The Opelousas courier., 1901-04-20
Another Letter from the Philippines
CALIvo, P. l., JAN. 10, 1901.

CAL1vo, P. l., JAN. 1s, 1901.
DIR. |. Z. SHUTE,
Opelousas, La,
My Dear Friend:-Yours of Nov. Sth
received. Your letters have been
written "semi-occasionally", or rather
semi-annnally.
Since writing to you last many chang
es have been made here. Bryan's de-
feat was q great blow to the FilipinOs,
as their hopes were all centered on his
being elected and giving them their in
dependence. 1t was six days after the
election before we received the news.
The soldiers were all greatly elated,
while the Filipinos were sOrely dIsap-
pointed. We told them that the Phil
ippines were our property forever. The
next morning | went to the casa" OF
one of the headmen of the town. Ills
wife told me with tears in her eyes that
they were doomed to be our slaves. AS
none of the soldiers could vote, there
was NO political arguments among
them, still we were greatly interested
in the election.
The Filipinos are anything but fit for
self-government. At least One-halt OF
them are savages, and of the other half
about one in twenty are educated.
There is a tribe of cannibals in northern
Luzon, and the mountains of all the is
lands, from Luznn to Mindanao, are ill.,
habited by Negritos and Aetas. They
are classed among the lowest orders OF
mankind. Spain never had any more
control over them than she has over the
Greenlanders. Neither have we, as yet.
While their weapons are spears and
poisoned arrows, they are very tlmld
and lnoffensiVe. They are supposed to
be rapidly dying out. The other ma
tives, who are the Filipinos usually
spoken of, are half civilized. They in
habit the towns and lowlands of the is
lands. About n in six can speak
Spanish. They are as a rule cowardly,
treacher0us and unreliable. AS liars
and beggars they are ~uneQualed. About
the only good trait they have ls that
they are generally honest, and If they
steal, only take enough for immediate
wants. They hate all foreigners. They
reverse the saying that ''all niggers
look alike" to "all white men loOk
alike", regardless of nationality. The
majority of them do not notice any diff
ference between us and the Spanish.
They are all devoid of gratitude and
treat kindness as a weakness. Shame
is unknown among them and they use
the vilest language. Children of both
sexes go comparatively naked until
they are Il certain age, though o
never sees an adult entirely naked.
The women use far worse language
than what the men do. About their
mildest bywords are "Jesus, Mary and
John" Devil" Devils imp" and pig"
As to the inquiries as to what the
lizards say, | would say that it seems to
be a race between them and the native
women, with the odds just q little on
the side of the lizards, because they
have the advantage of being able to
speak English. They have been in
strumental in getting a number Of SOL
diers in the guard house. "HOw ]" you
ask. Well q soldier comesin just be-
fore taps. tolerably well under the in
huence of "vino" or tuba" Taps are
sounded and everything is quiet. When
suddenly we hear "b-r-r-r" which is
soon followed by a vile epithet, which
as q rule is too much for the dignity OF
the intoxicated soldier and he begins
expressing his opinion in very plain
terms-especially so as the vile epithets
continue-and he soon finds himself in
the guard house, while the fOul-mouthed
lizard will probably, after a rest of a
few minutes, start freeing its mind
again and still go unpublished, while its
victim may be both fined and impris-
0ned. Such is life in the Philippines.
I will write again in a few days and
give you a brief account of present
conditions.
Very sincerely,
JOHN w. STANFORD,
Co. A, 9Th u. S. nifty,
Caliyo via IIoiIo.