The San Francisco call., 1899-01-15

to this insidious danger, and strong
liquors, both for your sake and ours,
should be kept out of the colony.
Professionalism will not flourish in the
Philippines. The pomp and ceremonial
of the Catholic church appeals most
strongly to the native imagination, and
no religion which is wanting in splen-
dor and in grand music will find foot
hold in the islands. There is thus lit
tie danger Of the Filipinos ever becom-
ing Quakers. They are very musical
people Every village has it's native
orchestra, and in the professions, of
which the natives are so fond, and
which occur every few days, the music
is the chief feature. Indeed, it may
be said that every Filipino plays some
instrument, and even little children
five or six years Of age play the piano
or guitar amazingly well. 1t is refresh
ing to go through the suburbs of Ma
nila on a fine summers eve and to hear
the happy people on the wide verandas
of their homes singing and playing pop>
ular airs, which the passersby below
will take up, so that the whole street
resounds with melody. Music Is truly
a great civilizer, and it has doubtless
been a powerful instrument in the
hands of the church to win the natives
to the standard of the cross.
Strange to say, the Filipinos, not
withstanding their great love for mu-
sic and their wonderful ingenuity in in
venting and constructing musical in
struments, have no distinct school of
their own, preferring TO play the COM
positions Of European composers than
to take the trouble to write their own.
l believe, however, that they are capa-
BILE of high order of composition, for
one of the gifted Luna brothers, whom
l knew very well, composed some pieces
of extraordinary merit-and l am sure
others also have the genius to do so.
| l believe that large estates should be
prohibited by law, for / fear that a
! few scheming Americans may soon own
| the greater part of the islands, and will
| therefore soon have great part of the
| population on their estates, educating 6
them for a future of dependence and
| for political subserviency. At present
every native owns his own house and
his own little patch of land, and is con-
tented and happy. Let him continue
undisturbed in his humble possessions.
The chief necessity Of the islands are
good schools, and we hope that the
Americans will not long withhold from
us this long desired boon Compare
lively few natives have had the ad-
vantage of modern methods. At pres
ent the educational facilities are most
meager and the methods of the native
schoolmasters, as we'll as Of the Span
! ish priests, are most antiquated. Only
| Spanish books have as a rule been al
lowed, and the whole course Of colonial
| education has had a theological bias.
The, groundwork Of superstition, how
ever-reared with such infinite labor
during the centuries of Spanish priest
crafts fast giving way. The eyes of
the natives have at last been opened.
They will no longer tolerate the delu-
sions of the past, but will eagerly en-
brace the doctrines of the new. Under
American dominion, a glorious future
awaits the Filipino. He will for once
be able to hew out of the rock of op-
portunity the statue of his own worth.
RAMON REYES LALA.