Evening star., 1901-02-26
CHURCH AGAINST PARTY
FILIPINO FEDERALISTS TO BE
DENIED SACRAMENT.

A dispatch from Manila yesterday says,
Rev. Father McKinnon, who was formerly
private secretary to Mgr. Chappelle and
who is now pastor Of the Ermita Catholic
Church, informed a representative of the
Associated Press today that there were up
ward of 800 native priests in the Philip
pines opposed to the federal party, and that
these would refuse to administer the sacra-
ment to federalists, because they believed
the federal party to be merely a cloak for
Protestant attempts to weaken the power
of the church of Rome. He referred to the
federal party as resting on insecure
foundation and destined to crumble soon,"
and asserted that the Methodist and Pres
byterian missionaries were using unfair
means to induce Filipinos to leave the Cath
lie faith. He assailed the character Of
Senior Buencamino and other evangelical
leaders, and contended that only by secur-
padres could the Americans make perma-
nent progress in the Philippines.
Senor Tavera. president Of the federal
party. when the views Of Father McKin-
non were brought to his attention, replied:
so much the better as 1t will bring the
matter to an issue"
When asked whether the members of the
party would not leave 1t II they learned
that membership involved their church
standing, Senor Tavera replied:
'-They probably would. II that were true;
but believe only a small proportion of the
priests would exclude people from their
church privileges for such a reason. We
Filipinos did not make an issue of separa-
ton Of church and state. This was decreed
by the United States Constitution. Moth
Ing else is tolerated under American SOW
ereignty. Whether federalists approve or
not they cannot be loyalists and yet op-
pose that doctrine.
IF the Catholic authorities are not will
ing ito accept It, they are not patriotic.
he fa
civil government Is generally established
in the Philippines but the principles Of
peace under American sovereignty will not
disintegrate."
Senior Tavera asserted that the federal-
lists who had relatives and friends among
the prominent insurgent leaders were en-
deavoring by correspondence to induce them
to surrender, although thus far without
result
Some employers Of native labor allege
that the natives are gathered in by the
federalists by wholesale, without any ex-
planatiOn Of the principles to which they
are subscribing. Ordinarily the natives are
easily led by their accustomed leaders, but
the movement for peace with the United
States has authority and great moment.
and 1t is now generally understood and ap-
proved by the natives.
Chaplain Fitzgerald administered the oath
OF allegiance to 200 Ilicanos at church in
Vigan. February %, and a parish priest at
Santa Catalina administered similar oath
to TOO natives February "a.
Lieut. West, with a detachment OF the
crew of the gunboat Laguna de Bay, at.
tackled 200 insurgents, under Caballos. near
Cavinta, province of Laguna. After a hard
fight Of forty minutes the insurgents were
dispersed. losing six killed and fourteen
captured.
A detachment Of the 47th Infantry en-
countered a body Of insurgents in the prov
ince Of Albay, killing eighteen, and subse-
qrently another body, killing nine. Tho
Americans had no casualties.
A squad of the 18th United States Infan-
try surprised band Of ladrones at Moosin,
Island Of Panay. killing six. The Ameri.
cans captured FIVE rifles.
The peace commission is negotiating with
the insurgents in northern Panay and there
IS a prospect of an early surrender.