The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-12
PEDAGOGOES FROM CUBA
An Army of Teachers From the
Gem of the Antilles.
Now In Boston. But VIII Soon Leave
tnl-Conscrvasive Religious Spirit
An8mnting the Educators-Favor
Cuba Free Frcn American Control.

and be presented 10 President Mckinley,
have shown while in the United States that
they are not narrow religioRists. Pre-
sumably they are types of what may be
called the average best in their island. As
such they indicate that the new Cuba is
to be tolerant liberal. and progressive.
For proof of this. let il be stated that
! these maestros. women as well as men,
reared in a wholly Catholic country, en-
tered Harvard College and the social set
of Cambridge. and got into Catholic and
| Protestant places OF worship, and at all
times and in all places appeared at home;
as ready to respond to one call as to an
other: absolutely wanting in sectarianism;
and as firmly declaring for free church
as for free state for their native island.
! When one stops to think of it, this is a re-
markable showing, and it may easily be
douted whether Protestant teachers, with
a sprinkling of Catholics among them,
could go to Havana and show equal
breadth.
These teachers brought a priest from
| Cuba with them. But they took care that
he was Cuban born. He is the Rev. p
Desiderio Me.mier. He is rector OF Dolores
| Church and canon OF the Cathedral, San
tiago He proved the spiritual union be-
| tween Catholic Cuba and Catholic Ameri-
"a. The teachers hold him in high rs
! TEEN. partly for his personal worth, and
| partly because he was Cuban fgstcr-a
lieutenant on the staff of General Gomez
While the teachers studied geography,
pedagogy, history, and kindergarten, Canon
Mesmier studied church conditions, not
alone Catholic but the many different
kinds in which Boston superlatively
aDounds. He enquired after-the Christian
Endeavor, the Christian Scientists, and the
Epworth League, and not been in CAM
bridge a week before he knew something
OF the theological tenets of the congrega-
tions whose churches are found nearest
the Harvard campus
Professionalism is not an old product of
Cuba. and yet nearly one hundred of the
teachers announced themselves Prot
estants, chiefly Baptists, because Bap
lists have made larger progress on
the island than any other religious
body of modern times Besides the
nearly one hundred Protestant teach
ers there were several hundred who
admitted themselves TO be little more than
nominal Catholics; had been baptized in
The church but rarely attended service or
went TO confession. This was true among
the men, and it is stated, not to show the
weakness of the Catholic hold upon them,
but the similarity between conditions in
Cuba and in the United States. All at
tended services while in Cambridge, be-
cause there was much. to see in the
churches but many admitted they had not
been to church so regularly in years.
While in Cambridge the Cuban teachers re-
spondad to church invitations with equal
heartinesss whether Catholic or Protest
ant. For example on one Sunday almost
1.1.I LIz1nv
Cross Cathedral and the Old Cambridge
Baptist Church great number of them
went to early masses in ST. Peters. located
near the Harvard campus but great
number went also. later in the day. TO all
of the show churches of Boston-Trinity,
the Old South. Paul Revere's Old North,
fremont Temple, and Park Square. The
huge metal badges which weighted down
the iapels of the mems light coats and The
womens neck ribbons were TO be seen ev-
erywhere on Sundays. II buff covers OF the
Spanish English "Oraciones Catolicas"
were conspicuous in the morning. so were
the illustrated programmes gotten up for
the special service held on the occasion OF
the visit of Dr. a. J. Diaz, the pastor Of
. 600 membership Baptist Church in Ha
vana.
The Catholic societies of Boston. acting
together, were courteous TO their c0-Telig-
ionists. Not only were members provided
10 care for Harvard Hall, the headquarters
OF the men during all their stay. and to
care for Brooks House. the headquarters
Of the women, but they arranged innu
merable courtesies, including visits to
different churches, TO historic relig Gus
places, TO social attractions, and to insti-
tutions where the church comes into the
best touch with Juvenile, with impecuni-
Gus. with improvident, with hayward hu-
mainly. That is, While Harvard taught
secular economy, BOSTON and Cambridge
Catholics taught church economy; both OF
immense practical value If made use OF
upon the return of the teachers TO their
homes
For the first three weeks the Protes-
tants Of Boston and Cambridge held aloof.
desiring to avoid any possible appearance
of the introduction of religious topics. At
the end of that time Pastor Diaz, OF Ha-
yana arrived, and was asked by the Cuban
Protestant teachers If Cambridge was
wholly Catholic city. His coming changed
affairs materially. and the Cuban Protes-
tants soon learned that there were Protes-
tants in Cambridge, who. while they we're
not proselyters, were as DESTROYS that Cuba
should have religious liberty as that it
should have political liberty. From hat
time onward there was the most delight
full freedom, and The Cubans learned to
| ly are.
On one side there were such men as DR.
| Carlos de Pedroso. who represented the
! Havana Institute, and DR.. Alfredo Marti-
nez the only representative OF the Ha-
| vana University, both of them such con-
| sstent Catholics that they supposed all
other Cubans were Catholics also and ex
pressed establishment upon learning that
there were Protestants in their party.
l.fCDOlO
| Ruiz Tamayo. who wore Christian
Endeavor badge Immediately below his
teacher badge, and belongs when at
home TO the Ba ptist Church at Santiago,
| and DR.. Jose NJ Cabrera, OF Cardenas. who
| gave Commute address IN Spanish from
| the pulpit OF the Old Cambridge Baptist
/ Church. to a congregation which ailed ev-
! cry pew and most OF the asles, and in
| cluded about 800 Of his fellow teachers,
chiefly men.
II was the universal testimony thai in
| Cuba under present conditions Catholics
| who turn Protestant dc not lose caste So
cielly. II was also shown that those that
| were Protestant were trusted by their fell
| lows, fer DR.. Tamayo, Is President of the
| Teachers Association of the Province OF
! Santiago, and Cabrera is a political ora
| tor and leader who is trusted by all CardG-
| mas, teachers and non-teachers alike
| Among the women there was Miss Diaz, a
! sister OF Pastor DiaZ. who is prominent
| Havana teacher, and with her were doz-
| en- or more Protestant women teachers who
| lll lucrative ard responsible positions in
| principal cities of the island. The people
| of Cambridge took care not to raise re-
| ligous questions and excite sectarian pre-
| JUDGES. The press of Boston did the same.
| All succeeded in their endAavors. The
| point is. as was stated at the beginning Of
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