Daily camera., 1899-04-06
THE FILIpINOS.
Correspondent Describes Thsn -
- industriouA and Thrifty
People.

No one who has gone I25 miles
through the rich uplands and valleys of
Luzon and seen the results of thrift
and industry On all sides can consistent
| ~ call the native Filipinos a 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
ererlastingly at it from sunrise until
dark. In many of the provinces the
title to the land is in the name of the
church. for every pretty village is over
shadowed by great, white-walled ca.
thedral or monastry, and the tribute
these oppressors have levied upon the
ong-sutfering natives has made them
a 'Eand-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 abors has al
ways gone to the friars and the other
| half has usually been discounted for
| pity necessities before their crops
rPened. So they have plodded or
sar aft year tie debt of the previous
ason = standing mortgage against the
labor Of the next
The power ard abuse in the name of
| the church are the monsters that have
| stretched their talons over the op-
pressed Filipinos for centuries. Every
| aspiring ambition has been Giscour-
| nged; every attempt AT the improve
rlert OF their highways, which can
| Ia. ~ tod l,. Ig o
| lanes such as run to the back lots of
American IA u.s. and every fort at or
| gauization cr the diffusion OF iutelli-
gercc has met with speedy GuG ef-
| fCc'iyc oprJ-iiion. With half chance
| tho Tarsi viii make an industrious and
siiii'fui workman in occupations other
than agricultural.
The Manila & Dapupin railroad is op-
Grated by natives. They run the en-
ginos build the cars, act as conductors
| Grukomen, station masters and in the
general offices al Manila mauy of them
act rs clerks and accountants. keeping
douule-entry books. operating the
typewriter. telegraphing, and. in fact,
doing everything that is required u
railioading. In the shops at Caloocan
all tie workmen are natives They re
build the engines, make boilers. do fine
latheworis and handle steam hammers
and all kinds of improved machinery
satisfactorily and effectively. Al
Caviie. 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 constructor
and engineers. In Manila / have seen
him building houses, erecting masonry
paving streets, making cigars anC
cigarettes. operating street car lines
working in iron, copper, brass and sill
Yer and engaged in every depnrtmcr; OF
industry. In the Manila observatory
] have seen him working over sciCuii6c
iEs ruments. computing 80 !icate obser-
ra'ious in meteorological seismic as
trcs olnical and magnetic registration,
where education and skillful iutelli-
rence ate required | have seen him
a. schoolmaster; as cure: rs . nav
igatur: rs "a st1rekecper; as survey or.
as shipowutr, There is no depart
mcnt of life where labor. brains or
skill is required thG; the native cannot
compete succ, ssfuily Encourage him.
govern him and give him The reward OF
his labor and he will develop into an
Am, rican citizen of whom Uncle Sam
will be justly proud.-Leslie's Weekly