The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-01-04
TEACHING The FILIPINO
Many Peculiar Incidents Arise in
This Profession.

Many Peculiar Incidents Arise in
This Profession
Washington, Jan. 3-Reports received
at the war department Indicate that the
| sending of American school teachers to
/ the Philippines will prove very interest
| ing experiment Many OF them knew lit
tie of what they were going to; but, on
the whole. they, seem to take the discon-
forts and hardships ,nci1ent to the life
| there cheerfully. One woman row in the
archipelago says that she was ''swindled"
with the Philippines-that the are not
what they were said to be. She expresses
herself as disappointed that she is not
able to have the comforts that she had
| last year in a, college dormrJory.
One very sad thing in the teaching
force has been the death from the effects
! Of an operation OF w. s. Davis Of ColviIle,
Wash. He leaves a wife and five children
He went out at salary OF $3.50. An
other man vert out for 81. 900. carrying
a wife and four children: another Z. wife
and three children. When it is remem-
bered that living expenses there are so
per cent higher than here, it Will be seen
how much missionary zeal the teachers
need TO show.
1t is remarkable. all accounts agree,
how quickly TIE Filipino children learn
English. There are perhaps 5000 Fill
ino teachers who are having one hour
OF English a day. A normal school has
been opened with an attendance of about
80 Filipinos. A trade school and an
agricultural college also have been start
81 All these movements have gone on
with very little noise. 1t would have
beeen much easier for our educators to
establish high schools and colleges, since
the cry for education from the so-calIed
leading Filipinos' is understood a the
var department to mean a demand for
high schools, so that they VIII not be
obliged to send their children into Manila.
In The past. higher education has been
obtainahl, only at great expense, and the
so-tallod educated class has been an
exclusive one. The American plan has
teene. rejecting the theories of demo-
cratic government, TO lock out that every
pueblo and barria has its English elemen-
tary s-hcol This starting at the bot
tom and building up Is a much harder
thing tlan the reverse process would be.
since there Is a question always as to
whether the UPPER classes are particu-
larly onxious that the lower classes
should be instructed The Filipino pres
idente return g travellers say. always
promises to do Just as he is asked. but
f,Fs usually to Go what he PROMISES.
Still there is much, according to depart
mental advioes. that is hopeful in the sit
uation. The chief difficulties seem 10 be
insufficient municipal funds and a hest
fancy on the part Of our Philippine Of
down at the bottom, perhaps, an indiffer-
ence and a feeling that the general gov
ernment ought TO do everything. The
American government has done a great
service IN giving these people the one
thing. in the shape of English instruction
which will. of itself. be unifying infiu-
ence. About as much English is now
spoken as there was Spanish in the Span
ish times.
Many persons believe that the American
physician may yet become as great fac
tor in PHILIPPINE development as the
American teacher The trained oaysi-
clan Of this country ought 70 contribute
something important on tropical diseases
especially amoebic dysentery, which now
seems to be so fatal there. Americans
say that it is surprising TO see the ignor-
ance prevailing among the foreign doctors
in the tropics. that the average Filipino
physician never opens a book or makes
any special study after graduation At
the age Of ABOUT ten the Filipino begins
a so-eallcd medical course, which is
nothing more than elementary in charac-
ter. but because he studies something for
seven years he believes ne IS superior 10
the American dcctor. who has course OF
only fou. years.
The Fnipinos. rs a class the returning
war department officers say. are in 4 GER
tain sense cleanly; they battle frequently
hus they are cot very select in their
hathiur places Their housekeeping and
home sanitation arc wretehed. although
the women are as 4 rule moro business
like than The men. The ordinary Filipino
has not enough enterprise 20 rrn q tusi-
ness successfully. Nhetha- the chjl5ro1
are inventive or mercy .Aitative remains
TO be seeen. An elementary course in
science has been established % see il
Fnipinos can observe accurately and draw
conclusions logically
The scarcity Of labor through the eX-
clusion OF the Chinese and the ineTe.rncy
of the Filipino is a serio3s barrier e
progress x has also disposed Of The
bugaboo that cheap Asiatic labor. II its
ability TO manufacture AZ low cost. would
inperl the civilization OF the world All
employment 81 natives is or the padrons
system. 10 Americans can walk out
and hire q dozen Fnipinos to so ID work
Tor him: he mast instead arrange with a
boss and Oh commission for - much
labor. This Is TIE Philippine Substitute
for -unionisn-
The WEATHER.
Washington. Jan. S.-Forecast for sat