Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-10-26
CHAPpELLE'S VIEWS.
The Archbishop Gives Out a State
ment on the Philippines.
fUysToy's ADDRESS CRITICISED.
The Work of the Friars In the Islands-The
Confscstlon Of Church Property
The Archbishop to Go to
the Philippines.

Washington, Oct. 24.-Archbishop
Chappelle, Of New Orleans, apostolic
delegate to Cuba, Porto Rico and the
Philippines, yesterday gave out the
following statement to the Associated
press:
In answer 10 Gen. Funston's statement made
in an address TO the students Of Stanford uni.
versity that 1T congress would drive out the
friars and confiscate every inch Of church prop
erty the bottom would drop out Of the insurfec-
tion within one week. The Inhabitants Of Luzon
are completely under the church." deem 1t
proper to make the following public statement;
Knowing what do from most reliable authority
Of Gen. Funston's .mindedness and sense
Of fairness l do not believe that he has been
quoted correctly. All I can say Is, II Gen. Funs-
ton did make this staten mt, he manifested Q
dense ignorance Of the work done by the religi.
Gus orders In this archipelago. On the very face
Of 1t, however 1t shows quite plainly that 1t did
not come from one as well posted as Gen. Funs-
ton should be on affairs in Luzon. He is quoted
as saying: THE inhabitants Of Luz0n are com
pletely under the church" Now would ask
with the exception Of few natives) In the Is
land Of Luzon, outside the walled city Of Manila,
Is a prisoner Of the insurgentsY For the past IL
months this state Of affairs has existed and dur
ing all this period more than $50 frars have been
undergoing unheard Of torture in insurgent dun
geons. This being a fact 1t ishard for me TO see
how the islands can be under the friars." II
looks u meas though Just the opposite were
the case. That the insurgents have asked, as
one OF their terms of peace, the expulsion OF the
friars and the contscation to the insurgents OF
all the church property is fact well known /;
but we are told by the government officials land
! know 1t to be fact from other reliable
sources) that the insurgents represent only one
tribe out Of the s. tribes peopling the archipela-
20, so the sentiments voiced by the insurgents
about the friars and church property cannot be
taken as the sentiments Of the great body Of the
natives.
Whatever the natives are or have they owe to
the friars. BY them they were lifted out Of
savagery and brought under the blessed and re-
fning influences Of Christianity. BY them they
were educated, not only in the schools, but In
the fields and In the workshops they were
taught by them the very industries which ore
now the source OF their prosperity Mr. Peyton,
the agent Of the Episcopal Foreign Mission as
ISOLATION, tells US that the natives are the most
moral and religious people on the face Of the
globe" Now the men who taught them to be
so cannot be such men as some narrow-minded
people Would try and have us believe.
As to the contiscation Of the estates you
might as well talk Of contiscating the estates OF
the Vanderbilts, the Astors, and other million
aires whose estates have in the course Of years
grown so wonderfully. There would be just as
much right and justice In one case as In the
other.
In q short time will start for the Philippines
and I will personally investigate all charges
made against religious orders, titles OF property,
etc. Until have completed my work would
ask the good people Of the United States not to
be too ready to swallow as facts the opinions Of
gentlemen 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 Intellectual
capacity, the moral and social condition Of the
people Of the archipelago, to be taken as undis-
puted facts by sensible and just minds; nor can
they therefore, be taken as an exact presenta-
tion OF condition OF things in the Philippines
upon which the United States government
could prudently and equitably base Its policy
with regard to this archipelago.