The record-union., 1899-12-04

this country respecting alleged exorbl-
tant burial rentals imposed upon the
people by the friars He said the frlars
have nothing whatever to do with the
cemeteries of Manila, as they are en-
tirely controlled by the municipality
and if exorbitant rates had been
charged it was by the Spanish Govern
ment, and not by the friars.
Father McKinnon also told a rice
|story-after the usual style. He put
chicken in the bottom of a pot and
then filled the vessel two-thirds full OF
rice, and-he had rice from Santa Cruz
to Manila The story of the loaves and
fishes was tame compared to his rice
story.
After the lights had been turned on
Father McKinnon turned for moment
to the Spanish friars in the Philippines,
to the great work done by them anu
to the various eliminating statements
published concerning them in the Unit
ed States. The friars he said, had been
much maligned, and he advised his
audience to place little credence in the
stories which, during the war with
Spain, had been circulated by Agu1n-
aldo to gain American sympathy. He
said the insurgents are the only native
element in the islands who hate the
friars, and that hate arose from the
fact that the friars, who are ever found
opposed to lawlessness and anarchy, at
tempted to restrain them in the inter-
est of law and order. The insurgents
hated the friars because the latter
would not tolerate their vices.
Whatever the natives in the islands
are, he said, the friars made them so.
1t was they who had charge of educa-
ton in the islands, and even the men
at the head of the rebellion had been
| educated Id the colleges conducted by
the friars.
He did not aim to defend all of the
clergy in the islands, nor did ne pre-
tend to say that all were saints, for
there We're Judases in every congrega-
ton, and it was not to be wondered at
that with the influences surrounding
them, some of the friars fell but what
he did contend was that the vast ma
| jority of the friarS were true, religious
men, working for the best interests of
the people. Taking them as a class,
no place on earth could a better set
of men be found than the Filipino
friars. They have been responsible for
every industry in the islands. 1t was
\ they who introduced tobacco, hemp,
sugar; it was they who built the schools
and colleges; it was they who erected
the charitable institutions, and it vas
! through their efforts that over 70 per
cent of the natives Of Manila are able
to read and write.
The speaker qouted number Of au-
thorities to prove that the friars had
! been the real conquerors Of the islands,
! and said that nearly all the stories cir
culated about them had been taken
from the book written by Mr.. ForrSan,
who himself had accepted Of the kind
ness of the friars and who was as big
a scoundrel as ever walked the earth.
Other writer's, he said, had taken the
| calumnies uttered by Forman and scat
tered them broadcast, and it seemed to
him almost incredible that men could
be found to spread such stories, unless
! it was true that even the most fault
less man was never free from the
tongue of the connubiator, such as Is
Aguinaldo
Nothing" he said, ''need be Won
dered at which comes from the pens of
the Filipino insurgents, for 1 warn you
they are thoroughly bad lot"
The speaker said that the large es-
tates owned by the friars were used IN
every instance for the betterment of the
people.
In conclusion, Father McKinnon de-
MED every published statement to the
effect that the Americans had looted the
churches in Luzon, and said that the
footing had been done by the insur-
| gents.