The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-04-07
BISHOP POTTER AND THE FRIARS.

The Minneapolis Journal of last Mon
day contained dispatch from New
York giving extracts from report
made public by Bishop Henry Goldman
Potter OF the Episcopal church relative
to the Spanish iriars OF the Philippine
Islands This Protestant prclate who
had been originally opposed to Nc
Kinley's policy OF imperialism, visited
the Orient and returned home with his
views entirely changed OF course, he
is at liberty to change his mind like
every other man, and so far as that is
concerned we have no fault to find. 1t
is his charges against the friars we
complain Of. and before we finish this
article we shall convince any unprcju-
diced reader that he has done thch a
gross injustice. Bishop Potter says
that the iriars have robbed the Fill
pinos OF their lands and taxed them
heavily Tor the administration ol the
sacramcnts. That is a charge which has
been frequently made and as frequently
rciuted during the past year. The Rev.
Francis B. Dohcrty, OF San Francisco.
who spent longer time in the Philip
pines than did Bishop Potter, denied
the charge most cmplnatically both
orally and in the press. An American
trader named Dorr, native OF Dayton,
Ohio, who spent twenty years in the
Philippines and knows every native dla-
lcct but one, gives flat contradiction
to what Bishop Potter says concerning
the iriars. Referring to the stories re-
llccting on them he says: They are all
false. ii you take away the friars, the
Filipinos will revert to cannibalism in
one generation
Bishop Potter is evidently prejudiccd
against the Spanish iriars and he GER
tainly is ignorant OF Catholic practices.
They have as good titles to the lands
they own in the islands as the Protestant
Episcopalians have to the property they
own in this country. Trinity parish in
New York city is worth SIo,ooo,ooo. Is
there any property worth so much that
belongs to the Spanish irars in Manila ?
Church property in this country is cN-
cmpt from taxation. Suppose the prop
crtv OF Trinity parish above mentioned
was taxed by the United States govern
mcnt. how would Bishop Potter feel
about it? Suppose it was contiscatcd,
as he wants the property OF the irlars
to be. would he not make Rome howl,
or rather cry out against the injustice?
Does he want the Mckinley admins
tration to pursue the same tactics in the
Philippines as the British monarchs did
in the United Kingdom after the blessed
Reformation? 1t appears he does.
Let us hear some OF the awful charges
made by this Protestant bishop agains,
the iriars. He says
mo marriage. Tor example, can be
celebrated by a priest of the Roman
obedience without certificates from boil,
parties OF baptism, OF confirmation and
OF confession to a priest immediately
preceding the marriage, as we'll as a
certificate OF marriage, all OF which
must be sevcrally and separately paid
for, and for which the charge is in
each case from S. to IS. 1t is only
necessary to visit the Philippine ISL
ands to see, in the obvious and extreme
poverty OF the great mass OF the people
their utter inability, ordinarily, to pay
any such charges; which charges are
fixed by the archbishop, who, it is un
derstood, divides their proceeds with
the clergy who collect them. 1t neet
not, therefore, surprise any one ac'
quanted with the facts, that thousands
| of the people are living practically in {
state OF concubinage, in which, to thei,
honor be it said, men and women main