Image provided by: The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde; Grand Ronde, OR
About Weekly Chemawa American. (Chemawa, Or.) 189?-198? | View Entire Issue (Jan. 24, 1902)
CHEMAWA AMERICAN. 7 I have just finished reading my last re ceived copy of the Indian Helper and believe I could repeat a good part of it. It la decidedly a creditable little paper, jnd I have read it, with unflagging interest since the first issue (a part of which, by the way, I believe I was.) Ab I look back over a somewhat busy lite, I rhd think of no one enlerprlsp that appeals more sirongly to rov sympaihy ' than Carlisle. (Ofeoiii'Be I refer to the school.) My oonfldoiioeln thecao'iflltv of rh In (Tan child for development into useful n anhood and womanhood dates back to childhood when we meet on equal ground in sports, boyhood tights and friendships. In an hour or so I will be visiting the school at Aracell, on the Island of Durna rim, where I gathered together about two hundred little Filipinos, two months ago and detailed two American soldiers to teach their young ideas to shoot English wnrd(?) They display intense interest and in many ways remind me of the first mstal mentof Carlislisis. These islands, Balabac, Paragua, Cal amines and Cuyos, were under insureoto rule from the time the Spaniards evacuat ed, until last June, when I was ordered over to tflke charge in the name of the United States Government. The first month wasdevoted, mainly, to de fealingalid capturing the insnreetos, and Bincetbat time we have lieen pushing schools and inculcating a feeling of con fidence in the Government among the There are no insurers in these islands now and have not been since July, but the people are poor and ihe problem of how to aid them In reconstructing their abandon ed towns, farms and other indnstlal inter fHtfl is a hard one and necessitates constant visiting of the different islands and the tak ing of personal interest in the loci) affairs of towns and families. There Is a vast del of difference among the Filipino", good, bad and indifferent, indtislrious, lazy and thoughtless, Chris tialis, Moms and savages (i.e. native, mountain people, they are a gentle and al moattl.uidrace, asarule) and it would not do to forget "John Chiuaman." The benefits to the Filipinos resulting from John's presence are many, and much that, is bad can be laid at bis door. Otie Chinese merchant married legally to a Filipino, has two daughters in college in Manila and is a hearty ujptrte r of educa tion. During the recent harvest, while older members of the Filipino families were compelled to leave town to work in the fields, this Chinaman provided board and lodging at his house for some thirty bar-vest-time orphans, so that they could re main in school. "More education, less insurrection, bet ter business" Is (he way he puis It, when I asked him why he favored schools for the Filipinos. A prejudiced person might perhaps oues tion the sincerity of his philanthropy. I didn't elect to evatninecloBely the gift horse In this case In fact there was no change to put in valid objection aa he furnished care, stabling and food. I can't find it in my hsart to object to that kind of a Chinaman, even if he doesn't forget altogether his business in HXtsndiuij aeharatable hand to tbpouraud ignorant. As (he Spaniards way, my house is at hts disposition. One of tne most honored citizens' of my territory is a full blood Tairlog. He is a man of upright character, against whom no man han a bad word. Even Ihe Insurrctos against whom he stood out In favor of law a'd order, sp-iak of him with respect as an honest man, who lived up to his convictions. "Tlie people are ittnormt and have no heads for independent thought. Untll'the majority can think for themselves, Inde pendent, free government is impossiMe'for the Filipinos" is the way lie Relates his In either wods, petce. tny cost and SCHOOLS. That Is the whole thing in a nut shell but don't f 'itfet the seloolw. -Red Man und Helper.