The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-06-28
PHILIPPINE NATIVES.
AN ENGLISH rRAveLER's PERSONAL
INVESTIGATIONS ABOUT THEM.


They Arc Said 10 BE IL rncomprehensIbis
ana Unreliable nees-wui Serve You
Faithfully For ysars and rhsa Commit
some aorriSse CrkAe. np's
Judging from the accounts of an Eng
lish traveller who has made o careful
study of Philippians affairs, the natives
of the islands-thnt IL, the domesticated
natives--arc diflcult people to deal
with. Before beginning his studies Of
the native character he questioned a
parish priest who Ind been living among
the natives for moro than 40 years. Tho
priest declared the Islanders wcro an
absolutely incomprohensible race, TO
whom no known rules of civilization or
savagery had tho smallest application.
Here is the result of tho Engiishman's
personal Investigations:
"They are absolutely unreliable.
They will serve you faithfully for 20
years and then commit some such horri-
BILE crime as delivering over your house
and family TO brigands. They arc pa
ticnt, sober aud ever honest servants
usually, but at my moment they may
break out and, Joining n band Of rob-
bers, pillage your house. II you tax
them with the crime, they are not
abashed, but disclaim all responsibility,
answering, Senior, my head was hot
which they consider sufficient excuse
"They will never confess to q mis-
deed voluntarily. They will submit to
a beating without O murmur If they
think IL 10 deserved and bear no malice,
but If they consider the punishment un-
just they will seek tho first opportunity
Of revenging themselves. They never
forgive and never forget an injury, but
they cherish no memory Of kindness.
Generosity they regards as q weakness.
II you give them anything unsought.
they consider you y fool aud treat you
accordingly. They are always asking
~favors, though never directly. Borrow
ing they think nc shame, but they new
err repudiate their debts. On the other
hand, they never pay back voluntarily,
and il taxed with their dishonesty look
surprised and say, 'Senor, you never
asked for it,
IF You pay a man 90 cents for a serv-
ice, he will be contented il you pay
him 30 cents, he will grumble. They
have no words for thank you in their
language nor concept OF what the
phrase implies. They have no notion of
charity. never helping one another ex-
cept in the case Of relatives, but they
acknowledge even the remotest ties Of
relationship. If treated badly, they make
good servants and never grumble; if
treated kindly, thoy are lost and 60 to
the bad. They never stick to an occupa-
ton, but are ready to turn their hands
to anything. They are jacks of all
trades and good at none. They are brave
against equals II led by superiors, but q
real or fancied superiority in, the foe
causes them to abandon all hope.
"They do not know the meaning Of
hospitality. They will do what you tell
them If you tell them often enough, but
they will never do anything of their
W accord. They will answer ques-
tions, but never volunteer information.
They will let your horse die for want
Of corn and never tell you that the sup
ply has given out. They arc confirmed
liars and show only surprise when
found out. They arc good husbands,
though intensely Jealous, but they do
not worry about the conduct of their
daughters or even their wives previous
to marriage. They have no ambition
and no ideas of order or economy, but
in the matter of cleanliness they are
superior to all the inhabitants of the far
east save the japanese. New York
Sun.