The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-13
Shocking Conditions Discovered By
Father Thomas Sherman.
PEOPLE NOT RELIGIOUS
MAJORITY ARE CATHOLICS
ONLY In NAME.
Many Of the Priests Are Leaving the
Country-Number of Legitimate
Children Exceeds the Legitimate
and Concubinage Is Practiced-
Priests Identified With Politics.

Washington. Jan. 12.-Assistant Sec
rotary Meikeljohn made public today
through the division of customs and IN
sular affairs, Father Thomas Sherman S
interesting and instructive report to
General Brooke of his recent tours
through the island of Puerto Rico. He
travelled alone and unarmed, without
witnessing any disorder.
Father Sherman says that he found
the people of Puerto Rico gentle, Dolce
and kindly and that the SpaniardS liV-
ing there rejoice with their Puerto Ri
can friends in the change of sovereign
ty. The disorderly element is a small
fraction in the teeming population.
There is some timidity expressed on
the part of property-holders, but this
| is partly due TO the paternal system to
which they have become accustomed.
He SAID that liberal public outlay on
the roads would immensely add to the
commerce and security of the island
Father Sherman says it is common
talk that the disorders of the past few
months have. been caused by hands
composed partly of prisoners released
by the SpaniardS and of Spanish SOL
-diers discharged and remaining on the
island. He was strongly impressed by
for American authority, and the ut
most confidence in the courage of all
our men.
Father 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,
, on NJ Nat in orsl
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 in
tend 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 Puerto 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 commonly regard
ed. Complaints are made that the
priests were too much interested in
political matters; that they preached
Spain instead of the gospel, and that
many displayed the mercenary spirit
There are many excellent priests in
Puerto 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 flourish much
more in Puerto Rico than under Span
ish rule. The bishop recently appoint
ed is said to be unwilling to serve, ard
there is need that our government
should show an active interest in the
matter. 1t would seem that a change
in the ecclesiastical system was. too
sudden. causing a. kind of paralysis and
CONSERVATION among a body of men
accustomed to lean on the government
and find it their normal means of SUD
port.
Father Sherman says the system of
burial in Puerto Rico has been barbar-
Gus, in some places corpses are thrown
into shallow graves, sometimes without
box or casAet. The cemeteries are too
small and frequently crowded The
state of morality can be inferred from
the fact that the number of Legitimate
children exceeds. that Of the legitimate
COncubinage is said to be common, and
is not sufficiently discountenanced.
either legally or socially. The problem
in Puerto Rico that is most difficult is
the eradication Of this great evil, owing
to the mixture of races there. 1t is
often asserted that the Catholic clergy
are partly to blame for this depIcrabla
state Of affairs, because marriage is
said to be expensive.
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.