The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-16
THE FILIPINO AS A CITIZEN.
RAMON REYES LALA. An EDUCATED
NATIVE. CHAMPIONS HIS PEOPLE.

sands of Native NameS-ftiiP
VIII Not Disappear Like Indians
Before the Whites-PrOtestantis
Must Not Intrude-ShOutd Prohibit
Large Estates-Three Most Famous
FiIipinOs.
New York. Jan 18.-The government
and all the conditions of life Of 10000
men. women and children. Inhabitants of
the Philippine Islands, have been pro-
fouudly affected 10y the decision of the
Paris peace commission. it is little
singular that. whi.e the disposition Of the
islands has been thoroughly discussed
from thc point of view of the Americans,
the English. the Germans and the Japa-
pese. the Filipino has hardly been consult
ed as to his desires and vaccinations re-
garding the future Ramon Reyes Lala,
native of the Philippine Islands, educated
IN England and now temporarily resi-
dent of the United States, who is thor
oughly familiar with the conditions In the
Philippines. appears as the champion OF
his people, ana in the following article he
makes some exceedingly valuable sugges-
lions for the future government of the
Philippines, showing wildly the needs and
hopes of his countrymen:
There has been not a little curiosity
shown by the American public as to the
future of the Filipino, and not few
wiseacres have croaked most dolefuily
about his worth as a citizen. ] therefore
wish to show that my countrymen are not
as black as they have been painted and
that there is enough stamina in the race
20 warrant cultivation and high citizen
ship.
True. we have no world genius to show
Won. we have no grand literature, no dis
tinct national art-but there are, / think,
enough evidences of our capacity for these
things TO cause Americans to give us
genuine Yankee welcome.
For opportunity TO prove ourselves, our
manhood, our talents and our hopes is all
that we feel entitled to. Let the American
people help us to a realization of this long
desired opportunity, and they will win our
eternal gratitude.
We have, repeat already given evidence
of a capacity for civic functions. Though
living amid the most discouraginS condi-
lions and under the most oppressive gov
eminent in the civilized world, my coun-
trymen have ever proved tractable and
law-abiding where the law was based upon
equity and right Nay, they have done
more than this. II is said by all travellers
that no other people in the world would
have endured as much as the Filpinos,
and therefore they can surely not be ac-
cused of a reberiious disposition. And when
finally, the dogs Of war were let loose, it
can surely not be said that these blood
thirsty and cruel Malays" did much havoc
among the hundreds of defenseless Span
iards who We're in their power.
Governing Abilities of the FiIipinOs.
But It is not upon this capacity 20 re-
lrain from bloodshed in times of great
provocation that l would base the right
OF my countrymen to citizenship. 1
claim that we have shown for genera
tions-ever since the Spanish occupa-
ton, and even long befOre-the capac-
ity 10 govern ourselves, for the most
of the gobernadocillos or governors of
townships and many of the provincial
governors, have been native Filipinos. As
the township, under an American regime,
would also be the unite of government, it
follows that the same administrative tai
ents that have made the Filipino COM
muuities models of domestic peace hither-
TO, will keep them the same AS to the
larger offices of state, the majority with
us, as well as with you in America, are
palpably untitled. And yet we have men
among us who would, I think, be fit TO
assume any task that the United States
might impose upon them-even to the gov
ernor general of the colony itself.
Three Most Famous FIIipinOs.
Aguinaldo, though young for such a po-
sition, has surely shown remarkable abil-
ity, and would, I believe, always handle
himself with discretion. Agoncillo is an
other man who has shown an uncommon
talent for affairs-while Cayetano S. Arel-
lano, the eminent Manila jurist, is in my
mind as capable as any American whom
1t hassyet been my fortune 10 meet. This
man is a profound lawyer, and is of I'M
furnished reputation. He is widely trav-
eled, and conversant with the history of
other countries as well as with every de-
tail of the life of his own. He should be
put at the head of the Supreme Court of
the islands, if the United States decide to
assume the task of governing them, for
no other man so well knows the intricate
Spanish laws, the customs and the charac-
ter of the people.
/ have merely made mention of these
names 20 prove that a few of us at least
are ready for even the duties of American
citizenship-hgh as these are-and l do
not underrate them when l say this. In
deed, we can show not a few others who
would rank on the same intellectual plane
with the gentlemen mentioned above-and
there is no reason why, in the course of a
generation, there should not be thousands
where now there are scores. 1t Will cause
some surprise when l state that no SUBJ
ject possesses greater interest to the Fill
Pine mind than civics and law There al e
to-day already more than 1000 Fipinos
who are full-fedged lawyers-graduates of
the University of Manila, and some of
them of the best schools in Europe The
average native also is much interested in
the affairs of his village, and there is
usually as much desire among them to
hold public Office as among the rulers of
free America.
Annexation May Change Thousands
of Native Names.
Annexation will possibly have the pc
euliar effect of changing family names in
tbe Philippines. As patorfamilias. the
Filipino has no superior here or else
where; for nowhere, l verify believe is
there more family affection than among
the natives of my country, but the mother
is really the head of the home: her word
Is law and she gives the surname to her
offspring, who hold her in peculiar awe.