The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1909-03-04


length, of native tobacco suspended by
cord in the room, each person lighting
and taking a Whit or two whenever so
inclined.
must say have always been treated
with the greatest respect and courtesy
by the Filipino people Even the poorest
old "tao" and ''mujer" often have a
quiet, gentle politeness of manner towards
one which give them a certain dignity.
We are always kind to them, and give
pleasant word of greeting, especially to
the children, who are delighted to be
noticed and watch for our appearance as
we walk or drive through town, calling
out loudly "Americano," hello, hello,
and we give it back, hello! "picaninnies.
The women smile broadly and give US
''buenos noches" (good EVENING" in their
soft musical voices, and sometimes run
to the road TO present me favorite flow
er from their window boxes. If native
likes one they cannot do enough to show
their appreciation of your friendship.
A family near US had an only child
which sickened and died. We called
often during its illness, and attended the
funeral services, which gratified them eN-
ceedingly, and later gifts of broilers
from their large flock of poultry and
pretty native cloths was forced upon US.
These people are so much like children.
Help is so cheap it does not pay white
woman to exert herself much in this
warm climate, and every family has one
or more "Muchachas" (house boys) who
do all the work and cooking for less than
half what is paid in the States, and these
boys are generally pretty good sort,
very quiet and obedient, and often get to
have a great respect and affection for
their white master and mistress, if kindly
| treated. | mentioned before that these
people, with all their faults, possessed
traits that made them in some respects
quite lovable which are often shown by
the boys who come under our observa-
| ton, both at the commissary and in our
quarters. They never tire in waiting on
US, and would run their brown legs off IN
their eagerness to please and receive
few words of commentator from their
''Senora"
Crisantos, boy twenty-four years of
age, has been with me year and half,
and on one occasion only did have cause
to reprimand him, when he stood staring
at me in petrifed amazement for some
moments, then left the room. On gong
to the kitchen some time after, what
was my establishment to find the boy
with face buried on his arms, and form
shaken with deep sobs, quite broken
hearted that his beloved Sonora" had
spoken sharply to him. This incident
among many simply shows one some
thing of the childish minds of these grown
men and women, and causes US to wonder
at the strange combination of their ma
lures.
| have heard Americans who have
studied these descendants of the Malay
race since the early days Of our occupa-
ton of their inherited domain, explain
them thus: "half- child half ill., and
when l see examples before me of their
many-sided natures, | am sometimes in
clined to acquiesce in that statement.
The next generation or two of cultiva-
ton may bring forth higher morals and
refinement, killing out to great extent
the legacy of evil from their ancestors,
for with the greatly improved conditions
we have given them they are making
really good progress in the past ten years
during American occupation. When un,
der Spanish rule there was less than Isl
miles of railroad, now there are ovel
1000 miles, with many more in process
of construction. Manila is becoming {
beautiful residential city with a fine
, traction system, modern sanitation ane
, all the other features that go to make {
. metropolis. The people of the provinces
are showing more ambition in the way
= of developing their little possessions
: Show them by example and proper edu
cation and they show an aptitude to fol
: low, and initiate with all the eagernes:
of child. Our government started
y 1,5OO public schools in the islands, which
y have expanded until now there are ovel
o 1000 of them, and nearly $500 are con
. Quoted by Filipino students, who under