Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-24
FRIARS ARE THE SUFFERERS
Archbishop Chapelle 0ontradiCts Alleged
Statement by Gen. Funston.
Inclined to Regard 1t Misquota-
for Natives of the Philippines.

Archbishop Chapelle. who is soon to go
to the Philippines as papal delegate. made
n formal official statement last night in
reply to the alleged assertions of Cen
Funston that the bottom would drop out
Of the rebellion in the Philippines if Con-
grcss would drive out the friars and con-
fiscate church property.
The following is the archbishop's state
ment.
IN answer to Gen. Funston's statement
made in an address to the students of
Stanford University, that if Congress
would drive out the friars and coniiscate
every inch of church property the bot
tom would drop out of the instruction
within one week, the inhabitants of Lu-
zOn are completely under the church.
deem il proper to make the following pub
lie statement:
Regarded As n Nisquotation.
Knowing what I do from most reliable
authority of Gen Funston's broad-mind-
edness and sense of fairness, l do not be
lieve that he has been quoted correctly
He may nave stated that the insurgents
de mand this as Il condition of peace but
that he gave them as his own sentiments
/ cannot credit From my own expert
ence. 1 know how easy it is to be mis-
quoted All I can say is. If Gen. Funston
did make this statement, ne manifested
a dense ignorance of the work done by
the religious orders in this archipelago
On the very face of it. however, 1t shows
quite plainly that It did not come from
one as we'll posted as Gen Funston should
be on affairs in LuZon. He is quoted as
saying: The inhabitants of Luzon are
completely under the church Now, l
would ask how this be possible when
every priest with the exception OF few
natives in the Island of Luzon outside
of the walled city of Manila is a prisoner
o. the insurgents? For the past eighteen
7t,r1-h at of a
and during all this period more than 3JI
friars have been undergoing unheard-of
torture in inSUrgcnt dungeons. This be
ing a fact, it is hard for me to see how
the Islands can he under the friars.' 1t
looks to me as though just the opposite
were the case.
What the Insurgents Want.
THAT the insurgents have asked one
of their terms Of peace the expulsion of the
friars and the Conffscation to the insur-
gents Of all the church property is fact
we'll known. but are told by the gov
eminent officials tand l know it to be a
fact from other reliable sources) that the
insurgents represent only one tribe out of
e:ghty-fiVe tribes peOpling the archipelago,
50 the sentiments voiced by the insurgents
about the fSars and church property can
not be taken as the sentiments of the great
body Of the natives. No more than they
can be taken as the sentiments of the ma
tIVeS toward our people and government
Whatever the natives are OF have they
owe to the friars. BY them they We're lift
ed out of savagery and brought under the
blessed and refining influences Of Christian
ity- BY them they were educated. not only
IN the schools, but in the fields and the
workshops We're taught by them the very
Industries which are now the source of
their prosperity.
4 Religions People.
'NIr. Peyton, the agent of the Episcopal
Foreign Mission Association, tells US that
J. h he Al and oil
gious people on the face of the globe Now
the men who taught them TO be so cannot
b such men as some narrow-mtnded peo-
pie would Try and have us believe. Rev
DIR. Abeel. a Scotch Protestant missionary |
also teSrifies that nearly the whole pOpu
latiOn of the Filipino archipelago has been
converted To the Catholic faith by the
Spanish monks, and a wonderful improve
menJ in their social condition has been the
result He then goes on TO show that If
any one doubts this Improvement it can
easily be made manifest by comparing the
Christian native with his southern neighbOr
OF the same blood-the fanatiCal Moro.
Confscation of Estates.
"As to the confscation of the estates you
might as we'll talk of confiscating the es-
tates of the VanderbiIts, the Astors. and
other millionaires whose estates have. in
the course Of years, grown so wonderfully.
There would he just much right and
Justice in one case as in the other. The es-
IdteS OF the religious orders nave been aC-
qUired in the usual way by purchase and
in the course of nearly four centuries have
naturally grown large. but if even unbias-
ed Protestant Witnesses are 20 be credited
large as they are, all used for the bet
terment and uplifting of the natives.
Condition of the Natives.
"a former British consul Ga PROTESTANT
writing on this subject. says: 1t was by
means Of these estates the friars introduced
agriculture and settled habits of life among
tribes originally nomadic II was by means
of these estates that they got them to live
in villages and introduced among them the
art OF civilized life. 1t was by means of
these estates that they acquired the power
of introducing them 70 labor with n GER
tain amoJ mt of regularity and method-the
great safeguard against a relapse again
into their original state of savagcry The
natives he says. are with some rare ex-
Ceptiuns. in need Of tutelage. without which
they would fall back to the customs of
their ancestors. tutelage that no one can
exercise better than the friars. Within the
precincts of the mUnaS- cries to be found
carpenter shops. FORCES, brick and tile
yards, etc, TO teach the natives various
trades. The villages formed around them
presented n pleasing picture of happiness
and content. in startling contrast TO those
who We're stIil pagan and unCiviliZed.'
People Asked to BE Deliberate.
in a short time 1 will start for the Phil
ippines, and l will personally investigate
titles of property, etc. Until l have com
pleted my work | would ask the good peo-
pie of the United States not 10 be too ready
to swallow as facts the opinions Of gentle
men whose previous training and lack of
opportunities to get at the real facts do not
warrant their statements concerning the
Catholic ministers OF religion, the intelIec-
tuai capacity. the moral and social condi-
ton OF the people Of the archipelago TO
be taken as urdiSputed facts by sensible
and just minds. nor can they, therefore.
be taken as an exact presentation Of con-
ditt"n Of things in the Philippines upon
which The United States government could
Trudently and eqUitabIy base its policy with
regard TO this archipelago. The church
asks only justice, and / Will not c0unte-
nance the retention of one inch OF property
which is not ROW leGi;imately held.
''One word now on another subject I see
that &c Is said that the object of my visit
to the White House on Saturday was to
p-0teS, against the lOotinS and desecraring
of the churches in the Philippines. This
was not the case. As to the lOotfng and
GeSeCTJtInS of these churches. / am inform
Su by q person whose word | cannot doubt
mat this lputiug was not done by orr Amer