The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-02-09
ILLITERAcY IN THE PHILIPPINES.

ippineS in the United States senate,
Hon. G.. A. Towne, of Minnesota, de-
clared that so per cent of the popula-
ton of Luzon can read and write This
statement was Immediately contradict
ed by General Elwcll S. Otis. the man
who acted as encouragement of the
Philippine Islands and officially an
nOllnced Il year ago that the war be-
tween the United States and the ma
tives was at an end. II notice." said
Mckinley's pro-consul, that Senator
Towne says that 30 per cent of the in
habitants of the Philippines can read
and write. This is absolutely untrue,
and everybody who has been there will
readily understand the absurdity of
the statement. In and about Manila
there are many natives who are able
to read and write, but when you go
inland you will find a large majority
of the people illiteratc"
Now. MIR. Townc did not say that 800
per cent of the inhabitants of the Phil
ippines can read and write" What lie
said was that $50 per cent of the popu-
lation of LuZon can read and write
which is a different statement alto
sether. What percentage of the whole
people of the Philippine archipelago,
numbering over thousand islands and
some 100000 inhabitants, can read
and write, nobody knows. If Otis had
read Mr.. Townes speech little more
carefully, he would have kept silent
and not have set himself down san
ass like Dogberry in the play.
But the Taft commission had report
cd that the Filipinos are 'an uneducat-
ed and ignorant people," and Otis was
in duty bound to confirm the false
statement to please the administration
at Washington. What are the facts as
to the literacy or illiteracy of the Fill
pinos? In the United States official re-
port ON Education in the Philippines
for the year 1S97-9s by r. L. Packard,
we find the following:
Cali travellers state that there arc
schools in every village, which are un-
der the control of the priests. Good
observers have noted the aptitude of
the natives for Instruction."
NEARLY all the Tagalcs can read and
write"
"As to literature there is Tagalc
grammar and dictionary, and n COM
bined grammar of the Tagale, Bicol,
Visaya and Isinay languages"
"ln the provinces every village has
it's public school in which instruction
is obligatory
ION the east coast of Mindanao the
number of natives who can read and
write is tolcrably large"
I'm the Camarincs, a province Of Lu-
ION, they have schools in every vii
lage."
'In 1890 there were 1.O1G schools for
boys and 500 for girls in the archipel-
ago, with an attendance of 9S,7G1 boys
and 1882 girls"
"While the natives of the archipel-
ago have a greater power of resistance
to alien influences than those of the
American continent the greater por-
ton of them show decided and ST.
perior intellectual capabilities"
That report was prepared for publ
cation before Dewey destroyed the
Spanish fleet in Manila bay and before
Mckinley thought out his "benevolent
policy of assimilation" on the suggcs-
ton of his evil advisers, for the promo
ton Of commerce. at the expense of
American lives and American money.
1t is too late for the Taft commission.
General Otis and the rest of the I'M
perihlistic horde. to east HSperSions on
the intelligence of the Eilpinos and
represent them as IAN uncducated and
ignorant people"
Dewey declared twice in 1898 that
the Filipinos We're far more Intelligent
than the Cubans, and he knew more of
both races than General Otis, who re-
manned in Manila mostly all Of the
time and rarely vcntured outside the
city limits. In his celebrated speech in
the United States Senate. Mr., Towne
gave authorities for his statement re-