Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-06
BADLY BROUGHT UP
Filipinos May Do Better I'm
der Uncle Sam.
DIFFERENT INFLUENCES
MAY CAUSE GREAT CHANGE IN
NATIVE CHARACTER.
Conflicting Opinions as to the Future
of Our "Dark-Skinned Brothers.
Two Points Of View.
BY WILLIAM Z. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star and
Chicago Record Herald.

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star and
Chicago Record Herald.
MANILA, July 6. 1904.
We must give our little brown brothers"
chance. We realize that they are unre-
liable childish. fanciful. Irresponsible but
they have had bad bringing up. We
must make allowances for that fact and
have patience with them and give them a
new chance under different conditions. 1t
is not fair or just to judge them by any
standards so soon-either as men or as citi-
zens. Everything has been against them.
They have just emerged from nearly four
centuries of oppression and repression, and
should have time to expand and assimilate.
we cannot. Of course. tell what they might
have been under different training. different
influences and different conditions Nobody
Will presume that Spaniards have proved to
be the best preceptors whether in politics.
Industry or morals. and the raw material
OF which the Filipinos were created was of
inferior quality. Hence we should not ex-
pect to find paragons in this archipelago,
where everybody is entitled to double credit
for every virtue he may possess
1t must be admitted that the Filipinos In
spite Of many natural and artificial defects.
are altogether the best types Of the Malay
race. Their most conspicuous characteristic
Is their ability to initiate. They are apt
pupils in vice well as virtue. We should
not condemn them. therefore, under the
circumstances IL. after due time for OBJ
servation and adjustment the native inhab-
ftants of Manila and vicinity should not ex-
Gel the examples Of manhood furnished by
the American colony here. We are told
that during nearly 400 years they have been
acquiring all the vices of the Spaniards and
grating them upon a very pronounced type
OF total depravity furnished by the TaKaIog
race. Hence We are offered difficult. per-
haps an almost hopeless. case for reform
and as long as the American residents of
the Philippines are not the highest types
OF our race, the Filipinos might ask for
allowances II they do not attain the highest
degree OF social. moral and political perfec-
ton.
Something to Commend.
Yet. even the most prejudiced will admit
That they have certain virtues worthy to
commend and encourage, and there Is even
diHerence OF opinion as to their mental
capacity and moral fiber. Everybody must
discern among the educated classes men of
startling integrity, superior intellect and
thorough culture who would be a credit
to any race and strengthen any nation
There Is abundant reason to say that our
little brown brothers" are not altogether
bad There Is ground to hope that With a
fair opportunity to exercise and develop the
good that is in them they may become very
much better.
civil service commission, examines and in
spects all applicants for office. and Pro-
lessor Borrows, chief of the bureau of edu-
cation, who has spent several years in the
chronological study of the Filipino races
both have very high regard for them. and
are confident that they can be made valu-
able citizens. Their faults these gentlemen
claim. are due to bad training and example,
and good training and example can correct
them. Their defenders say that the Fill
pino races must not be judged by the sam
" " nod tao
been vitiated by the admixture of Spanish
and Chinese, and that no one should ex-
press an opinion as to the capacity COM
potency of the people until he has stud
led the pure blood in the country.
Two Points of View.
1t is interesting to hear the evidence on
both sides Of this moral and chronological
controversy. and 1 will give them to you as
heard them expressed by men who have
made the Filipinos subjects of study and
experiment.
To begin with many. and perhaps all.
chronological authorities and sociologists
contend that the Malay race cannot be up
lifted; that it was created without and can
not acquire, the qualities necessary to make
good men and good citizens; that the fun
damental defect is lack of character and
reasoning powers: that it is capable of inn
provement only by imitation, and that a
veneer of civilization will peel off promptly
when subjected to unfavorable conditions.
Professor Alyene Ireland, for example.
who has spent two years in the East Indies
studying social political and material con-
ditions to qualify himself for professor
ship in Chicago University, is pronounced
pessimist in all that concerns the improve
ment Of the Malays. He will point out to
you that the English have been at work
more than a hundred years and the Dutch
nearly four hundred. and what. he asks
has been accomplished toward the moral
and intellectual betterment of the native
population of MALAYSIA by those two nations
the most enlightened, scrupulous and hon
orable of all the sons of men. The Dutch
Professor Ireland contends, next to the
English, have been the most intelligent and
successful of all colonizers and educators,
and II those two nations cannot succeed In
regenerating a race after five generations
and we count twenty years to genera
tion-it is useless for weaker nations to try.
Yet what have the Dutch and the English
accomplished in the Malay states and is
lands? They have introduced schools.
churches factories, modern machinery and
implements honest and liberal government.
stable currency and liberty to exercise ev-
cry faculty. and have furnished every pos
sible opportunity for the people to improve
and advance. All progress has been re-
warded, yet the Malay race. under such
beneacent protection and encouragement.
has continued to decline; there have been
individual examples Of Improvement. but
they are few and comparatively inconspicu-
Gus.
IT Is true that no Malay has ever done
anything for the welfare of mankind nor to
promote the worlds progress. The race
has never produced a statesman or SOL
der, scientist. inventor. author or hero of
any kind A few of its representatives have
passed the line of mediocrity, but not so far
as to become famous. while the masses of
the people are too indolent and indifferent
to learn or improve their condition. They
do not care for wealth or fame or comfort
They have no ambition, no desire to utilize
their opportunities, no zeal to benefit each
other. The same may be said Of the natives
of India, Burma, Egypt and everywhere
else in this latitude and longitude Schools.
railways, churches and missionaries have
not been able to arouse any ambition or
convey any moral impetus to the Malay
race, and while its material conditions are
very much improved that is entirely due to
foreigners and not to its own efforts.
Everything in the way of progress In
MALAYSIA has been due either to Europeans
or to the Chinese-a race that overcomes
all obstacles and opposition and succeeds
everywhere, although it is hated. despised
and prosecuted for possessing and practic-
ing the very virtues we endeavor to incul-
cate and cultivate. Without the Chinese,
Burma the Malay archipelago and, In fact,
all of the East Indies would be In a state
of hopeless decay and poverty. To them all
H. RI M world