The Irish standard., 1901-12-14

lying ana gambling and to the most
brutal sensualty. This great trans
formation of the people SO depraved
was brought about exclusively by the
monks, as is testified by all visitors to
the islands. Elise Recius, the great
infidcl gcographer and anarchist,
whose hatred of Christianity is notori-
Gus, confessed that the Philippine
islanders are the happiest in the world,
and among the most civilized people
of the far West. They were civilized
by the friars. Though they may not
he quite equal in what concerns trade,
industry and other such matters, to
the natives of Java, yet in other re-
| Spects they are superior to them, for
they are not helots kept by their mas
ters in state of infcriority without
hope of redemption"
The zeal the monks displayed in
their work as educators has won the
admiration of all competent critics
who have at any time visited the
islands. Mr.. Elliott former consul
ut Manila from 1893 to 1896 referring
to the work of the priests, declares
that ut Nhc churcM has been the
civilizing factor and has built schools
and churches all over the Philippine
islands, where the poor as well as
the rich are always welcome"
Mr.. Packard in his paper on "Edu-
cation in the Philippines" writes: "All
travellers state that there are schools
in every village which are under the
control of priests. Good observers no
ticcd the aptitude OF the natives for
instruction. 1t follows that instruction
;lmong the Indians was far from being
backward when compared with that
OF the lower classes in Europe. Near
ly all the Tngnls can read and write"
In another matter of education the
l'iipinos We're ahead of us in date.
Manual training schools. which were
considered quite new, have been in
operation for years among the Fili-
pn"s. Their skill in technical lnowl
edge may be CLEANED from work
prepared by the Jesuit fathers at the
request of the United States g0vcpn-
mcnt. The Filipinos are usually very
good pcnmcn, good chrvcrs, cngravers
and the like. In such occupations,
given equal instruction, they surpnss
Europeans. 1t must be recognized,
moreover, that they are very clever at
the reproduction, putting together, i'm
itatiOn, modification, accommodation
and even the invention of apparatus.
Instruments and machines for def
mite purposes.
That higher education was not neg
Icctcd is evident from the fact that in
11f7 there were more colleges in the
philippines than in the United States.
The Jcsuits alone had ten. Before
the American occupation agricultural
schools existed all over the islands.
Besides these there are colleges, sem
innrics, normal schools for male and
female primary teachers, the school
Of arts ana sciences, accountant
schools, nautical schools, schools of
drawing and painting, naval schools,
the famous Manila observatory, and
the University of st. Thomas-all of
which were managed by the secular
and religious priests and lay Filipnos.
The interest manifested by the na-
tives in higher education and the sue
cess achieved is thus pointed out by
Blumentritt, the German cthnologist:
'"rhe number of philippine Indians
who attend the secondary schools and
the university is relatively very large,
and from them have come politicians.
artists, etlnograpllers and linguists."
1t is further evidenced by the fact
that in 1916 the students of st. Thom-
as University numbered 1000, and be-
fore the last insurrection it was at
tended by over 1000 students. The
total number of graduates of the uni
versity is placed at 11,OOO.
Well could Mr.. Barrett, American
minister to Siam, write: CHARITY and
bencvolence are represented in homes,
hospitals and asylums; education by
colleges and schools of law, theology,