Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1902-08-11
Head ofAugus inians Said Those
Filipinos Hostile to Friars
Oppose Americans.
AUTONOMY WILL BRING ANARCHY
FIiars Would Be Able to Return to
Abandoned Districts If RebeIiious
Were Repressed More Theoretically.
Majority Don't Hate Frars.

Rome, Aug. 11.-Thomas Rodriguez,
general of the Augustinians, and SUI
preme head of the whole order, which
l. very powerful at Rome, will leave
here today for Naples, where he will
board a steamship next Wednesday
tor New York. Father Rodriguez will
pay his first visit to the United
States.
The general OF the Augustinians re-
ceived a representative Of the Asso
ciated Press here yesterday with
great cordially. AS it was known
that his journey to the United States
was attributed to an intention to send
American Augustinians to replace the
Spanish order now in the Philippines,
Father Rodriguez, when questioned on
this matter, said nothing definite had
been decided.
Strange Should Want Vatican to Act.
Nothing definite can be done" said
Father Rodriguez, while negotiations
are still pending between the holy see
and the United States. Whoever is
impartial must admit it to be strange
that while Washington cannot or will
not expel the friars from the Philip
pine archipelago, it should request
this to be done by the vatican, whose
principal duty and interest is to pro.
tect the friars, both materially and
morally.
The truth is that the friars are
not hated by majority Of the Fill.
pinos, but only by that faction which
wanted to get rid Of them in order to
be left without church or law This
| verified myself when, in 1896, Wis
tied the islands from end to end, and
| have had confirmation of this state
ment in recent reports, which say
that friars have been called again to
parishes outside of Manila which they
left after the revolution of 1898, this
being partly due to their excellent
work in the present cholera scourge.
The result is that the Augustinians
now again occupy 10 places outside
of Manila. They would easily be able
to return to all the abandoned interior
districts, where they formerly admin
istered religion to 100000 Filipinos,
~ the civil Vi tuC ISidnQS
showed more energy in depressing the
rebellious elements. which are against
the Americans not less than against
the friars.
Anarchy Will Follow Autonomy.
THE experience will convince
Washington" continued the head OF
the Augustinians, ''of the necessity OF
having the Philippines under strict
rule, as the natives are entirely lack
ing in the natural qualities or politi-
Cal education to govern themselves.
II autonomy is granted them one year
will be sufficient to reduce the islands
TO anarchy, the most powerful Fill
pinos becoming the heads of SO many
tribes or factions.
With regard to the substitution of
Spanish by American Augustinians
in the islands, the difficulty is that
While the friars of our order in the
Philippines at one time numbered
over 800, and even now amount to 1870
Iaen, those in the United States, who
are mostly at Villanova, near Phila-
oelphia, number only about 100, and
Of them scarcely 10 could be spared
viii Contradict Taft's Pamphlet.
Governor Taft shows great intelli-
gcnce and ability in bringing forward
arguments and evidence favorable to
his plans. but he ignores the other
side. | intended to contradict pam
phlet written by him, which was
translated into Italian and which cir
culated in Rome, but abandoned the
idea in view of the little interest in
this subject taken here by the gener
atty of the public, which confutes the
different publications by Governor
Taft against the friars. On arriving
in America | will see whether 1t il
eppertune to have this book pnAlE s;;.sied
in English"