Daily Kennebec journal., 1902-08-09
FILIPINO SAYINGS.
Side Lights on Racial Traits
and Conceptions.
An American Teacher Reports What
Her Pupils Tell Her.
Naive and Interesting Views of Ameri
can Occupancy.

| Filipino people than any other Ameri.
cans, writes an American teacher ir
Manila, but the most sagacious shake
their heads and say: Il wish I knew
what these people really think of u.s.
We have had the opinions of General
This and Congressman That and Civil
ian AndSo-Forth about the Filipinos
generally based On very superficial
study of the conditions. In this article
are collected some expressions of the
Filipinos themselves, which throw
CLEANS of side light on their attitude of
mind toward us. Incidentally, also,
they show English as she is wrote" in
the Philippines.
The champion bad boy of one school
was proven of a lie one morning, not a
difficult ask, since truth-telling is only
resorted to in unusual circumstances.
1t is "our custom" to keep the truth
for special occasions. In the after
noon the story of the immortal George
and his hatchet CHANGED to be the read
ing lesson. The teacher of course tried
to impress the moral, and the boy, his
big brown eyes aglow with fun, said:
II will naver tell lie, and then I will
be president of the Philippines" Who
says the American idea is not taking
root in these islands?
In the same school the word
Protestant came up. The verdict Of
the class was that "all Protestants are
bad" But 1 am a Protestant. Am
bad?" asked the teacher. mo, no.
came the eager cries; and one boy,
quick to atone for a possible hurt to
her feelings, said: Il once knew a man
who was married in a Protestant
church" A native teacher said:
americans have no religion, because
they do not teach it in the schools;
therefore good Catholics must go to
the Spanish schools. This is a decree
of the priests 1t is a fact that in the
public schools we find very few of the
better class Filipinos. They are enter
ing the normal school and institute,
however. and are evidently much i'm
pressed with the new teaching.
In this connection it is interesting to
learn how the study of Tagalog was
pursued i'll Spanish times. 1t was
not taught in the schools, I am told,
and was used in the churches only on
feast days. In spite of this the youth
learned to read and write this Ian
guage, usually between the ages of
eight and eleven. This shows a per-
sistence which if rightly applied will do
much to develop a national spirit. But
this will be century plant in growth.
Two classes of thirty each in the Nor
NAL Institute for the native Manila
teachers could not tell what the Philip
pine commission is. Did not know that
Filipinos were members. Did not
know that the commission passed the
laws, or that the islands needed
laws.
Some young men told their teacher
the people did not like the friars.
why did they not like them?" "Be-
cause they levied contributions on
everything raised. Each family must
contribute a chicken each day, eggs,
rice, camotes (sweet potatoes), horses,
everything" What else did they do?"
'They took much land which did not
belong to them and did many bad
things which we cannot tell YOU
CNor indeed can tell what they still
do here in the city. You would under
stand if you could see their faces.
But lne liilliS NiiiCIl i0i 40
cruelty was that they would not bury
our dead with much money, and we
were taught that our dead must lie in
consecrated ground" A servant in the
house where I have been was married.
being from a clean, dignified family.
He was earning $40 a month. 1t cost
him s75 to be married and most of it
went to the church for priest, bell
ringing and other items. Small Won
der the people do not marry; they
cannot afford it. 1t seems a hideous
thing that the church should force good
men and women into wrongdoing.
Americans are always making a
change" said enc native teacher, when
told that the one upon whom she had
learned to depend as a friend was to be
sent to another school. They are find
ing out our characteristics, never
fear MY teacher belongs to a nation
that is good but not proud" said
another when reproached by hel
friends for allowing the maestro tC
carry very humble lunch-basket
such. they said, as only beggars used
They will not carry bundles and think
it most surprising that an American
gentleman will carry them even for 6
lady. What is it to be beautiful?'
the teacher asked. "To be white" was
the pathetic reply. 1T is good for the
Filipinos that the Americans stay
here but is bad for them to stay
Why" asked the perplexed teacher
Because if other nation wants then
(the islands, it is very far from your
country"
Here are two delicious bits from nor
| NAL examination papers: ''What
products would be taken from New
| Orleans to Philadelphia Orange:
and Christian missionaries" Rather
hard on the City of Brotherly Love
| Name two of the chief cities on the
east coast of the United States?" "Sa1
Francisco and Climate" Could the!
have been reading Mark Twain's "Nev
England Weather? Another adul
pupil thought Scotland might be ;
province of the United States. Blu
some of us teachers remember ex
animation papers of other pupils in th
States, and are not dismayed.
The following extracts from address
es are given "as are" On Washing
toms Birthday, one teacher read this:
| Our ever-existing Rizal Washington o
the Philippine Islands Dead but Stfl