Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-09-14
VOICES
HOPEFORF FUTURE
Of PHILIPPINES
Speaks of Shortcomings and
Virtues of His People at Pan
Pacific Club Luncheon

When a baby cries we know tina
his mngs are healthy and consequent
BY VIC like to hear the little one squaI
once in a while; II reminds rs tha
red blood Is running in his veins; We
know that he Il growing. maturing
beginning to think, said W. II. Fry
Introducing e. c. Ramirez at the Pan
Pacific Club at noon today, and in The
same way We IKE TO hear. the voice
Of tile baby member Of the common
wealth Of the United States, the Phi
! Iippine islands.
Silence is ominous, and we want
to hear the words Of this young na
ton often in our ears, for then we
j shall know that Il too is growing,
prospecting, maturing to the strength
Of a proud and thinking nation. The
best, thing have ever done has been
to bring Mr.. Ramirez to Hawaii
Mr.. Ramirez said, In part:
What Hawaii can do for the Fill
tpinos to make them better citizens
was the note sounded by the chair
man of these weekly gatherings at the
initial luncheon. 1t was quite diff
tferent tone from that Of the other ma
ffonaffties. The Fflipinos have not
become wen established here yet like
the Portuguese, Japanese or Chinese.
but they are here and It would be I'M
fair to ignore their presence. That
they are q contributing factor to the
prosperity of Hawaii is an undentable
fact, for the production of more than
15, 900 Filipino laborers is by no means
a small matter. =, ~. -. T.
"fhc Filipino is he an undesfrable2
Among the u1favorable chafactefis-
tics OF the Filipino, his critics name
antrustwoFthiness and Incidence. In
d greater or less degree these charges
have, unfortunately, too much founda-
ton IN the admitted facts Of the daily
life to allow even his warniest admir-
|ers to enter general denial Admis-
sion of some truths IN these hard &c
cusations, and such explanations and
affiliations al the case win permit
IL the only frank and honorable
course. .. Fss4 3 4 Il, go L. - E ~,
LET it be renemb efed that untffst-
worthiness is q fault met with among
all nations. The reign Of injustice and
Hlind force Under which filipinos lived
has been such that deception was their
only defense against merciless oppres-
sion. Even the teaching Of kis spirit
uai guides put no severe ban upon
deceit The experience of the Filipino
people gould not nave been better
adapted to enkoufage nntruth fulness
on q wide scale. Forced labor, exces.
siye and uncertain taxation, courts
which sold Justice to the highest bid
der, police Fleeing the prosperous and
protecting the ladrone for per cent.
age of HIS stealings, greedy church Of.
ficiais charging for an services rem
dered ana spending their gains either
I'm unseemly living or in the aggTand-
izement Of Their 6fdefs-aIl these
causes combined to make q resort to
lying appear almost excusable.
III there Is anything that CRATES up
on the American It Is the lndolenee of
the Filipino. With the terrific actis. |
ity Of this western man. the seemingly
untroubled idleness OF the average
Filipino is exasperating beyond nfea.
sure. n one h open-lninded he will
find several more or less satisfactory |
Of this habit of taking |
life easy. The climate is unfaVorabIa |
to sustained exerti0n Il II warm. 10 |
Is continually warm There are no |
long, cold winters against which both |
food and fuel and warm shelter must |
be provided. CONDITIONS make life |
easy The ever present bamboo and |
nipa palm furnish material for the
ffail house that shelters the house
hold from sun and rain. For from SO
to $50 he can build anything from a
rude cottage to six-room house. ~
"The waters are alive with edible
creatures. Fish, crabs. prawns and
other food products of the sea and |
river can be bad at "a aminfmHf1i of |
effort and at any time, day or night, |
during every year. Rice is usually |
plentiful and Inexpensive ia few days
work each month will either give suf-
ficient care to the crops to secure all |
the rice the: family can use, or earn /
money To buy 1t: To the man so sit |
hated there 10 scarcely any way to |
make severe and sustained industry |
attractive. He sees no call for it. His /
needs are few. H. 80 49,
THE passion for gambling is q So
rious fault In the Filipino character |
This is the worst vice In the country. |
The natives do not drink TO excess,
but as a people they are victims of the
gambling habit. ~% G*'' = =
: Favorable characteristics are many.
The Filipino peuple are polite. 1t is
innate. Some one has said:
8 sPoIffeness islt do and say
The kindesG thing In the kindest way;
and by this definition the Filipinos
can take high rank among the people
Of the earth.
Hospitality is a strong point in the
native character There is not hotel
In the Philippines: that caters to- the
Filipino trade Manila, with about |
SOC, eco people. has no such hosiery.
1t is not needed Every one who comes
10 the city stops with 'parientes' or
relatives; with amigos or with |
friends. Nothing else Is thought Of
as a possibility. In Honolulu hundreds
of Filipinos would starte 10 death /
were Il not for these 'parientes' and
amigos