Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-01-19
BRATTLEBOR0 LOCAL NEWS
IN THE PHILIPPINES
Charles Hopkins CIark's Address
Before Congregations Club

His Reviews as a Result Of His observa-
lions While with Secretary Taft's Party
Last Summer.
The Congregational club held on Tues
day evening, one of the most interesting
and profitable meetings in its history II
was ladies' night meeting, with Charles
Hopkins Clark of Hartford, Conn, editor
in chief Of the Hartford Courant, as the
speaker. A banquet was served to about
$50 members and guests in the Brooks
House dining room, after which the
BrattleborO male quartet sang a selection
and responded to an encore. At the re-
guest of President u. H. Crane the
speaker OF the evening was introduced by
Rev. H. r. Miles, and at the close Of his
paper the quartet sang another selection.
Mr.. Clark's paper was on What the
Taft party Saw in the Philippines"
Having been a member OF the Taft party
Mr.. Clark was able to speak with au-
thority, and the manner in which he ex-
pressed his thoughts coupled with the in
formation which he gave, held the close
attention of the audience and brought
out enthusiastic applause.
Mr.. Clark said that 1t had been his
good fortune to accompany Secretary
Taft on the trip last summer to the East
and through the Philippine islands; and
scriptlon of the scenes and experiences
Of the party that 1t was an expedition on
which each one paid his own way, and
the impression that had spread abroad
that it was picnic at public expense was
without any foundation.
He said that wnlle we are accustomed
to think Of the Philippines as a new coun-
try they are only new as being undevelop-
ed. They were discovered by the Span
iards in 1920, and Manila was an estab-
lished city SO years before the Pilgrims
landed on Plymouth Rock. The lack OF
progress is to be attributed, in part at
least, to the tyranny and oppression Of
the Spanish rulers who have never taken
possession Of any country without carry
ing or its riches and depressing the peo-
pie.
Manila is a city Of something like 25O, 900
inhabitants. The life OF the Americans
there, who are in the main army and
navy people and attaches of the govern
ment. is very delightful one. and one
learns over there better than he can at
home, the high quality Of our army and
navy whose officers we at home see but
little.
There are still in Manila a good many
prosperous natives whose blood is mixed
with Spanish and Chinese, but the great
majority of the people are the careless
and shiftless natives who are lazy be-
yond the comprehension Of a Yankee,
whose emotions are 80 transient that they
often close their funerals with a dance,
and whose first interest in life seems to
be the Sunday cock-fight.
After spending a week or two in
Manila the party took a government
transport and cruised for a fortnight
among the islands. Mr.. Clark described
the scenery as beautiful beyond descrip-
ton, with the blue sky and the bluer
water, the picturesque islands whose
IivRnI I,..o
the splendid handicapped volcanoes which
run up eight or ten thousand feet direct
from the sea level.
At Jolo they met the famous Sultan of
Jolo or Sulu and had a sight of this little
potentate, who claims to be a direct
descendent Of Mahomet He was there
with party Of his uncouth followers, and
there was a reception and parade which
took up the day and evening and at
which many varieties of the wild people
were seen, for they gathered from all
about, some In bright, gay clothes and
others in bright black skins.
The speaker described the cultivation
Of the islands as altogether primitive and
said that there was absolutely no danger
Of competition which would injure any of
the interests in this country. He called
attention to the fact which has been
printed at various times, a statement that
the islands came into our possession at
cumulated upon them. The carabaos
which are essential to all their industry
had been dying of in great numbers by
the rinderpest, the surra had killed many
of the horses, droughts had destroyed the
crops. and cholera had killed at least
10000 of the people. And under such
conditions no country can be prosperous,
especially when they follow a war in
which each side had given itself to the
destruction Of whatever they thought had
value.
The people are so lazy and shiftless
that 1t will take a long time to teach
them industry The schools are doing a
large work and the cemeteries are doing
at least as useful work at the other end
of the line. When the people have all
died and the new ones taken their places
with modern ideas, there may be some
progress.
The islands have in themselves great
possibilities for work, but the development
Will be so slow that nobody now living
will be likely to see any great improve
ment The natives are in the main utter
ly Indifferent to the question of govern
ment and are all OF them incapable of
governing others The few who agitate
the question Of Philippine independence
simply want the offices and would fall to
cutting each others threats If an at
tempt were made to let them set up a
government of their own.