The age-herald., 1898-10-06
GEN. MERRITT TELLS
 OF THE FILIPINOS

with Major General Merritt upon his ar
 rival there:
 'In what way do the Philippines regard
 the question of protectorate?" asked.
 "Well, the feeling among the English residents is undoubtedly that we should
 take the islands in toto," replied General
 Merritt. 'I think the representative feel
 ing among the Filipinos, however, is that
 we should establish a protectorate over
 the archipelago but curious fact should l be remarked right here in this connec-
 ton. They do not know exactly what a 1 protectorate means. They seem to think
 from their crude knowledge of the term 1 that protectorate means for the United
 States to take care of them and let them
 collect all the revenues and that sort of thing. That, think, is Aguinaldo's view
 of the case. They want us to pay ex-
 penses while they grow rich on the
 profits"
 What were the conditions when you left?"
 Every HIf.g was quiet Of course, you 1 know the rebels attempted to enter Ma
 nila, but ws kept them out and I gave an
 order tha ney should leave even the sub
 urhs Since I havs arrived here see that 1 they have withdrawn"
 Concerning Admiral Dewey, General Mer- | ritt said: "He is very well, indeed. He is l happy there. Since the army has arrived, he says, he has had less worry and anx- | iety than before. Further, he wants to l stay. He will remain some time, think. 1 The admiral is expect ng additions to his | fleet. They are sending two of the big war | vessels to him, at least they say so. l | have been working with him, and our re- 1 lations have been pleasant all the way | through
 "Will you give me your impressions of | Aguinaldo? I asked.
 with pleasure" was the answer. "Aguinaldo has been problem even to the l people in the Ph lppines.. Some think he 1 is very clever, and then again there are | some who think he has good advisers. He | is man of few words. I have never met | him, and you can thoroughly understand | why I say so. I have avoided him. Aguin- | aldo is not without education, though he | is not college bred. I think he is getting 1 a little inflated with the present condition | of affairs, and for this reason a good | many will certainly desert him if he con- 1 tinues to conduct himself on the same lines"
 Flow did the Fiipinos generally impress l you?' was the next question. Every favorably," said the general. "I | think great injustice has been done the l natives by many persons. They are &C., l cused of having no gratitude, and some l have gone so far as to say tha they have
 no expression in their language for the nh tha,, I hay fO1lD6 the
 Filipinos thoroughly susceptible to good | treatment, and am certain that they will 1 always prove grateful in return for fair | dealing The better educated men among them are much superior in general DO 'nts l of character to the other natives. The 1 Filipinos are more capable of self-govern- l ment than, I think, the Cubans are; but that is not saying that they are capable | of appreciating all the privileges of re- 1 publican form of government yet I think | they could be educated up to it. They are certainly tractable and are k nd in their | disposition"
 "As a race, general, what seem to you l to be the principal points in their charac- 1 ter?'
 "They are quick to learn, great imita- | tors and in this respect exhibit many char | acterist;cs of the Chinese. The Filipnos | are capable of improvement. There is no | question about that
 Do you think they can grasp American | ideas of government"
 "Ah, as to that, undoubtedly, it would l take time for them to understand our l ideas.'
 What is the disposition of Filipinos to- 1 ward Americans, as a ruler? "The people are favorable to Americans. | They have even gone so far as to express l themselves glad of the probable change l and Spanish residents say they would be | glad to see Americans govern the coun- 1 try. I may mention in this connection | that the shopkeepers are particularly pro- | nounced in their opinions in this respect. | They are tired of Spanish rule and are | weared of the strong influence which the 1 monastc orders have gained over them" "In this connection it may be interest l ing to note," continued the general, that | among the complications prevailing in the | religious world in the Philippines, the | Jesuits and the native priests are popu- | lar among the people, while, on the other | hand the monastic orders are bitterly 1 hated. This is caused by their aggres- l sions and expressions. The monks own everything. They use the natives to cul- | tvate their lands and then turn them off | after the land has been worked into good | condition. - 'Ihe t1llplnOS alleSe lndt lhS hroiie'o'iS orders have debauched their women, and | I have been told some horrible stories In | this regard. I do not know anything, or | course, about this; l only tell you what are common reports.
 "On the other hand in striking contrast | to this openly avowed hatred, one may turn to another phase of the f1llplnos' religious predilections. They are really much attached to their native priests" Are the Filipinos well educated? I asked.
 "They have lawyers and doctors and men of kindred professions" said the general, | "who stand well in the community and bear favorable comparison with those of other countries, but these are not numerous. | A good many of the educated men have | not lived in the country all the time. They | have had the.r schools and the Jesuits have certainly done them a great deal of good | in this respect.
 How are the Filipinos in regard to their national habits and traits of character" ''They have derived all their inspirations