The Irish standard., 1900-08-25


Catholic priests and people of the Phil
ippines as the gentlemen of the insular
commission, for the potent reason that
the civilized Filipinos were, with con.
siderable success, maintaining their
natural right to the independence as
set forth in the language of Thomas
Jefferson. Mr.. Schurman's commits
sion. however. recommended that the
rebels" who are Christians should be
subjugatcd at any cost in blood and
money, while the Mohammcdan ruler
of the Sulu Islands, where pOlygamy
and slavery are recognized institutions
OF state, was fit and proper person
to enjoy the protection of American
authority and worthy of receiving
stipulated sum of American money ut
regular intervals for according his
gracious permission to fly the Ameri-
can flag as Il symbol of sovereignty
over the harem and slave mart.
The latest Philippine commission,
the one now in existence of which
Judge Taft is chairman, was selected
Il few months ago with the same care
full discrimination against the choice
of a single Catholic to its member
ship. Over and over again in the
press, from the public rostrum, and
by personal notification, the prcsi-
dents attention had been drawn to the
fact of his failure to appoint at least
one wcll-known Catholic on each of
the first two commissions 1t is now
quite evident from his selection of the
members Of Judge Taft's commission
that the omission on the part of the
president to appoint any Catholic was
advised, intentional and deliberate.
The action of some of Mr.. Mc1Iin-
lcy's suhotlinatcs, too, in respect to
the new Catholic subjects, is worthy
of Il passing notice. Take the case of
Captain Leary ut Guam, whose antics
attracted pretty widespread attention.
This naval officer undertook to dictate
to the priests on that island respecting
the exercise of their priestly duties,
he assumed the authority to cXpcl
them, he undertook to regulate mar
riagcs and intcrfcrcd generally as Il
little irresponsible dcspOt. 1t is true
he was recalled, but without the pub
lie rcprimand which he richly de-
served.
Again the Wholesale looting and the
proclamation Of the churches in the
island of LnZOn by the American
forces deserved at the hands of the
president as commandcr-in-chicf, n
searching and thorough investigation,
and the punishment of at least some
of the prominent vandals engaged in
it. But the matter was allowed to go
officers. General Funston, was spccif-
ically charged with being Il receiver of
Il portion of the stolen church prop
crty. This gallant general on his ar
rival in the United States last year
indulgcd in some brave talk in refer
cncc to suing Archbishop Ireland for
adverting TO these charges, but a very
few weeks later Donahoes Magazine
published carefully prepared article
setting forth with considerable mi
nutenrss a description of some of the
articles stolen, ana the names of the
officers ana men in possession OF these
articles. General FunstOns name was
mentioned among them. The gallant
general was thus offered a splendid
opportunity to bring the publisher OF
Donalloc's before Il jury on criminal
charge or in an action for substantial
damages. But he merely clustered
and returned to the Philippines to cx.
tend civilization. And Mr.. Mckinley
did not insist upon 1t that his subor
dinatc should clear his fame in n court
of justice, where adequate punishment
could he mctcd out to those who made
such serious charges if they were not
true.
There may be American Catholic
citizens who deem it unwisc to refer
to these subjects in connection with
political action. Some Catholics there
are who speak with batcd breath and
in whispering tones apparently afraid
to assert that they are Catholics, that
they possess rights under the constitu
tion, that they can feel an insult, and
that they have votes with which to de-
fcnd themselves against bigotry or in
suit by members of or by the action Of
any political party. Prejudice against
the Church is not confined to members
of any one party, il exists to a greater
or less extent in all, and will continue
doubtless until the mission Of the
Church on earth is ended. But just at
the present time the leaders of the
party in power, by the course they
have pursued, seem to think that an
anti Catholic attitude will bring good
rcturns-politically
Henry Labouchcrc, NJ. p, one of the
bitterest opponents Of Chamberlain,
has the following to say Of Bryan IN
London Truth: "Were l an American