The Portland daily press., 1901-01-31

agsinst the monastio orders rather than
the United States Statements concern
ing the men who composs these orders in
the islands have been very contradictory.
Senator Frye gave them had name after
he returned from Paris, and was acri-
moniously attacked By some Of the Lew
iSton Roman Catholics in consequence.
But Whatever their character may be,
there 10 no room for doubt that they ara
cordially hated by the great mass OF FIJI
pinos, who charge them with praoticing
extortion upon ths tenants OF their land.
The FiIipinos are devout Catholics, but
the orders are exceedingly Obnoxious TO
them, Just as they have been to Catholics
in other LANDS. Persons who have under
stood the Philippine situation have long
known that the problem OF the friars lie
the most dlfficult one the United States
has to deal with 1t has been kept In the
background somewhat, but the time mas
come, apparently. when some solution OF
It must bs sought. In it's recent report TO
the Pr silent the Taft commission has
given the question consideration, and
suggested pan OF settlsment. The
commission pras tloally admits that unless
in some way a solution can be arrived at
acceptable to the natives, the insurrection
Ia likely to co ltinue Indefinitely. AS we
are bound by the treaty OF Paris to main
tain and protect the rights OF the orders
to their property, contiscation Of
their estates is out OF the question.
Not only can VIZ not con1soate
them, but we are under obligation TO
their owners to protect them from the
natives who would make short shrift OF
them If we should withdraw our protect
ing arm. The suggestion of the commits
sion-it hardly amounts to reoommen-
dation-- is that the United States buy
out the friars and then sell the land to
the natives. How much land they own,
nobody seems to know with much defi-
nitsness, but one order is said to own
lao, 900 acres close to Manila. The COM
mission seems to think that the orders
titles could be extinguished with sc, o00, :
600. In order to buy them out for that
or any other sum, they must be willing
to sell, and IL may be doubtful II they
would do that, inasmuch as ownership OF
the land gives them q tremendous hold
upon the people. But even assuming
that they would yield their rights for
that sum, Is 1t not altogether probable that
there would bs very strong element OF
opposition In this country against our
government pouring that amount into
the Golfers OF the Roman Catholic church,
OF course the plan Is to get the money
back by selling the land to the Filipinos,
but that would take q great many years,
II 1t ever could be done. Meanwhile
these orders, whose reputation is not of
the beat, would be enjoying huge cash
endowment from the United States treas
ury, and using 1t, perhaps, in ways that
might give us more trouble in the
future. We question very much II any
administration in the present state of
public sentiment, remem bering what an
uprosr the simple matter of setting up a
statue OF Pere MArquetts In the capitol
created, would feel like recommending
the appropriation OF $40, 600 900 to go into
the cofferc Of these monastic orders. Yet
this Is about the only solution so far
suggested, that is at all practicable.