Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-14
FILIPINOS' FUTURE
Their Prospects Are Very Bright
Under American Rule.
VIEWS OF AN EDUCATED NATIVE
Says That All His People Need is
an Opportunity
HAVE BEEN KEPT DOWN
He GOVERNMENT

~HE GOVERNMENT
81 I f.. 4: 4: n. > :: ..:::: &:
s. /. !. /. !. 4. /. !. ].
hEEEsbh children. inhabitants
l1hEEs,lI of the Philippine Is
s,AftI lands. have been pro-
TH sEETg tIL foundry affected by
AAjIUL the decision of the
I'M fI VIII Paris peace commits
dfEM III sion. II Is d little
~ III singular that, while
the disposition of the
'As,sSrS islands has been
thoroughly discussed
from the point Of view Of the Americans
the English. the Germans and the Japan
ese. the Filipino has hardly been consulted
as To his desires AMI InciHatiGHs regarding
the future. Ramon Reyes Lala, native of
the Philippine Islar-ds, educated in Eng
land and now temporarily resident of the
United States. who j. thoroughly familiar
with the conditions in the Philippines ap-
pears as the champion Of his people. and in
the following article he makes some ex-
CeeHusly valuable 81 ggestiuns for the fu-
ture government Of the Philippines. show
ing wildly the needs and hopes of his
couHtrymcu.
There has been not little curiosity
shown 10y the American public as TO the
future of the Filipino. and not a few wise
acres have crUdktd most dolefully about his
worth as 1t citizen. l therefore wish to
show ;haf my c0Untrymen are not as black
as they have been painted and that there
Is enough stamina in che race to warrant
cultivation and Il high citizenship.
True We have NJ wcTld genius to show
you, W have no grand Ntora turo no dis
tinct national art-but there are. / think
enough evidences of our capacity for these
things to cause Americans to give US a
genuine Yankee welcome.
For opportunity to prove ourselves. our
manhccd. our talents and our hopes is all
that w tel entitled to- Let the AmeriC an
people help us TO a realization of this long
desired opportunity, and they will win our
eternal gratitude.
TractabIe and Law Abiding.
We have, I repeat, already given evidence
of capacity for civic functions. Though
living amid the most discouraeng condt-
lions and under the most oppressive gov
emmett in the civilized world, my country
men 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 much as the Fnipinos.
and Therefore they can surely not be ac-
Cused of reb.llipUs disposition. And
loose, il can surely not he said that these
"blocj-thirsty and cruc! AIalays" did much
havoc among the hundreds of defeuseiess
SpauiardS who We're in their power.
But il is not upon this capacity 10 refrain
from blDodshed in times of great provoca-
ton that ! would base the right OF my
cOuntrymen to citizenship. / claim that
We have shown for seneratiOns-evcE since
the Spanish occupation, and even long he
forc-,he capacity 10 govern ourselves, for
the most Of the gobcrnadpcilIos or COVER
II ,T-.-
Vinc!4! gov .TnDr~. have been native FL
ipinos- As the township. under @u Amyri-
can regime. would also be- the unit Of
government. il follows that the same ad-
miui~trar!ye talents that have made the
Filipino communities models Of domestic
peace hitherto. Will Keep thtld the same.
AS To- the larger offices of state. The major
ity --h US. as well as with yen in AmeIi-
ca, are pIlpabIy untitled And YET We nave
men among les who would. | think. bC tit to
assume any task that the United States
might impose upon theG-cyen 20 the gov
erHor genera! OF the colony itself
Three Famous FiIipinos.
Agu.raIdo though young for such a posi-
ton. has surely shown remarkable ability,
and would. believe. always handle him
self with discretion. AgoGcillo is another
man who has shown an uncommon talent
for af0irs-while Cayetano s. Arellano, the
eminent Manila jurist. is In my mind as
capable as any American whom il has vet
been my fortune to meet. This man is a
profound Lawyer, and is of untarnished
reputation He is widely Travelled. and con-
versant with the history Of other countries
as well with every detail Of the life of
his own He should he 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 we'll
knows the intricate Spanish laws the Gus
toms ard the character Of the people.
/ have merely made mention Of these
are ready for even the duties OF Ameri-
can citizeuShip-high as these are-and l
DO not uuderrate them when I say this
Indeed. can show not 4 few others who
would rank on the same intellectual plane
with the gentlemen mentioned aboVc-and
there IS 10 reason why, in the course Of d
generation. there should not be thousands
where now there are scores. II will cause
come surprise when state that no subject
possesses greater interest TO the Filipino
mind than civics and law There are today
already more than 1000 Filipinos who are
ful!-fcdS,d laHyers-Sraduatss Of the Uni
vers!ty Of Manila. and some OF them of the
best schools in Europe. The average ma
tive also IS much interested in the affairs
Of his village. and there is usually as much
desire among them 10 hold public office as
among the rulers Of free America
May Change Native Names.
Annexation win possibly have the pecu-
liar effect OF changing family names IN the
Philippines. AS a paterfamilias. the Fill
Pine has no superior, here or elsewhere; for
nowhere. / 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. Necessarily, much
Of this will be changed by the advent of
western civilization. ard j confess that l
am sorry, too, for there is great deal that
In lovely in these eastern domestic customs,