Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1903-08-06

speaker of the evening was introduced bl
Principal F. +. PrIchard.
Mr.. Stone sketched the history anC
geography of the islands and gave an ae'
count Of the customs, manners and eharac'
ter of the people.
| The Philippine islands were discovered
by Magellan in 1921 about hundred years
before the Pilgrim Fathers landed at Ply
mouth and were later named by Nillabos
after Philip II of Spain. Magellan was
wounded in battle with some Of the ma.
tives and died at Mactan Apr.26, 1521. Juan
Salvado discovered Manila bay In 1870 and
the capital was located on its coast. Spain
and Portugal were the great maritime
powers Of that time and rivals IN the dis
covery and acquisition of new lands. To
settle their differences Pope Alexander de-
| cided that Portugal should have all the
new lands lying east of the meridian run
nlng by the Cape Verde islands while
Spain should have all west of that line.
| This decision gave the Philippines to
| Portugal but Spain refused to give up pos
session and the pope allowed her TO keep
them.
For $50 years therefore Spain has held
/ the Islands but was never able fully to
subdue the eighty tribes of people, speak
ing as many different dialects and having
about as many religions. The army of
American teachers is now teaching Eng
/
| il kindly and the result will be, in a few
generations, that common language will
weld the diverse races together and give
| them national unity and spirit. The
| islands were ruled from Mexico by Spain
for many years because of the shorter
route and Mexican money is still the cur
rency OF the country. But this is soon to
be changed and our own money substitute
ed.
There are many lofty mountains and
volcanoes in the islands and an abundance
of valuable timber Only one-twelfth OF
the cultiyatable land is cultivated. All
tropical fruits are plentiful and those with
rice which is easily raised form the chief
food of the people. The temperature
ranges from IS to 9S degrees above zero.
There are two pleasant months, six rainy
months and four other months. The
weather is always warm and sometimes
very hot. The Malays are a lazy and
treacherous race, while the Chinese are the
most industrious. The Mestizos, a mix
ture Of Chinese and natives, are most ac-
tive in trade. The people are artistic by
nature, doing fine ornamental work and
making very nice cloth. The women do
beautiful embroidery. The native raj
ment, as perhaps suits the warm climate,
is very scanty, and like the morals of the
people chiefly conspicuous for its scanti-
ness. Their houses of bamboo are not
large and are easily built, and housekeep-
ing is reduced to its simplest terms. They
have next to no furniture and no windows
TO wash. HousecleanIng is unknown and
the ladies have an easy time. Our kitchen
utensils have not yet penetrated to the
Filipino kitchen. One wealthy priest who
had built himself a nice house, had how
ever heard Of the American baking ma
chine and he determined to have one. He
sent to Spain for il and in an order from
Spain to the United States procured an
American cooking stove. The priest re-
ceiyed it and set it up in his kitchen. A
friend OF Mr.. Stone, who visited the priest
was shown the wonderful machine and
be found il without any pipe, while the
fuel was placed in the oven and the food /
TO be cooked was put in the fire. box. The
natives are treacherous, given to lying and
murder,a il our soldiers have sometimes
treated them roughly, they have not lack
ed for provocation TO do so.
There have been at least three distinct |
Instructions and wars against Spain. The /
first two were for liberty and independ- I
ence. The last one, that OF 1895 led by 1
Aguinaldo, was not for independence but /
was chiefly aimed at the friars who had /
made themselves extremely unpopular /
But Aguinaldo was bought off with SI0,- /
900 and the patriot retired to Hong Kong. |
Aguinaldo's outbreak against the United |
States occurred in February, 1893. The |
lecturer was acquainted with the Filipino |
leader and enjoyed his acquaintance, but |
did not think him the greatest OF his /
The lecture closed with the presentation
of some statesmanlike ideas. We must /
keep the Philippines. There is no nation |
TO which we can safely transfer them. We
need them for a coaling station in time of
war in that quarter OF the world and as
base for our commercial operations in time
of peace. Our trade with the Orient is
rapidly increasing. We are manufactur
ing people and our manufactures are being
carried to all countries. American engines,
hundreds OF them, are now employed in
Japan, IN China, in Russia and even in
England We have the iron, the coal, the
skill and the climate for such manufact-
ures. We must have an outlet for our
productions and safe waterway to all
parts of the world. The Pacific ocean is in
the near future to be covered with the
fleets of commerce. The Panama canal is
10 be built and that will bring us 5000
miles nearer TO China than is any nation
Of Europe. That means an advantage to
our traders. We can reach the markets of |
The world sooner and more easily than
others can do. With only five per cent OF
he population of the world we produce
.hirty-two per cent of its merchantable
goods. We need a foothold in the East and
we have found il in the Philippines. The
,annon OF Dewey opened the way for us
md the archipelago will never be given
up. Our future greatness and prosperity
demand its retention. There is no further
West. The West and the East have met in
he Philippines.
This is not a verbatim report OF the very
lble lecture which was listened to with
pleasure by large and intelligent audi
nee, but we give the substance OF what
he average listener was able to carry away
With him.