Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-08-20
IV--The
Philippine
Peoples.


by American railroad builders to induce
workmen from the densely populated is
land of Cebu to go over to the thinly
populated island of Panay, where good
wages were promised. They declined upon
the ground that there might be trouble
between themselves and residents of Pa
nay. This is one of many illustrations
of the separateness of the various. peo-
pie in the Philippines. In one island,
or in one section of an island, there are
vast acres of rich soil with little popu-
lation. In another a dense population
practices intensive agriculture upon every
available acre. One tribe is nomadic, an
other has been a stationary hill people
since before the Spanish conquest. Be
fore there can be a Philippine nation
these various people must be made into
one.
The different tribes with which the
United States has to deal in the Philip
pines range from the most primitive saw
ages to the nations" which enjoyed
marked degree Of culture when Magel-
Ian landed at Butuan, a little more than
quarter of a century before Columbus
discovered America. With the exception
OF the aboriginal Negrito dwarf blacks,
with the possible exception of the Indon-
esians who are probably of Caucasian
origin. Aside from the purely native
stocks there are Chinese and Spanish
mixed bloods, or Mestizos. The Mestizos
include many wealthy and influential
F1lipinos. There are also about $1,000
Chinese full bloOds in the islands, but
the Chinese exclusion law prevents this
poulation from being recruited by immi-
grafton.
The last census gives the Philippines q
total population of 1855. 426. This is prob
ably conservative, as new villages and
towns are constantly discovered in re-
g1ons inhabited by uncivilized tribes,
The eight Christian tribes, over whose
affairs the insular government presides,
number about 1000, 900, together with Mes
tiZos, Europeans and Americans resident
In the islands. The Moros, numbering
about 275,OOO. and the wild tribes make
up the balance Of the grand total. These
people are governed directly from Wash
ington and not by the Philippine assem-
bly, in conjunction with the commission
ers. The civilized tribes are practically
all Roman Catholics. The Moros are
pagans.
At the Louisiana Purchase exposition
the Philippine exhibit contained sections
In which Moros, Igorotes and Negritos
were displayed. The "spielers" talked
more about the dog eating Igorotes than
about the culture of the Christian Fill
pinos. The result was that there grew
up In the minds of many Americans the
impression that a very large part of the
population Of the islands was comosed
OF savages. The complaint that the
Americans know too little about the race
whose destinies they are attempting to
mold is frequently heard in cultured
Filipino circles.
Recently the Philippine assembly cut
put an appropriation "for the purpose of
friendly relations with the
Wild tribes and putting down head hunt
ng." The ground taken was that the
world had already heard so much about
head hunting in the Philippines that the
popular idea existed that this was the
chief industry In the archipelago. The APP
like the silk dress of the
travellers wife, was put into
he bill, but placed where it did not at
tract attention.
The Tagalogs were a civilized people
100 years ago, but how much longer his
ory does not definitely tell. They were
writing and staging plays before Magel-
ans day. AS their rulers were called
'ajas, and their vocabulary contained
lair percentage Of words of Sanskrit orr
gin, 1t is probable that the Hindoos who
invaded Java about IA centuries ago also
brought Indian civilization to the Phil
ppines. At a much later date Arab
priests brought Mohammedanism into the
southern islands. AS an evidence OF
advancement, mortgages were
executed and bonds sold in thee islands
before the Spanish invasion, and when
he Spanish took 'Maynila," the present
,apital, there existed a cannon foundry
which the invaders saw fit to continue
n operation under the native foreman.
Before the Spaniards came the more
advanced islands were governed by an
,ristocracy that cared little for the rights
# the common people. With certain mod
hcation the Spaniards continued the
policy of making the masses hewers of
wood and drawers OF water. Not until the
american occupation was there any at
empt to educate the whole people and
live them equal rights. Nowadays the
most primitive of the Filipinos are, as
Whole, "Americanistas." while there are
many members of the old aristocracy in
lined in the other direction. In Manila,
where mixed blood and political aspira-
ions fire the veins and the energies of
large majority of the upper class one
lears that the Americans are dislilked
n the provinces, where even the fanati-
al pullajanes respected the lives OF
american school teachers during the Pc
iod of outlawry after the instruction.
me hears another story.
Aside from the Spanish speaking Tag