Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1899-04-06
THE FILIPINos.
. correspondent Describes Them MS
an Industrious and Thrifty
People.

No one who has gone 1875 miles
through the rich uplands and valleys of
Luzon and seen the results of thrift
md industry on all sides can consistent
ly call the native Filipincs lazy and
worthless lot. Their movements are
moderate, and they take time for the
enjoyment of their simple pastimes,
like all tropical races, but they keep
everlastingly at it from sunrise until
dark. la many of the provinces the
title to she land is in the name of the
church, for every pretty village is over
Swallowed by great, white-walled ca
thedral or monastry, and the tribute
these oppressors have levied upon the
ong-suffering natives has made them
"hnnd-to-mouth" race, who fully re-
allied that any surplus boarded or any
evidence of prosperity would bring
down an extra tax upon their heads.
Half the product of their labors has al
ways gone to the friars and the other
half has usually been discounted for
petty necessities before their crops
ripened. So thay have plodded Oh
year after year the debt of the previous
season standing mortgage against the
labor of the next.
The power and abuse in the name OF
the church are the monsters that have
stretched their talons over the OPP
pressed Filipinos for centuries. Every
aspiring ambition has been discour-
aged; every attempt at the improve
ment of their highways, which can
hardly be dignified by the name of
lanes such as run to the back lots OF
American farms and every effort at or
ganization or the diffusion of intelli-
gence has met with speedy and eff
fective opposition. With half chance
the Tagal will make an Industrious and
skillful workman in occupations other
than agricultural.
The Manila G. Dagupin railroad Is OPP
Grated by natives. They run the en-
gines, build the cars, act as conductors,
brakemen, station masters and in the
general offices at Manila many of them
act as clerks and accountants, keeping
double-entry books, operating the
typewriter, telegraphing. and, in fact,
doing everything that is required in
railroading. In the shops at Caloocan
all the worlmen are natives. They re-
build the engines, make boilers, do fine
lathework and handle steam hammers
and all kinds of improved machinery
satisfactorily and effectively. AT
Cavite, IN the shipyards, / have seen the
native building launches, repairing
ships in dry dock and operating in
wood and iron to the entire satisfaction
of the American naval constructors
and engineers. In Manila have seen
him building houses, erecting masonry,
paving streets, making cigars and
cigarettes, operating street car lines,
working in iron, copper, brass and sill
yer and engaged in every department. OF
industry. In the Manila observatory
l have seen him working over scientific
instruments, computing delicate obser-
vations in meteorological, seismic, as
Economical and magnetic registration,
where education and skillful intelli-
gence are required 1 have seen him
as a schoolmaster; as cure; as a nav
igator; as storekeeper; as surveyor;
as shipowner. There is no depart
ment of life where labor, brains or
skill is required that the native cannot
compete successfully. Encourage him,
govern him and give him the reward OF
his labor and he will develop into an
American citizen of whom Uncle Sam
will be justly proud-Leshe's Weekly.