The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1909-05-13
RICH AND POOR FORM THE ONLY
CLASSES.
Affairs In the Island Are Simple In
Extreme mo Commercial
Division,
BY MARY II. FEE.

Oh tnelr lie, DuJ q nOVel CONSCIOUSNESS
of our own. Affairs here are so sim
pie where ours are complex; so COM
plex where ours are simple, that ones
angle of view is considerably enlarged.
The general construction Of society
ls medieval and aristocratic. The
aristocracy, with the exception of a
few wealthy brewers and cigar manu-
facturers in Manila, is a land-holding
one There is practically no bour-
geoisie-no commercial class between
the rich and the poor. In Manila and
all the large coast towns, trade is
largely in the hands of foreigners,
chiefly Chinese, some few Of whom
have been converted to the Catholic
faith and have established themselves
permanently in the country; all Of
whom have found Filipino helpmates
either with or without the sanction Of
the church, and added their contingent
If halfbreeds-or mestizos--to the pop
ulation.
The land owning aristocracy,
though 1t must have been in posses
sion Of it's advantages for several gen.
erations, seems deficient in jealous ex-
| clusiveness on the score of birth. do
not remember to have once heard the
| expression 'of good family" as we
hear it in America, but ! have heard
'he is rich man" so used as to indi-
cate that this good fortune carried
with it unquestionable social preroga-
tive. Yet there must be some clan
nishness based upon birth, for your
true Filipino never repudiates his poor
relations, nor does he apologize for
them. At every social function there
Is crowd of them in all stages OF
modest Tor immodest) apparel and
manners born of social obscurity.
Money talks in the Philippines
| lust as blatantly as 1t does in the Uni.
ted States. In addition to the social
halo impaired by it's possession there
is condition, grown out of it, known
as "cacique-ism." "Caciqueism" is the
social and political prestige exercised
by local man or family. 1t has it's
prototype in America, where every
own and village has it's leading citi-
Ten" and the influence of that leading
itizen's wife. The power of the Amer
lean "cacique," however, is usually
vested in his capacity for deceiving
his fellow-men and in the Americans
natural love for what he regards as
an eminent personality. The Filipino
:acique is quite different being. He
owes his prestige to material fear of
.he consequences which his wealth
and power can bring down upon those
who cross him. He does not have to
play hypocritical role. He need
neither be nor assume to be saint in
ais private or public life. He must
simply be in control of enough re-
sources to attach to himself large
body Of relatives and friends whose
financial interests are tied up with
lis. Under the Spanish regime he had
to stand in by bribery with the local
governor, but under the American
regime, with its illusions of democ.
racy, he simply points to his clientele
and puts forward the plea that he is
the natural voice of the people. The
American government, always eager
10 listen to the peoples voice, will
more than likely take him at his word
Fortified by government backing he
starts In to run his province indepen
lent Of law or justice, and he usually
succeeds In doing SO. There is no real
knowledge among the people of what
, popular right consists in and no real
IDEAL with which to combat usurpa
lions. The men whom he squeezes
howl, but not over the principle
The poor people among the Filipi
nos live in poverty, misery and 9
, happiness inconceivable to our people
who have not seen it. Their poverty
Is real, not relative. Their houses are
barely covering from rain or sun.
!, single rude bamboo bedstead and 6
! stool or two constitute their furniture
There is an earthen water jar, another
earthen pot for cooking rice, bolo fol
cutting, one or two wooden cpoons anG
cup made from cocoanut shell
The stove consists OF three stones
|. laid under the house, or back of 1t
!. . where a rice pot may be balanced
over the fire laid between. There arC
: 40 tables, no linen, no dishes, no tow
lis. The family eat with their fingers
while sitting about on the ground witt
some broken banana leaves for plates
: Coffee, tea and chocolate are unknown
luxuries to them. Fish and rice wit!
/. Jumps Of salt and sometimes a bit o
. ruit constitute their only diet. II
: The babies mass of undigested, nall
! cooked rice remains in the abdomen
= and produces what is popularity calle,
!. 'rice-belly." In adults 1t brings o.
!. oeri-beri, from which they die quickly