Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1909-05-27

sumption 10 rife and rheumatism a.
tacks old and young alike. They are
tormented by gnats and mosquitoes
and frequently. to rid themselves OF
the pests, they build fires under thelr
houses and sleep away the hot tropical
night In the sitting smoke. While the
upper classes are abstemlous tho low
or orders drink much OF the native
vino" which is made from the sap
of the cocoanut and nipa trees. and
the men are often brutal to their WON.
en- and children. Now all this 10 not
written about the savage or uncivilized
tribes In the islands. but about those
people more properly known as "Eipi.
pinos," who loudly claim an advanced
stage of civilization and cry vocifer'
ously for Independence" And think
the most hopeful person must admit
that II is q recitation Of real and not
fancied evils. The Filipino laborer Is
still far below even the lowest steps
OF the relative degree OF prosperity
and happiness. Yet In spite Of all his
Ills he is happy, but this is because he
has not yet developed far enough to
achieve either self.pity or selfanalysis.
He bears his pain, when II comes, as q
dumb animal does; and forgets It as
quickly when II goes. When the hour
Of death descends he meets It stoical.
ly, partly because physical pain dulls
his senses, and partly because the in
stinct Of fatalism is In him. In spite
Of his Catholicism.
OF course this poverty-stricken con-
dition is-largely his own fault. He has
apparently an ineradicable repugnance
to continued labor. He does not look
forward to the future. Fathers and
mothers will sit the whole day playing
the guitar and singing, or talking after
the fashion of the country, when there
is not bite of food in the house.
When their own desires begin to rein.
force the clamors OF their children
they will start out at the eleventh
hour to try to earn the days where
with to live. The more intelligent OF
the laboring element attach them.
selves as clientele to the rich land.
holding families. They are by no
means slaves in law, but they are in
fact, and they like 1t. The men are
agricultural laborers, the women
seamstresses, house servants, wet
nurses and general servants, and when
their children grow up they are scat
tered out among the different branches
Of the ruling family as maids and
Wallets. In a well-to-do Filipino family
Of ten or twelve children there will
be q child servant for every child in
the house-ill-fed little creatures,
since the Filipino is merciless in what
he exacts and thrifty in what he gives
trained at seven or eight years OF
age to look after the clothing, the
room, and to be at the beck and call
Of another child ofttimes younger than
themselves. They go to school with
their little masters and mistresses,
carry their books, play with them and
perform any mental task that needs to
be done. For this they receive the
scantiest dole of food on which they
can live, q few CASTOR garments and o
stipend of rs cents Omitted States
currency per annum, which their pa
rents carefully collect and spend. Pa
rents and children are satisfied, be.
cause little as they get 1t is sure.
Parents especially are satisfied, be.
cause thus do they evade the duties
and responsibilities Of parenthood. II
there ever was a land where legisla.
ton was needed on the subject Of
child labor, 1t Is here. Children are
overworked from infancy. They do
all the work of the islands, and the
last drop Of energy and vitality is gone
out Of them before they reach man.
hood or womanhood. Indeed, the first
privilege of manhood or womanhood
to them Is to quit work. The result Of
American occupation has been a raise
in the price Of agricultural labor, and
in the city of Manila of all labor. But
in the provinces the needlewoman and
the house servant still work for incon-
ceivably small prices. When / ar
rived in the islands, in 1901. a seams
tress worked nine hours a day for 20
cents gold and her dinner. Now, in
Manila, q seamstress working for an
American woman receives from SO to
rs cents q day and her keep. Span
iards, Filipinos and Chinese pay less,
because they know how. A provincial
Filipino pays his coachman two dol
lars per month and O cook $3.50. An
American for the same labor pays four
dollars to eight dollars for the cook
and from four dollars to six dollars
for the coachman. AS before stated,