Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1909-05-27
IN FILIPINO SOCIETY
RICH AND POOR FORM THE ONLY
CLASSES.
Affairs In the island Are Simple In
Extreme Mo Commercial
Division.
~ MARY n. FEE.

present not only an interesting study
OF their life, but novel consciousness
OF om 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
10 medieval and aristocratic. The
aristocracy, with the exception OF n
few wealthy brewers and cigar manu-
tacturers 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 It must have been in posses
sion Of its advantages for several gen.
srations, 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 q 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 q crowd of them in all stages OF
modest Tor immodest) apparel and
manners born of social obscurity.
Money talks" in the Philippines
Just as blatantly as 1t does in the Uni.
ted States. In addition to the social
halo impaired by its possession there
Is a condition, grown out of 1t, known
as "cacique-ism." "Cacique-ism" Is the
social and political prestige exercised
by local man or family. It has Its
prototype in America, where every
own and village has its leading citi-
Ten" 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 a hypocritical role. He need
neither be nor assume to be saint In
his 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
ais. 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 ne 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 a
happiness inconceivable to our people
who have not seen 1t. Their poverty
Is real, not relative. Their houses are
barely covering from rain or sun. A
single rude bamboo bedstead and o
stool or two constitute their furniture.
There is an earthen water jar, another
sarthen pot for cooking rice, bolo for
sutting, one or two wooden spoons and
4 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 are
40 tables, no linen, no dishes, no tow
els. q 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 bit Of
.ruit constitute their only diet. In
he babies a mass Of undigested. half
,oolred rice remains In the abdomen