negligent
officials would come in late and leave early in their
offices and Spanish women were always followed by
servants;
6) gambling like cockfights was established, promoted,
and explicitly practiced by Spanish government
officials and friars themselves especially during feast
days;
7) the crooked system of religion discouraged the
natives to work hard by teaching that it is easier for a
poor man to enter heaven; and 8) the very high taxes
were discouraging as big part of natives’ earnings
would only go to the officials and friars.
LAONG LAAN

9. Issues of La Solidaridad

12. Lopez Jaena & Del Pilar
The first editor of La Solidaridad was Graciano Lopez Jaena, but it was totally
under Marcelo del Pilar from its earliest inauguration to its ignominious death. It’s
because Del Pilar and his Comite de Propaganda in Manila worked for the entire
project and financing (real moving force, the conduit of funds, and the organizer of
the newspaper). Lopez Jaena was chosen as editor because he already had reputation
as a fiery political orator and had influential contacts among the anticlerical
republicans and masons of Barcelona, where the newspaper made its debut, but then
he realized that his editorship was only nominal (La Solidaridad vol. 1, 1996).

15. Rizal & Wenceslao Retana
Retana wrote an article in La Epoca which was an anti-Filipino newspaper in
Madrid. The article declares that Rizal’s family and friends were ejected in
calamba because they did not paid their rents. Rizal, after hearing the insult
was enraged and challenge Retana to duel for only Retana’s blood can
accepted be as an apology because of what he had done to Rizal’s family.
Retana who know that he had no chance of winning, published a retraction
and apology in the same paper. From that incident, Retana’s pen became
silent. Eventually, he developed a great admiration for Rizal and made the
first book-length biography of the greatest filipino hero.

19. Other Opposing Newspaper Publication of La Solidaridad:

22. Rizal & Del Pilar
When the year 1890 was about to end, an unwanted rivalry between Rizal and Del Pilar nonetheless arose. By the time,
Del Pilar had become the owner of La Solidardad and had taken the place of Graciano Lopez Jaena as its editor. Del
Pilar’s management and editorial policy were occasionally dissimilar to Rizal’s political vision. The editorial policy of
La Solidaridad under Del Pilar’s management enhanced the cleavage between Rizal and Del Pilar. Rizal and his close
friends objected to the periodical’s editorial policy which was occasionally contrary to Rizal’s political views.
Ideally to fix differences and solidify the unity among them, about 90 Filipinos in Madrid met on the New Year’s Day
of 1891. It was agreed upon in the gathering that a leader called Responsable, be elected to administer the campaigns
for reform of the Filipinos. The voting happened during the first week of February that year. It was decided that the
‘Responsible’ must be elected by a two-thirds vote of the participants. The supposedly healthy election for a leader
produced divisive unpleasant split among the Filipinos, the Rizalistas and the Pilaristas, as both camps zealously
campaigned for their respective choice.
Rizal won the election but his votes fell short of the required two-thirds vote to be declared Responsable. He won again
on the second day, but then again, the votes counted for him did not reach the needed fraction. On the third day, since
Mariano Ponce appealed to some Pilaristas to surrender their will to what the majority wanted, the election resulted in
Rizal’s becoming the ‘legal’ Responsable. Rizal, however, courteously declined the position. He knew that there were
‘Pilaristas’ who did not like either his views or personality. Jose Rizal, a man of delicadeza, thus decided to abdicate his
leadership and leave Madrid, lest his presence results in more serious faction among Filipinos in Madrid.

23. “If you have any resentment, I beg you to put it aside; if you
consider me at fault, and this fault is pardonable, forgive me…
We would much like that you resume writing for it; not only
would we strengthen La Solidaridad but we would defeat the friar
intrigue in the Philippines.”
– Marcelo H. Del Pilar’s letter to Jose Rizal (August 7, 1892)

24. “I am extremely surprised at your letter, telling me about resentments, disagreements, and
reconciliations, etc. I believe it is useless to talk about what does not exist, and if it has existed,
it ought to have evaporated in the past. I think like you do, that there being nothing, one ought
not to waste time talking about it.’
If I stopped writing for La Solidaridad, it was because of several reasons, 1st, I need time
to work on my book; 2nd, I wanted other Filipinos to work also; 3rd, I considered it very
important to the party that there be unity in the work; and you are already at the top and I also
have my own ideas, it is better to leave you alone to direct the policy such as you understand it
and I do not meddle in it. This has two advantages: It leaves both of us free, and it increases
your prestige, which is very necessary, inasmuch as men of prestige are needed in our country.
This does not mean to say that I need not work and follow the course of your work. I am like an
army corps who, at a needed moment, you will see arrive to descend upon the flanks of the
enemy before you. Only I ask God to give me the means to do it… I fight for the nation, the
Philippines.
– Jose Rizal’s reply to Marcelo del Pilar’s letter (undated)

25. “You will remember that, walking on the Pascode Recoletos
… I told you: "Watch out, for some fine day we shall wake
up quarrelling without knowing why." You laughed at my
witticism and so did I … that occurred to me without reason
as a vague presentment.”
– Marcelo H. Del Pilar’s letter to Jose Rizal (July 20, 1892)

26. “... We are persuaded that no sacrifices
are too little to win the rights and the
liberty of a nation that is oppressed by
slavery.
We work within the law and thus
will we continue publishing this
newspaper whether here or abroad,
depending on the exigencies of the fight
wherein Filipino reactionaries have
come to impress upon all Filipinos that
in its soul there beats some sentiment
of dignity and shame.
Whether here or abroad, we will
continue developing our program”

27. Did La Solidaridad Fail?
Did the Propaganda Movement achieve its goal?

28. Reasons of failure;
• Confiscation of newspaper issues in the mails
• Lack of fund to support the movement
• Friars were busy collecting money and making themselves rich
• Many members wanted true change but were cautious of their wealth
• The conflicts between Lopez Jaena - del Pilar, and Rizal - del Pilar.
• No strong leader aside from Rizal
• Spanish government did not agree to any of its demands

29. Modestas, modestisimas, son nuestras aspiraciones. Nuestro programa, por demas sencillo, sencillismo, es:
combatir toda reaccion, impedir todo retroceso, aplaudir, aceptar toda idea liberal, defendar todo
progreso; en una palabra; un propagandista mas de todos los ideales de la democracia, aspirando que
impere en todos los pueblos de aquende y allende los mares.
LA SOLIDARIDAD

30. References
• La Solidaridad volumes 1 - 7
• The Philippines: A Unique Nation
• https://archive.org/stream/theindolenceofth06885gut/8indf10.txt
• http://ourhappyschool.com/history/love-and-hate-relationship-jose-rizal-and-marcelo-del-pilar