The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-02-22
THE EILIPINOS.


THE FILIPINOS.
We find in one of the daily papers a
letter from correspondent in Manila,
In which appears the following para
graph:
The Fiesta" Christmas is conscientiously
observed by both Filipinos and Spaniards.
They have quaint and somewhat Earring
custom of placing wooden image Of the
Christ-child in cradle and standing it on
the counter of a fruit store or 'benO' joint.
Thus the festive natives drink and carouse
throughout Christmas day over the sacred
image.
The children here are very dirty. The
example set by their elders is very bad, who
do not seem to have the least idea of de-
cency, and many old men and women go
about the streets only partially clothed.
The police have to take the strictest meas
ures to prevent the fairly intelligent Fill
pinos and Spaniards from committing
shocking indecencies on the streets: some
days there will be dozen arrests made in
one district for indecent exposure of the
body. Modesty is foreign virtue to the
Filipinos, as is truth and respect for a
neighbours property
Both sexes mature rapidly and the faces
or the women become frightfully wrinkled
and sunken in about the fortieth year. The
old Filipinos spend the long tropical days
sitting in their windows and looking out
into the streets in front Of their homes,
which towards evening present very lively
scene. They give way to the temptation of
Hcentfous enjoyment and court Bacchus
nightly. The wealthy Filipino ladies are
very vain; they use white face powder law
fshly, and their whitened faces and brown
necks present a noticeable contrast.
1t does not seem to us that such people
as are here described would be a very
valuable addition to our voting popula-
ton; they could only be desired by
those whose wish 1t is to see the republic
overthrown in the United States, and a
monarchy established upon it's ruins
And it is difficult to perceive how they
can become a part of our population
without finally being admitted to full
citizenship. A concerted clamor would
be raised, through the daily papers,
which are in the pay of plutocracy, that
it was wrong to hold human beings in
quasi subsection, and that We should
trust them and make citizens of them in
the full sense Of the word, and admit
the territories as states. And some
bright day, after we had, with great
toll and energy, settled some important
question, as to the future of our country
at the ballot box, telegram would be
received from Manila that the vote In
those islands amounted to so many
hundred thousands, and thereby turned
IL Co. -
republic
At the same time, we cannot afford to
turn them back to bloody and brutal
Spain. The same correspondent fur
nishes the following account, how only a
year or two ago, worthy man was
murdered for his opinion upon public
affairs. It is terrible story:
The 10Th of December is a Filipino day OF
mourning for the martyrdom Of Jose Rial,
who was shot on the "Luneta" by the
SpanlardS two years ago. because he advo-
Gated the establishment Of Filipino repub-
lie and wrote a book that antagonized the
priesthood. The government conf1scated the
copies of the work extant and forbade fur
Their publication.
Jose Rial was one Of the strongest men
mentally that the Filipino race has yet
produced. In the affections of the lower
class he ranks next to Agunaldo, but with
the cultivated and educated Filipinos he
has the preference over the latter He re-
ce1ved a thorough education in Paris and
was habitue Of the Latin quarter for
several years, which time he devoted to art
and letters.
He returned home and attending a recep-
ton drank very freely. Although his mind
was somewhat confused he recognized that
a certain aged tbo
who came from his fathers province seem
ed quite embarrassed over his unexpected
presence. When RizaPs gaiety was at its
height he felt a hand upon his shoulder
and turning around received the cordial
SITUATIONS and words Of welcome from a
Spanish captain long in the service who had
been great friend in his boyhood days.
The captain asked him to walk awhile and
together they strolhed along the Rios Pasig
During the walk the captain told the
young man the tale that changed the course
of the latter's life The letter he had re-
ceived in Paris from his father had only
been blind. At the time of writing the
elder Rial had been thrown into prison,
and wishing to save his son sorrow, he
wrote of his intended trip into the interior
The old priest whom Rial had recognized
among the guests had been the cause of his
fathers Imprisonment and death by starva-
ton.
The captain spared the young man
the bitter details Of the fathers
DEATH but the vivid imagination cultivated
in the Latin Quarter recognized the horror
the cruelty of it all. The elder Rial was
not devout follower of the church, but
sometimes attended services and contributed
freely to the needs of the prevailing re-
ligion The treacherous priest mentioned
arranged with the iailor to feed the prisoner
a small allowance of bread and water, on
which the old man could not subsist. He
died in chains two months after writing
to his son Of his proposed journey to the
interior.
RiZel wrote for purpose and spared
neither church nor state. He exposed the
rotteness of both institutions as it existed
in Manila and gave his life for the privilege
AS soon as the authorities were aware of
the character Of his book he was tried
imprisoned and condemned to be shot on the
Goth Of December of the same year
On the morning of the execution the
young martyr walked with firm step be-
tween his guards out on the "Luneta, -
where file of Spanish soldiers with loaded
rifles awaited him. The elite of Filipino
and Spanish society awaited him on ele-
gantly eaparisoned horses and partially re-
clining in comfortable carriages were present
at the execution. Rial was given a halt
hour to speak to the assembled multitude
and in this time so clearly depleted his
e.. hat