The Colorado statesman. [volume] (Denver, Colo.) 1895-1961, 1909-05-01
In FILIPINO SOCIETY
RICH AND POOR FORM THE ONLY
CLASSES.
Affairs in the Island Are Simple In
Extreme Mo Commercial
Division.
BY MARY n, FEE,


present not only an interesting study
of their life, but novel consciousness
of our own. Affairs here are SO sim
pie where ours are complex; so COM
pick where ours are simple, that ones
angle of view is considerably enlarged.
The general construction of society
is medieval and aristocratic. The
aristocracy, with the exception of
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
of halfbreeds-or mestizos-to the pop
ulation.
The land owning aristocracy,
though it must have been in posses
sion of its advantages for several gen
erations, seems deficient in jealous ex-
clusiveness on the score of birth. I 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 a crowd of them in all stages of
modest Cor immodest) apparel and
manners born of social obscurity
Money talks" in the Philippines
just as blatantly as it does in the Uni
ted States. In addition to the social
halo impaired by its possession there
is a condition, grown out of it, known
as 'cacique-ism." "Cacique-ism" is the
social and political prestige exercised
by local man or family. 1t has it's
prototype in America, where every
town and village has it's leading citi-
zen" and the influence of that leading
citizens 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
cacique is quite different being. He
owes his prestige to material fear of
the 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
| his private Oh public life. He must
simply be in control of enough re-
sources to attach to himself a large
body of relatives and friends whose
| financial interests are tied up with
his. 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
to 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-
dent 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-
tons. The men whom he squeezes
howl. but not over che principle.
The poor people among the Filipi-
nos live in poverty misery and a
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 a
stool or two constitute their furniture.
There is an earthen water jar, another
earthen pot for cooking rice, bolo for
cutting, one or two wooden spoons and
cup made from cocoanut she'll
The stove consists of three stones
laid under the house, or back OF it,
where rice pot may be balanced
over the fire laid between. There are
no tables, no linen, no dishes, no tow
els. The family eat with their fingers
while sitting about on the ground with
some broken banana leaves for plates
Coffee, tea and chocolate are unknown
luxuries to them. Fish and rice with
Jumps of salt and sometimes a bit of
fruit constitute their only diet. In
the babies mass of undigested, half
cooked rice remains in the abdomen
and produces what is popularity called
''rice-belly." In adults it brings on
beri-beri, from which they die quickly
They suffer from boils and impure
blood and many skin diseases. Con
sumption is rife and rheumatism at
lacks old and young alike. They are
tormented by gnats and mosquitoes
and frequently, to rid themselves of