The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-08-07
THINK FOR THEMSELVES
And Speak Plainly of Affairs in the
Philippines.
SHARP WORDS FOR THE ADMINISTRATION
Dissertation Of Churches, Frighlful Spread o
immortality by Soldiers and Treatment
Of friars The Subject of Nc
FauI's Address.
(By the Associated Press.

Chicago, Ills, Aug. 5.-The American
Federation of Catholic Societies met this
afternoon and evening at the Young Men S
Christian Association hall. In the after
noon after the addresses of welcome by
DR.. H. S. Taylor, on behalf of Mayor
Harrison and M. F. Girten. on behalf of
the Catholic societies of the city, the
convention went into executive session
and organized. Short addresses were
made by Bishops Messmer, of Green Bay,
Wis; McFaul of Trenton, N. j., and by
the president of the federation. 1t was
evident from the tenor of the remarks
made in the afternoon that the eonven-
tion would not regard the manifesto of
Archbishop Ireland, warning against a
discussion of the administrators meth
DDS in the Philippines.
At the evening meeting Bishop McFaul
was the principal speaker and directed
his attention to the treatment of the
friars and the school question in the
Philippines. The Bishop said in part:
1.-The calm, intelligent observer must
admit that some of the statements, made
in the public press regarding the situation
in the Philippines were either incorrect
or exaggerated.
There was, nevertheless, a very sub
stantial foundation of truth in most of
the reports, which amply justified the
structures made upon those accountable
for the abuse of power.
''No one is foolish enough to admit
that in affairs of so important nature
mere denials are conclusive, particularly
when made by interested parties. We
had already been warned to be on our
guard by previous contradictions of rep
reservations which were afterwards
proved true and found worse than at
first suspected. When the news that the
Catholic churches in the Philippines were
desecrated and looted officers of high
rank in the army attempted to refute
the charges, yet the dissertation and loot
ing of those sacred edifices are so certain
that claims for damages to ecclesiastical
property will be accepted by the govern
ment
Reports, too, of the frightful spread
OF drunkenness and immortality after the
occupation of Manila by the American
army were vigorously assaulted. Is there
now any one who has the audacity to
question their truth? Since then we have
all heard of the water eure,' and the
murderous orders issued by an American
general. The preparation of these out
RACES was unknown for a time; they
were, however, so fragrant that it was i'm
possible to keep them from the knowl-
edge of the public. The introduction alone
of the public school system was just
cause for alarm"
The speaker then declared that the
federation is deeply interested in obtain
ing just treatment for the friars in the
Philippines who had suffered, he de-
clared, $50 many cruel calumnies."
Bishop McFaul also charged that in
selecting the school teachers for the
Philippines discrimination had been prac-
ticed against the Catholics, because of
a total of 967 teachers who, he said, had
been sent to the islands, but Is or 10
We're Catholics.
The impression has gone abroad" the
Bishop said, that America is furnishing
educational facilities to the Filipinos for
the first time and that the people were
in state of dense ignorance. This is
another calumny. During centuries the
friars dwelt with the tribes Of the Phil
ippines and it is to them that they are
indebted for whatever they possess OF
education and religion. They are
chaste and a pure people unaware of
many of the vices of civilization until
American soldiers occupied their soil"