The citizen., 1920-05-13

and their ancestors nave been civilized
and Christians for 800 years; that the
non Christian population. according to
the census OF 1918. Is only 100000. and
even these are not all unclvilized.
another fancy is that not until the
coming OF the Americans were school
buildings seen In the Islands, roads
built. or substantial houses erected
Do you know that for hundreds OF
years the Filipinos have had colleges
and schools and that the University OF
Santo Tomas is only twenty-five years
older than HarvardI That as early as
1865. out OF a population of 4,000,OO0
people. there were S41 schools for boys
and sS3 for girls1 That In 1892. eight
years before the coming Of the Ameri-
cans. there were 2,i37 schoolsi
ITO grant self-government TO Luzon
under Agulnaldo would be like grant.
Ing self-government 10 an Apache res.
ervation under some local chief" Thus
spoke a former President OF the United
States during the Filipino-American
war. Exaggeration could be an excuse
IL time when the dignity OF the Am.
erican people demanded the extinction
Of Filipino opposition. but do you know
that the Philippine Republic. before the
American occupation OF the Islands.
had the approval OF prominent Ameri.
cans who were on the spot-llke John
Barrett, Director OF the Pan-American
Union. who compared II favorably with
the japanese government? That Ad
mlral Dewey considered the Filiplnos
better fitted for government than
the Cubansi That they had drafted a
constitution at Malalos which elicited
the approval Of distinguished Repub-
!icans like the late Senator George +.
Hoarf That before the coming OF the
Americans they had produced national
heroes like the martyred Jose Rial.
pronounced by a Republican congress.
man, Representative Cooper. as the
noblest victim that has ever fallen into
the clutches OF tyranny
And do you know that the FilipInos
have not had for hundreds OF years any
caste system. blood distinction or royal
families, and that, unlike their oriental
sisters, they are the only Christian peo-
pie In the orienti
People have pictured an ignorant
mass OF Filipinos. illiterate. poor. liv-
ing a life OF servitude for a few
wealthy land owners and foreigners,
with no houses or farms or property
OF their own. Do you know that 10
per cent. OF the people above ten years
OF age can read and write and that this
percentage OF literacy is almost as high
as some OF the states OF the Union1
That II Is higher than In any country
of South Anne rica. higher than the lit
eracy OF the Spanish people. and un.
questionably above that OF any OF the
new countries recognized In Europei
DO you know that there are a million
and half farms In the Philippines
and that SO per cent of these farms
are owned by Filipinos In other words,
that out OF the 100000 Christian
Filiplnos. s.000.OOO of them at least live
on their own farms, with houses OF
their own, independent OF any absentee
landlord or foreign master7 That 9l
per cent OF the urban property con-
sisting of houses and lands is owned
by the natives of the Philippines, and
only . per cent is In the hands OF for
elgnersf Yet these are facts cabled by
Acting Governor Charles Emmett Yea
ter 10 the War Department from the
recent census estimates.
Having solemnly promised the Fill
pilos their independence aud having
gone before the world as the champion
OF self-determination. the Filipino peo-
Pile cannot understand how America
can consistently refuse to make good
these promises.