The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-10-24

held ths fisid. Rev. N. II. Hartman Of
Tacoma, Washington. who sosnt seven
weeks IN the island IS tho agent Of an
Independents missionary socisty, comedies
In Mr.. Schurinann's view. but hs claims
that the hold OF the Catholics IL mos en-
tirely- due to natural advantages. He
alleges In q letter TO the New York Inde-
pendent and relates his own experiences 10
sustain it, that General Otis IL under the
domination OF the Arch bishop of Manila,
and discriminatss against Protestant
missionaries. 1.-THE military governor,
he says, "has IL in his power TO place
i1surmountatle obstacles In the way Of
missionaries, /" and Mr.. Hartman aileg es
that of late be has been using it under
pretext Of military necessity. During the
nrst months after the occupation of Ma
Mia the Spanish clergy were discouraged,
many left the islands, and the rest gave
evidence that they regarded themselves as
dispossessed Of further power. when
Protestant missionaries arrived on the
field the natives were opsn Co free APP
proach. and hungry to hear. Rev. b.
~ AhbHUNAs AAt1b VI but oFlbl6u 1uu
Foreign Bible Society, sold In a few
weeks ten thousand copies Of his litera-
ture. In April. while Mr. Hartman was
there q reaction set in The priests bc-
gan to recover their courage and s,urril- 4
Gus, p amphlsts attacking the Protestant
missionaries began to appear. "Then,"
says Mr.. Hartman, "a more openly hos
tile attitude was assumed, as q eneral
Otis encouraged the priests and made
friend OF the Archbishop." Soon the sale
of all Protestant tracts and testamsnts
was forbidden and the "Spanish prest-
hood" to us, Mr.. Harriman's words.
endorsed by thu act of God and the
guns of our army and navy, vera picked
up by our Governor General, their wounds
Modified, their bruises bound up, and
they were tenderly and carefully set again
IN the saddle" Mr.. Hartman wants 1t
understood that the point he N axes Is not
against Catholicism, but Spanish priest
craft While he admits the need of being
to>nrant to the Catholics and not inter
fering with the religion of the natives,
he denies that it Is necessary OF wise TO.
encourage or even tolerate the assumption
Of the Archbishop of Manila and his fol-
lowers, who have systematically abused
the Americans and uttered the vIlest
ISLANDERS IN regard to them. The Aroh-
bishop tried to trap Dewey into acknowl-
edRing his supremacy altar Manila fell,
but the Admiral was too astute for him.
But Otis, Mr.. Hartman alleges, has
fallen completely under his domination.
One result OF the Arohbishop's influence
over the Governor General is that Catho-
lie chaplains are being sent to the Islands
in disproportionate numbers. One of
these chaplains Is candidate for bishop
OF Manila, and is gettln 6 the support Of
strong native movement In favor of the
appointment of a native priest. MIR.
Hartman thinks as q matter of policy,
at least, Americans should favor the
native, but he evidently believes that thu
American influence in Manila will coin
eide with the Arohbishop's The most
important positions in the islands are,
Mr.. Hartman alleges, monopo-
HEED by Catholic officers. many Of
them Incompetent. 'tThe real reason
why Otis should be recalled is" in
the opinion. s'that he has made
himself loved by the Archbishop
of Manila" "This." he says sis
enough to discredit any American. +" 1t is
current rumor in Manila, Mr.. Hartman
AYERS, and generally believed, though he
does not vouch for its truth. that General
Otis reduced the fine of the editor of the
Arohbishop's organ from 5000 to $3.50,
ana remitted the imprisonment altogeth-
er The editor had been convicted by
a court martial of publishing seditious
and abusive articles In his newspaper
against the Americans. There 10 another
rnmor in Manila generally credited that
the Archbishop is receiving $4,000 q
year salary from the public treasury.