Morris tribune., 1899-01-14
'WELLCONTENT
Father Sherman's Report on Con-
ditiOns He Found in Porto
Rico.
Visited Nearly All Parts of the
Island During q Tour OF
Three Months.
Found the People, Both Natives
and Spainards, Glad OF the
Change.
Both Religion and Education Are
in Rather Unsatisfactory
Condition.

| Secretary MeiklelOhn has made puOllc
through the division of customs and IN
sular affairs, Father Thomas E. Sher-
mans very interesting and instructive
report to General Brooke of his recent
tours through the island of Porto Rico.
Father Sherman left San Juan Oct. 10
and visited Arecibo, Utade and Lares,
and from thence south proceeded to
Adiuntas alone and unarmed and with
out witnessing any disorder. Subse-
quently Father Sherman visited Albion
ito, Coamoa, Buenos, JuncOs and HUI
macoa. All Of these towns he found in
perfect peace and full Of the sense Of
security. Late in December Father
Sherman says he visited the towns of
Vieques, Fajardo and Carolina with the
same result.
Rel pice over Changed Conditions.
AS far as his observations went,
Father Sherman says that he found the
people Of Porto Rico gentle, docile and
kindly, and that the SpaniaFds living
there rejoice with their Porto Rican
friends in the change of government.
The disorderly element is a small frac-
ton in the population. There is some
timidity expressed ON the part of prop
erty holders, but this is largely due to
the paternal system to which they have
become accustomed. He says that a
liberal public outlay on the roads would
add largely to the commerce and secur-
ity of the island. Father Sherman says
it is common talk that the directors of
the past few months have been caused
by bands composed partly Of prisoners
released by Spaniards and Of Spanish
soldiers discharged and remaining on the
island. Having he says, ribben about the
island alone, and as q rule unarmed, for
the past three months, having visited
many priests and alcaldes and promi-
nent merchants, he is strongly impressed
by the fact that the profound respect is
felt for American authority and utmost
confidence in the courage of any and all
Of our mex
At the same time Father Sherman
says we cannot too strongly emphasize
the needs of an island at once tropical
and mountainous, where the bandit
sustenance, even on the mountain top;
where passions are easily heated and
overcrowded population leaves large
numbers out of employment.
Unsatisfactory State of Religion.
Father Sherman says that the state Of
religion ON the island is very unsatis-
factory. Though in every town of any
size there is found large and hand
some edihce, the services are very
poorly attended. All the inhabitants of
the islands, with very few exceptions,
are nominally at least Roman Catholic.
Very few Of the men are more than
Catholic in name. They are baptized,
IN arried and buried by the priests. that
is the extent of Catholicism Now that
the priests are deprived of governmental
aid many are leaving the country and
more intend to depart before the winter
is over. A moderate percentage Of the
clergy are of native origin, and these
will be more inclined to stay, as they
are more in sympathy with the new
order of things and have a chance
of procuring more desirable parishes
owing to the vacancies left by the de-
parture of the Spanish clergy.
With regard to education, Father
Sherman says he is not prepared to
make anything like 8 full report. There
are many schools both in town and in |
country: Those in the country are
poorly and irregularly attended. The
children are bright and quick, develop
earlier than ours and many are capable
of learning to read and write much |
sooner than the American children.