Evening star., 1899-02-04
THE FILIPINO.
4 Correspondent Describes Him as
Indus s.rious and Thrifty.

4 Correspondent Describes Him as
Indus -rious and Thrifty.
From Leslie's Weekly.
No one who has gone 125 miles through
the rich uplands and valleys of Luzon and
seen the results of thrift and industry on
all sides can consistently call the native
Fflipfnos a lazy and worthless lot Their
movements are moderate, and they take
time for the enjoyment of their simple
rastimes. like all tropical races, but they
keep everlastingly at it from sunrise until
dark. In many of the provinces the title
of the land is in the name of the church,
for every pretty village is overshadowed
by a great white-walled cathedral or mon
astery. and the tribute these oppresSors
have levied upon the long-suffering natives
has made them n "hand-to-mouth" race,
who fully realized that any surplus hoard
ed or any evidence of prosperity would
bring down an extra tax upon their heads.
Half the product of their labor has always
gone to the friarS and the other half has
usually been discounted for petty neceS-
stiles before their crops ripened. So they
have plodded on year after year, the debt
OF the previous season a standing mortgage
against the labor Of the next
The power and abuse in the name of the
church are the monsters that have stretch
ed their talons over the oppressed Filipnos
for centuries. Every aspiring ambition
has been discouraged; every attempt at
can hardly be dignified by the name of
lanes, such as ruin to ths back lots of
American farms. and every effort at organ
ization or the diffusion of intelligence has
met with speedy and effective opposition
ith half a chance the Tagal will make
an industrious and skillful workman in oc-
cupations other than agriculture. Thu Ma
Mia and Dagupin railroad is operated by
natives. They run the engines build the
cars. act as conductors. brakeSmen. station
masters and in the general offices at Manila
many or them act as clerks and account
ants. keeping dOubie-enIry books. operating
the typewriter, telegraphing. and. in fact.
doing everything that is required in rail-
roaGinS. In the shops at CalOOgan all the
wOrkmen are natives. They rebuild the
and handle steam hammers and all kinds
of improved machinery satisfactorily and
eHecJVe!y. AT Cavite, in the ShipyardS l
have seen the native building launches,
repairing ships in dry dock and operating
in wood and iron TO ths entire satisfaction
of the American naval constructors and
engineers. In Manila 1 have seen him
building houses, erecting masonry, paving
streets, making cigars and cigarettes op-
Grating street car lines, working III iron.
copper. brass and silver and engaged in
every department of industry. In the Ma
Mia observatory I have seen him working
over scientific Instruments, computing deli
cate observations in meteorological, SeiS-
mic, astronomical and magnetic registra-
ton, where education and Skillful intelli-
gence are required I have seen him as a
school master; as a cure; as a navigator;
as storekeeper; as surveyor; as a ship
owner. There is no department 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.