Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1925-09-03
WRITES FROM PHILIPPINES
THERE FOR ANOTHER YEAR

Editor Democrat:-As we are te
be in the Islands another year, | an
enclosing my subscription order &c
the Democrat for a renewal.
The call of the East" Boy" The
luxurious ease. that only the wealthy
can afford at home; the distinction
accorded every white man here; the
delightful climate, which is one
long June; the fact that there is al
ways, tomorrow" have their lure
I sometimes wonder if / shall ever be
able to go back to the hurry and
hustle of American life.
We are very fortunate in being
located here. Cebu is the second
city and the commercial center OF
the southern stands There are
enough of our own people to make
life interestingly : dances
and teas, and wine flowing like wa
ter.
The school system, like that OF
the army, is endurable or otherwise
according to ones superior officer
Mine chances to be my husband. II
could be worse. The work done In
the high school compares very ia
yorably with that in our schools at
home. However we have an enroll
ment of $500 in Cebu high school
this year. All schools are over
crowded, so that in high school 1t is
a matter of the survival of the fit
test. At least one-half of the fresh
men are failed each year. com
mission under DR.. Monroe made an
inspection of the system last year,
and recommended many changes,
which are surely needed.
The life of the native is simple.
He lives in bamboo, house; sleeps
on bamboo floor, eats bamboo
sprouts, cooked over a bamboo fire,
out of bamboo bowl. Life with
him demands little, and he rarely
over-supplies the demand. His
house furnishings consist of tripod,
a clay cooking pot and occasionally a
box for. his treasures and mat to
sleep on When the rice is cooked
they gather round the pot and eat
with their fingers. II he chances to
get a peso he uses 1t for display.
His clothing, his house, his auto
mobile, as he acquires them, must
have many decorations" In school
he uses or rather misuses, the long
est words he can find. They hold the
worlds record at bluffing, but
haven't succeeded in getting by our
presidents yet.
1t is the non-Christian tribes both
pagan and Mohammedan, who have
the real character. The Igorot may
eat dog of which he is fond. He uses
a Substituting process. By letting
the dog get ravenously hungry, then
feeding it all the cooked rice it will
eat. he has only to roast it, to have
a rare delicacY. He wears no cloth
ing but a sG-string," We. he has
character and nioGestv net found in
the average Filipino. The Moro
may have four wives if he has mon
ey enough to buy them, but they are
his. The ambition of most boys in
school is to become a politico which
means CRATER. If the United
States were to grant them inde-
pendence, the mass of the people
would soon be little more than
slaves. However there are some
fine Filipino people.
The Filipino has little business
ability. Aside from the few Ameri-
can and English firms, the COM
merce is in the hands of the Chinese.
They are more prevalent here than
the Jews at home. However, it is
rather an asset. as they intermarry
with the Filipinos, and the Chinese
mestizos are much keener than the
pure Filipinos, although it is the
only mixture that is success. The
Spanish mestiZo is no good, and the
American mestizo disreputable. East
is East, West is West; and never the
twain shall meet.-Sincerely yours,
Millicent Blackburn Doner, Cebu
Cebu, Philippine Islands, July 10,
1925.