Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-09
A TEACHERS STORY
Experience in a Town in
Northern Luzon.
WINNING THE NATIVES
FILIPINos GAINED BY MEETING
THEM WITH AVAILABILITY.
Not Like the japanese in the Latter's
Love of Occupation and Re
pugnance to Idleness.
WINNING THE NATIVES
BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star and
Chicago Record Herald.
MANILA, June 8. 1904
Following up what we were saying the
other day as to the probable consequences
OF the education of the laboring classes
upon the agricultural interests and other
industries Of the islands. it should be borne
in mind that conditions here very diff
ferent from those existing in the Malay
peninsula. India. Java. Sumatra. Borneo
and other East India colonies, from which
our knowledge Of the habits and proclivities
OF the Malay race is drawn. AS / told you
the other day. Dr. Barrows, superintendent
Of education, who has made the ethnology
OF the FiipinOs a subject Of special study
and was at the head of the chronological
bureau before his promotion to his present
position declares that the Filipino has
more of the characteristics of the japanese
than of the Hindus or Malays but during
my brief observation / have not been able
to recognize many of them
He undoubtedly has the same love of
music and fighting. the same powers of
imitation and love of country, but he GER
tainly lacks the energy, endurance, industry
and sturdy perseverance of the japanese.
You seldom see a loafer in Japan; the peo-
pie of that remarkable country are ALWAYS
busy. You never see a Japanese sleeping
on doorstep or in a carriage, and the
Filipinos are always asleep or leaning up
against something. The Japanese love
work; they love to accomplish things and
with the limited area and resources Of
their empire have d hard struggle to ac-
Quire wealth or even to sustain life: Will
the Filipino has never done anything to de-
velop the marvellous indust ries of these
islands. and IS perfectly willing to live from
hand to mouth and subsist upon the
bananas that ripen over the roof of his
cottage.
DR.. Barrows is something Of an idealist
and Is pleased at the sympathetic response
which the educational plans OF the govern
ment have met with DR.. Washburn chair
man Of the civil service commission is
equally sanguine as to the future of the
Filipino and the effect of education upon
him. because. like DIR. Barrows, he has had
gratifying experience with the eagerness of
the native to acquire education enough to
qualify himself for an office But II GER
generous plans of the government for an
educational system here would not have
been successful even practicable had
they not been demanded by the common
people themselves.
The Filipino Progressive.
The Filipino as DR.. Barrows says. is es-
sentially radical He is one of the least
conservative types of the human race and
in that he resembles the Japanese Thor
ouSnly american ana advanced as the
school system here is 1t Is not too much so
to suit the progressive desires of the Fill
pino. He demands free secular schools
open on equal terms to all of the inhabi-
tants of the islands. and wants to abandon
the Spanish for the English language. His
experience with the Spaniards convinced
him that they governed in thought and
action by medieval ideas and prejudices
that are no longer useful in the world, and
his sympathies are entirely with progress.
But it seems to me that here, as every
where else, the consequence of education
must depend very largely upon the personal
qualities and character of the student and
quite as much upon the personal qualities
and character of the teachers. AS DR.. Bar
rows said in the interview l sent you the
other day, the Filipino is phenomenally
keen in his perceptions and powers of imi-
tation. He is ready to adopt new ideas,
loves novelties. and the influence and ex-
ample of his teacher will go very far with
him.
Fortunately the great majority of the
teachers who have come over here from
the United States are men and women of
principle and sterling character and the
government is to be congratulated upon
and sometimes embarrassing circumstances.
They came among a distrustful and sus-
picieus people, who looked upon the gov
eminent of the United States as an invader
OF their rights and privileges, too strong
for them to resist Their homes had been
destroyed; their communities had been de-
moraiized by years Of war, their fields were
untitled their cattle had been killed or
stolen and their material condition was
at a very low stage. It was not q favor
American teacher succeeded In overcoming
the distrust of the people. in gaining their
confidence and instiliing courage and am
bition among them. How successfully this