The Glenwood post., 1907-09-21
By s. E. DeRackin.
The Filipino People - Their Qualifica.
tions for Self Government.

Zamboanga, Moro Privince, p. l.,
June l, 1907.
In approaching the consideration of
this subject the wocful lack of mental
development of the native people as n
whole must be somewhat understood
before any intelligent opinion can be
formed. Figures showing the number
of natives who can read and write are
lamentably lame, and even misleading,
if used as a basis to determine the self
governing qualifications of the Filipi-
nos. as we understand the term in the
United States.
1t is safe to say that fully % per
cent of the native people are wholly
lacking in that mental development,
discipline and general knowledge whicn
are so essentiol to progress ana which
make every American n self lf-governing
unit, however illiterate he may be as
regards mere book education. Many
people approach the consideration of
lllS SubJ''i III lpIhi VI 'h'o'
conditions. In fact, many are bound to
declare that the native has been held in
check in his national development by
the Spaniard, and if released from the
power of superior force, would speedily
take his place among the nations of the
East, such as they are, when, as mat
ter of truth, all progress so far made
in these islands is due wholly to the
white man, to the blood he has left
here and to his precept and example
This is conclusively proven by the fact
that in those parts of the islands where
the white man s influence has never
been excrtcd, the people are still saw
ages in every sense of the word. And
that the white man after three hundred
wears of effort has been able to instil
western civilization into more than five
per cent of the people, will be denied
by an overwhelming majority of both
Americans and Europeans here today.
When the history of these people is
inquired into, the true state of affairs
met with here comes as no surprise,
however disappointing it may be to
those who thought they were able to
sc the day when a Filipino republic
"sItting " docile at our feet, receiving
from us laws, civilization, manners, and
giving in turn everything the gratitude
of free people could give-love, obe'
dience, trade,' would be an accom-
plished fact.
When the Spaniards arrived in these
islands some three hundred years ago,
the people found here were living in
tribes. possessing no written history, no
written laws, no literature, no art, no
agriculture, no manufactures; in fact
they were living practically in state
| of nature. At no time in the past han
| they been subject to any mental train
ing other than that employed in com
passing their simple wants. When ii
is remembered that, about 5000 years
before Christ, when the historic curtain
first rises, the white mans mental de
velopment and the discipline and con
troll he exercised over himself, wa:
vastly superior to that found here by
the Spaniards only 300 short years ago
what hope can reasonably be enter
tanned that naturally inferior peopl'
can cover journey in 300 years which
has taken us some 5000 years to cover
The five per cent of the people who
if not overwhelmed by sea of ignor
ancc and savagery, are capable o
building nation and expanding alon,
the lines fwestern civilization, are al
together men of mixed blood. Anon,
the full-booded Filipinos i know no
one who has made success in lif
worthy of the name, even when meas
ured by the low standards of the East
Successful men among the natives il
law, medicine, art, commerce, are con
finei' to those of mixed blood. The lat
J. ter class, while possessing NO pride o