The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-05-12
He Was the Chaplain of the
California Volunteers.
hIssTArEMENTs OF BISHOP POTTER
Misleading Stories Told by the
''Katipunan Triangle"

Bishop Potter and Dean c. Worccs-
ter, who was one of President McKin-
ley's commissioners, came in for severe
raking OH April 2o on the score OF their
utterances regarding religious condi-
tons in the Philippines.
Rev Father J. P McQuaid, of San
Francisco, who was returning from his
home from the Philippines, preached at
the Church of St. Paul the Apostle,
Columbus avenue and Sixtieth street,
New York City, on "The Catholic
Church in the Philippines.
Father McQuaid declared the Catho-
lie religion prevailed to-day among S.
per cent of the entire population Of the
Philippine archipelago, and that the
practice OF Christian virtues is as clearly
evidenced and is OF as high standard
on the islands of Panay, Cebu and Ne
gros as on Luzon or in and about Ma
Mia.
cat the time of discovery" the priest
said, 'sthe population of the archipelago
was placed at 100000. To-day it is
supposed to be 100000. Such an in
crease in the face of the complete
change which religion effected in the
habits of the people is almost unparal-
leled in the history of missionary ex-
periences. We have only to point to
Hawaii, land blessed with the most
equable climate, and learn of people
well nigh swept off the face of the earth
under the softening influence of a GER
tain phase of Christianity.
The Philippine friars were the ad-
vance agents of Christianity and civili-
zation. They arrived with the Spanish
mariner By their moral influence they
did the work of Spanish soldiery. In
deed, they were the outposts of small
garrisons, SO to speak. They went from
a most highly civilized country. They
were men of fine breeding and splendid
education. They voluntarily exiled
themselves to work among savages.
''They found slavery, murder, robbery
and idolatry in their worst horrors pre-
vailing; yet so thoroughly did the friars
work that twenty-seven years after the
appearance of Legaspi and Padre Ur-
daneta there were bishoprics and arch
bishoprics, and peace and happiness
reigned over all the islands, saye those
of the Sulu group. The friars brought
the Philippines into the light of day. Al
most everything in the customs of the
people-geograpl1ical studies, maps, die
tionaries and grammars, besides the
mineral aud vegetable products that go
to distinguish one island from another
has conc from the friars.
"It is easy enough for carping critics,
who sit at home in easy chairs and who
are blinded sometimes by bigotry or
wofully ignorant of the pages of mis-
sionary experiences, to pick flaws in
the work of the Philippine friars. 1t is
the height of audacity for such as
Worcester, whose tripping to and from
the Philippines is more of the nature of
pleasant jaunt, enhanced by the fat
salary and incidentals of commission
er, and Bishop Potter, who, accustomed
to New York velvet, endured the heat
OF Manila just four days, under the
watchful eye of his friend, companion,
keeper and guardian-Percy Grant-to
cast aspersions on the friars For what
do they know Of sacrifices, OF exile self
imposed, of lives spent unselfshly in
the cause of Christ?
"And speaking of Bishop Potter, let
it be added that if he is correctly re-
ported as saying that concubinage is
widespread in the Philippines, he says
what is not true; and if he says that
this condition Of things is the result OF
exorbtant fees charged at the marriage
rites. he says again what is not true.
My six or seven months experience is
worth as much as his four days.
"The friars owned certain properties
and their title to the same is hawless.
1t was only when, under economic man
agement, the possessions of the friars,
originally worth little, became valuable
that the malcontents saw difference in
a community and an individual having a
right to ownership. A good part of the
revenues from these possessions went
toward furthering the missions in the
Orient, to building monasteries, church.
es, asylums and hospitals.
"The people did not rise against the
friars. Some public agitators, especially