The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, January 07, 1899, Page 2, Image 2

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

    2
THE COURIER.
incumbents of elective municipal
offices are high suliuol rjuluatos or
luivc passed through the jrainiimr
Hcliool prudes. If the system of ethics
taught in Mils most receptive and im
pressionable period of life were more
carefully calculated to prepare the
hovHUtid girls for the performance of
the duties wlilch ttie community will
certainly impose on some of thorn
there would lie fewer betrayals of tho
people's eoulideneo and city, county
and stjite trcaHiirers would nut Hud It
so dlllicult to get signers for tho bonds
they are required to deposit. A it Is,
there Is no time for ethics because all
of it is occupied in teaching and
studying reading, writing, arithme
tic, spelling, geography and the varl
ous occupations which should be
studied in a school of technology or in
an art school or musical conservatory.
Not until a pupil readies the univer
sity is he apt to know what ethics
means. It is not so long a word as
arithmetic nor so abstruse a subject.
And because children are more teach
able and docile than o'der students,
because they believe in the inspiration
ofthel' teachers, because the public
school teacher molds the clay, and
life and the university merely harden
and make permanent the form which
the teacher and the school have
moulded, ethics should be a part of
the curriculum in all the grades from
the primary through the high school.
The example and occasional exhorta
tions, of the teacher arc well enough
hut they do not provide principles and
a scale by which a graduate can test
conduct. There is the saiuu reason
for formally teaching ethics as there
is for teaching grammar. Rules are
founded on larger data than u child
can collect. In later life when the
grammar boy Is writing a brief or an
opinion, or when, as governor or presi
dent, he is writing a message to u
people, he Is frequently very. thankful
that usage has not a Hoc tod his abil
ity to express himself clearly, because
of tho rules which, when ho learned
them, were meaningless, but now
operate to make his meaning explicit.
In the sumo way custom obliterates
rules of uprightness. It sometimes
seems right to steal from a corpora
tion or a people, because the definition
of expediency and of right were not
clearly taught with illustrations in
youth.
Theodore RooBcvelt's 6tory of the
organization and experiences of the
Hough Riders in the current number
of McClures is one of the best war
papers ever written. It has all the
effect of war music. It puts one in
perfect pympathy with the spirit
which brought ttie cowboys and col
lege boys together. Not least of the
charm of Mr. Roosevelt's narrative
are the glimpses he gives us into his
character. Faithful to those he culls
friends, and fair to all, he seems a just
man, us well as a most enthusiastic
patriot. It) develops that Mr. Roose
velt's one idea was to got to the front,
a tendency which has manifested it
self on other occasions, and which
makes itself felt to the degree, that
his opponents have found a tritle dis
tasteful in time of peace.
It Is not every man, It Is safe to suy,
who would nmico over to hie friend
the honors intended for himself be
cause, being far sighted, modest, aud
just us well as generous, he could but
feel that friend more capable thuii
himself.llc was willing to follow rathor
than lead, if by that means ho could
get to the spot where bullets How.
No tribute to the men in the ranks
of the Rough Riders will be of more
weight than thin narrative just be
gun which hours the thumb marks of
Continued on page f.
Manila
Manila, P. ., Nov. L!, 1808.
Mil Dear Father'.
Tho "Senator" arrived today from
"Frisco" with mail including youra of
October 12th, which I procood to
answer. I got up between nix aud
Ruvon. Morning drill from sovon until
eight which I attend nearly every morn
ing although not required to do bo being
on detached sorvieo. At eight, wo
breakfast in tho samo building in which
wo Bleep. 1 hero arc about twenty offi
cers in our mesa; at preeont thoy are
Colonel Stotrionburg, Major Mulford of
Omaha, Major Snydor chief aurgoon,
Captain Hollingswoith, Lioutonant
Archor and myself of company C;
Adjutant Forby, Quartermaster Mc
Laughlin, Captain VischerB, Lioutonant
Gegnor, Lieutenant Henderson of F com
pany; Captain Btockham, Lieutenant
Hanson, Lieutenant Smith of I company
from Bennett; Lioutonant Yalo, Liouten
and Corcoran of York; Lioutenant Jon
Ben of Omaha; Chaplain Mailloy and the
chiof clerk in tho brigado quartermas
ter's department. Wo have beef, pork,
mutton and salt fUh which is purohasod
from tho brigado commissary. Most of
tho meat comes from Australia. We
also havo chickonr, turkeys and fresh
fish but theso aro not so much of a sue
ocfis horo as at homo on account of the
rapidity with which moat spoils in tnis
climato. Fresh fish will spoil over night
and chickens havo to bo oaten soon after
thoy aro killed. There is one ioe
machine in Manila but the ico is expen
sive. In tho lino of vegetables wo havo
yams, cucumbers, onions, radishes and
cabbage. Of fruite wo have bananas
and oranges. There are about sixteen
different kinds of bananaB grown on
this island. Tho kind the Filipinos call
"lacatnn" is the beBt. This kind is sweeter
than thoso wo get at home; the meat is
a brownish pink color. I have seen no
bananas bore euch as wo get at home.
Tho oranges aro different 'rom tho
Florida or California fruit; the meat is
Hiht rod, tho skin green. Thoy never
becomo eolid yellow and aro greatly
inferior to our oranges. Wo buy olives,
pickles, cheese, otc from tho eommie
eury for about tho same prico you pay.
Wo pay, in American money, for tur
keys, 81,50 and for ehiekenB 50 cents
each; for beet bananas ten cents and for
oranges tivo cents per dozen; cabbage
and cucumbers cost a little Icbb than at
' home. The Spaniards, Filipinos and
Cbineso havo put their prfreB up since
tho Americans came, eo a respectablo
musB coBtB us much inoro than it would
at homo. I am treasurer of our moss;
last month to run it cost about $19 in
gold per a an, exclusive of what we paid
for furniture; tho ontiro cost including
furniture and food was $24 per man, for
tho month. At hotels and restaurants
meals costs from fifty cents to a dollar
in gold. Tho Filipinos hb a rulo aro a
lazy lot. Of cour8o thoro aro among
thorn eonio vory industrious people but
tho genuine full bloodec Filipino pre
fers to do us little work hb posBibla.
Tho higher classes of Filipinos havo
Spanish and in some caseB, Japanese
blood in their veins and aro not tho full
blooded "Indio." Nearly all tho men
who aro leaders of tho revolutionary
forceB aro part Spanish. Aguinuldo is
not a full-blooded Filipino. 1 would Bay
that before tho Americans camo horo
tuoro waB very littlo chanco for a nativo
who was born poor to improve his con
dition; now tho opportunity ia good.
Tho Spaniards havo employed tho Filip.
inoB in nearly every kind of businobe.
They drive Btroot cars, colloct fares,
work on tho streets, in tho oloctric light
plant, in telegraph n Hi cob, hb salesmen in
BtoreB and in many places hold positions
of responBibility, but this applioB to
those who havo Spanish blood. Tho
"Indio," who is tho truo Filipino, is an
ignorant man and tho Spaniards havo
dono but littlo to educuto him. Tho
"Indios" mostly live on Btnall farms.
Thoy have boon oppressed and robbed
by tho priests and very few of them
mako inoro than a bare living. Now
that tbo U. S. IniB taken possession of
tho Islands the robbing and oppression
will ccbbo and tho condition of tho
natives will greatly improve. It has
been several times proven in our court
that tho poorer cIhhbos or Filipinos never
marry; tho prioata cbargo bo high a prico
for performing tho ceremony that tho
natives cannit atford tbo luxery. Here
tofore protestuot ministerB of tho gospel
havo not beon allowed to preach horo.
Thoro aro very few wealthy Filipinos in
Manila. Several who wero wealthy
woro robbed of thoir wealth by Spanish
officials. Thoro aro quite a number of
Englishmen engaged in business horo.
Warner, Barnes & Co., and Smith, Doll
& Co., do a great deal of business; in
fact most of tho commerce is carried on
by Englianmen. There aro two Eng
lish banks, I bolieve the electric light
plant is owned by an English corpora
tion. Very littlo manufacturing ia Uono
here. Tho natives manufacture cigars
and cigarotteB, also hemp rope, bamboo
basketB and sugar, but little else. The
peoplo engage in Hshing to somo extent
but it is not carried ou on a largo scale.
The common people live mostly on rice.
The fruit they raise iB sold. Those liv
ing near tbo coast have fish; thoy have
very little meat. We had a case in our
court tho other day in which two Fili
pinos were tried for bringing into town
meat taken from the carcasses of dead
horses which had been shot by our sol.
dicrs (the horses had tho glanders.) The
prisoners said they were bringing in the
meat for their own use. The climate
here is not what you would call hot but
jt is disagreeable. When the thermome
ter shows eighty one Buffers as much
from heat if moving about as wo do at
home when it is ninoty. In tho morning
when wo go out to drill it is nlco and
cool, but aftor nine o'clock 'tho lesB one
moveB about the better. I have just
returned from a walk over to tho prison
which is about cix blockB from here and
foel pretty well worn, still tho sun is not
shining and the thermometer does not
register eighty. Ono pre6pireB con
tinually. Tho trouble with this place is
that it is vory low nnd swampy. Thcro
is always an oppressive dampness in tho
air. Leather turns greon in a very snort
time if laid away; it is impossible to
keep my sword from rusting. Clothing
hung up in a closet for any lencth of
time acquires a damp and muBty smell.
Tho greatest nuisance hero jb the mus
quitoep. Nebraska musquitoes dou't
bite until evening or during the night,
but these beasts will torture a fellow
in tho middlo uf tho day whon tho sun is
hottest. Carriages are used here much
more than in tho U. S. A littlo closed
two wheeled carriage called "carrimeta"'
or "calliBo'' is in general ubo. You can
hiro one of these almost anywhere on
tho main street for ton cents an hour.
The horses aro about tho Bizo of a Shot
land pony. I don't believe there aro
more than a dozen largo horseB in
Manila. Say: stop the boat horo a
minute I forgot to answer your ques
tion about tbo raiu. Does it rain in
Manila? No, it just pours and it pours
overy day and I guesB ovory night, and
BomotimoB for forty eight hours in sue
cesBion. You ask if tho rainy season is
over? As well aBk if tho world has como
to an ond in Manila. Whonovor thoro !b
a typhoon in tho China soa it rainB hero
until tho typhoon 1b over. By tho way,
thero is an earthquake duo horo next
Friday. I am glad Thanksgiving is to
morrow as I may not havo so much to
bo thankful for after tho quako. Thoro
is much wind hero during typhoons.
My duties as marBhull of tho Provost
Court aro such that I travol about tho
city a groat deal. During tho day from
nino until flvo 1 am engaged in rustling
witnesses or piisoners. Aftor flvo I
sometimes attend parado but generally
.go homo, (listen to that, who over
thought of calling this place home) and
roBt until supper timo which is six
o'clock. There are not very many places
of amusement, in Manila. I believe
thoro is a Filipino thi'iitro but it is no
good. I spond most of my evenings at
home. Wo havo beon practicing for tho
minstrel show lately and this has sorvod
for amusement. Wo play oHrds or read
and I also got considerable aiiuiEomont
out of an old Filipino guitar which I
purchased. Wo con travel about tho
city in tho daytime with as much Bafoty
ib you can at home, but at night it is
Bomewhat dangerous to travel about in
tho outskirts of tho city. This district
called "Birando" iB tho toughest of them
all. Two soldiers have beon found Moat
ing in the river near here who had evi
dently beon killed for thoir money and
their bodies thrown into tho Btroam. It
ib supposed thoy wero intoxicated whon
tho robbery occurred. Tho streets in
tho business part of Manila aro well
pavel with granito blocke. Tho streets
aro narrow and iHid out with no reg
ularity. A garbage wagon goes about
twico a day and takes up the dirt so the
streets aro kept quito clean. Notwith
standing tho attempts at cleanliness this
city bas more and a greater variety of
bad odors than any place I over ran up
against. Thero is a system of water
works the water being brought from tho
mountaina through pipes laid on top of
the ground. Thoro is no Boworage, the
city being but ono foot above level of
high tide. Tho city is lighted by elec
tricity and has a system of all night
lights; incandoscont lights are used in
alleys and small streets. The principal
business houseB on tho "Escolto" are on
an average about tho size of Harley's
drug store, perhaps a littlo smaller. The
Chinese shops are most of them very
small, what you would call a "holo in
the wall." Tho merchants aB a rulo
keep what you would call special lines
such as shoes, dry goods, groceries, etc.
Thoro aro tho usual number of drinking
places; tho number has increased sinco
the Americans arrived. As to tho
country outside tho city I know vory
littlo about it. In the immediate vicini
ty of tho city aro rico swamps. On tho
land side wo aro surrounded by moun
tains tho uoaroBt of which aro about
twenty milos away. Thero is consider
able crime in tho city. Tho courts aro
in session all tho timo. Tho Inforior
Provost Court, tho Provost Court and
the Military Commission, tho highest.
Our court tho Provost Court of Manila,
has tried about 180 cases sine) it was
opened Boon after our arrival. Its juris
diction i limited to a sentence of ono
years imprisonment and a Hno of 81,000.
Most of the crimes aro committed by tho
lower class of Filipinos. Tho ChineBo
who composo about ono half tho popula
tion of Manila are vory poacablo oitizonB.
Later: Today iB Thanksgiving and
all tho men havo had a vary fair dinner.
WiBh I was homo to oat dinner with
you. It is being away from homo on
thoso occasions that makes a fellow
homesick; ho gets to thinking of tho
good times thoy aro having at homo and
you can't blamo him if ho uses an ox.
pression which is curront hero, "damn
tho war."
Your Obodiont Son,
Burt D. Whodou.
If you lond your monov you may Iobo
your friend, but ho iB gonorally cheap
at tho prico.
Thoro Is a UbIi found in Hudson bay
which ubeolutoly builds a noBt. Thia it
dooB by picking up pebblea in itB mouth
and placing them in a regular way on a
Boloctod spot on tho bottom of tho bay
whoro tho wat r iB not too doop.
f-
V
-
-
Y