The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-13
ARE DOC|LE AND KINDLY
Father Sherman's Report on the
Porto Ricans.
THE PRIESTS ARE LEAVING
The People Are Catholics in Name Only
The Odium of Spain Attached to
the Church--Morals Are
in Bad Way.

Washington, Jan. 12.-Assistant Sec
rotary Meikejohn made public to-day.
through the division of customs and
| insular affairs, Father Thomas Sher-
mans interesting and instructive re-
| port to General Brooke of his recent
| tours through the island of Porto Rico.
He travelled alone and unarmed with
| out witnessing any disorder Father
Sherman says that he found the people
of Porto Rico gentle, docile and kindly
and that the Spaniards living there re-
joice with their Porto Rican friends in
the change of sovereignty. The dis
orderly element is small fraction in
the teeming population.
rather Sherman says that the state
of religion is very unsatisfactory.
Though in every town of any size there
is found a large and handsome edifice,
the services are poorly attended. All
the inhabitants of the island, with few
exceptions, are nominally at least Ro-
man Catholics. Very few of the men
are more than Catholic in name. They
are baptized, married and buried by
the priests. That is the extent of their
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. The church in Porto
Rico has been so united with the state
and Identified with it in the eyes of the
people that it must share the odium
With which the Spanish rule is COM
monty regarded. Complaint is made
that the priests were too much inter-
ested in political matters, that they
preached Spain instead of the gospel,
and many displayed the mercenary
spirit. There are many excellent priests
in Porto Rico and the women and chill
dren are in a great part practically
Catholic. When the congregations have
become accustomed to sustain the
church the Catholic religion will flour
ish much more in Porto Rico than I'M
der Spanish rule With regard to edu
cation, Father Sherman says he is not
prepared to make anything like a full
report. Father Sherman says the sys-
tenn of burial in Porto Rico has been
barbarous, in some places corpses are
thrown into shallow graves without
box or casket. The cemeteries are too
small and frequently crowded.
The state of morality can be inferred
from the fact that the number of lille
ultimate children exceeds that of the
legitimate. In conclusion Father She.-
man says:
"a million people differing from us
in language, literature, tradition, GUS
toms and manners welcome us by rea-
son Of political sympathy and a senti-
ment of confidence in our desire to
govern for their good, to enlarge their
liberties and to increase the substan-
tial blessings they enjoy without impos-
ing on them any new burdens. Porto
Rico is not to be judged by the brim-
ming excitement and manifold tenden-
cies to unrest due to a vast political
and moral appeal nor by the acts of
few cunning marauders, who avail
themselves of exceptional circum-
stances to Wreak private vengeance or
to continue in the barbarous instinct
Of destruction. Nor are we to argue
their political incapacty from fractional
differences, but remember that they
have cities, towns, villages and are not
waste lands, as We're California and
New Mexico in 1S4S.
They are highly civilized, have thou
sands of educated men, able lawyers.
excellent DOCTORS several merchants
and manufacturers whose establish
ments aggregate many millions of an
nual output"