The Wichita daily eagle., 1903-10-24
FILIPINO STUDENT WINS HoNoRs

Roman Jose Maria Lacson de Paula
| is the name of a youth of nineteen who,
after less than four years spent in the
United States colleges. can write his
name the imposing letters a. B.. A. NJ.
and Phi. D. He is a son of the former
governor of the Negros islands, Rosendo
/ Lacson.
Senior Lacson, who is a wealthy sugar
| planter, is well known among the United
| States military in the Philippines for his
| friendly attitude and the very material
assistance he has rendered this country
during the difficulties between natives
and Americans.
Young Lacson has been at school ever
since he was four years old, and until he
came to America his education was con-
Quoted entirely under ecclesiastical super
vision He was sent to Manila to be edu-
Gated by the Jesuits, and there he entered
the Aterno Municipal de Manila, from
which he was graduated with honors in
1898 He went to Negros for vacation
and it was decided to complete his educa-
tion at the Jesuit college at Bilbao, Spain.
While he was at home the war began and
his departure was delayed.
His father asked for troops with which
to support the American flag. and the
First California volunteers were sent 10
! Negros The chaplain of the regiment
was the Rev. Father McKinnon, who was
a graduate of Santa Clara college,, \
Jesuit institution at Santa Clara, Calf.
Through his influence Governor Lacson
decided to send his son 10 Santa Clara
| instead of to Spain.
The young man entered Santa Clara in
September. 1899 His English vocabulary
was then limited to very few words. but
he soon overcame this obstacle and went
in for much more difficult problems.
In his first year he won a gold medal
offered by Archbishop Riordan for the
best essay on the Christian religion. The
essay. had TO be written in English AMI
competition was open to the college. La =
son wrote his essay in less than three
hours after the subject had been an
nounced
At the close of the second year he grad
uated with the degree of master of arts
He was then only seventeen and was the
youngest student to receive that degree
at Santa Clara.
Straightway he went to Washington. D.
c., and entered Georgetown university To
study law His successes in the east have
been merely a repetition of the progress IS
he had made in the west. Though he has
been at Georgetown for less than two
years he has already won his Ph. ID.
and a number OF other honors.
''The Americans have a wrong idea az
the Filipinos, and the Filipinos have a
wrong idea of the Americans" writes
Lacson. ITO correct this ought TO be
the duty Of not only the Filipinos that
come here. but also OF the Americans
that go TO the Philippines.
1t is generally believed that the ma
jority of the Filipinos are without educa-
ton. but IL any weight is to be attached
to the testimony of foreign travellers IN
the Philippines we shall find that educa-
ton in the islands is not far behind thar
OF Europe Nor has our higher educatioD
been neglected. In l571 the Colegio Real
De san Jose was founded. In is3l ;he
University of san Ignaeio also came into
existence under the auspices Of the jesuit
Fathers
The Dominican friars established =
1911 the Real Cniversidad de St. Thomas
All these universities have existed before
Harvard was founded, and though fhey
cannot boast OF one-tenth the number of
Harvard graduates, they can boast that
their graduates can pass any examination
that Harvard ever required.
With this in view can We say that edu-
cation in the Philippines has been sadly
neglected. as some cisiTne To say 80
would b. 20 go against the irrefutas.'s
evidence Of facts. But. then, ar- We %
ing 10 say that the educational systess
in the Philippines is perfect and cam Il
Je improved upone No. Edccation 81
the Philippines. II carried out as -
Vas planned would have produced r pea-
pie better edseated and better able =
govern themselves. according 20 tie
American standards. but unfortunately
the dishonesty Or those IN Eover a1d
some other causes hind-red putting into
practice the most appropriate system =
e,iucz don that could be framed for the
Philippines
The educational system ia the PHI
iprires. as il was foand b. tae AMER
cans, WAS Incomplete OF account q ff.-
causes mentioned above But vas the
government justified n suppszntsag th-
old system By TIE nev American 81
tenn No cne can teEis the future wig
answer. We can only hope that ihc sYe
ten ~sH - modified as =ooa as so-e =
IS 7oiass arr found defective
The colleges aud pnig -rsstie< fasye tsesa.
since they Sere founded. ss the hzE9z ef