Daily Kennebec journal., 1902-06-07
GOV. TiFT's INSTRUCTIONS
For His Negotiations With Vatican
About Friars' Lands.

Washington, June 6.-Sec. Root. today
sent to the Philippine commissions Of tHa
Senate and Huse textual copies Of TIA
instructions gwen by him to Gov. Taft
for his guldane in dealing with the Vat
lean respecting the acquisition by tho
United States i the frlar lands In TIE
Philippines. Ater Tegrcttlng that Con-
grcss would no be able 10 act upon m.
recommendations of the Philippine com
mission Before GOV. Tafts departure Sec
Root sDOre Of he ecclesiastical situation
In the islands an authorized the govern
or to visit the piper officials Of the Cath
olic church IN IDme and to endeavor to
reach basis ofnegOtiatiOn for the pur.
chansc Of the ffar lands. He was eau
TONED to bear l. mind that all negotia-
tions were subjet to the action of Con.
gress. Mr.. ROOtfurther said:
I'm any eonfernccs you Will remcrn-
Der the neutrality-suspicious. are deemed
TO be fundamcntl and which should b.
fully and frmkystdted TO the other fide
In the negotiation:
'1-One Of the OntrOlling principles uf
our government | the complete separa-
ton of church an state, with the entire
freedom OF each fom any control or in
reference by theothcr. This principie
Is Imperative wilepvcr American jnTIs-
dlction extends ad no modification or
shading thereof ca be a subject Of dis
cussion.
Pit is necessarynow to deal with the
results Of establishing government con
trolled by this IFAciple in the Philip
pine islands, whid1 have for centuries
been governed unle an entirely differ
cnt system, with thrch ana state close
ly united, and hayig functions " tha
one exercised by aS.lts Of the other.
where the church laaong controlled ana
acted virtually as theagent Of the state
in the field Of public iEtructiOn and pub
lie charities and has pom time to tima
acquired large properties held bv il or
| by its subOrdinatcs cohOrations or off
GERS for these public use
''3-By reason Of tie sGaration the ~
| ligious orders can no logger perform in
! behalf Of the state the dtics in relation
| to public instruction and EbIic cbaritIo,
| formerly resting upon then and the row
| cr which they formerly exeaised through
| their relations to the ciVi government
being now withdrawn. they find mem
selves the objects of such hOiIity on the
part Of their terantry againt them AZ
landlords, an on the part of he peopl.
Of the parishes against them a rcnra
ISentatiVes of the former government. tha.
| they are no longer capable OF serving
| any ust full purpose for the churs
mo rents can be collected frn tba
| Ipopulous communities occupying their
| lands unless it be by the Intervention oe
the civil government with armed rorce
| Speaking generally. for several yearragt
| the friars. formerly installed over the
parishes, have been unable to rCma, at
| their posts and are collected in Malta
with the vain hope Of returning. M
Will not be voluntarily accepted agairby
the people and cannot b. restored to tiiT
positions except by Iorciblc interventsI
which the principles Of our gOvernmei
forbid.
1T is manifest that under these cond
| tons it is for the interest of the church
as well rs Of the state that the LANDED
proprietOrship Of the religious orders II
the Philippine islands should cease anc
| that if the church wishes. as Of course
it does wish, to continue its miristia-
ton among the people Of the island an
| to conduct in its own behalf a system
Of instruction with which we have no de-
sire to interfere, it should seek Other
agents therefor.
lit is the wish Of our government. il
| case Congress shall grant authority tina.
| the titles Of the religious orders to the
| large tracts of agricultural lands whicr
! they now hold shall he extinGushed, but
| that fun and fair compensation shall be
made therefor.
SIT is not, however, deemed to be for
| the interests of the people of the Philip
pine islands that in thus TRANSFORMING;
wholly unproductivc tracts of land into
money capable of productive investment.
a fund should therepy be created to be
used Tor the attempted restoration of the
! friars to the parishes from which they
| are separated. with the consequent dis
turbance of law and order.
"6-The titles to the great amount of
church lands and buildings in the islands.
other than those Of the religious orders
anu HOW apparently owned Dy Tie state,
should be settled fairly.
Provision should be made for as
certaining what rentals, if any. ought to
be paid for converts and other churh
| buildings which have been occupied )y
United States troops during the insurre,-
tion, this being of course subject to fur
ther specific action by Congress.
S-The rights and obligations rcmah-
ing under the various specific trusts FIR
education and charity which are now n
doubt and controversy, ought to he sei-
tied by agreement if possible rather liz
the slow and frequently disastrous pre-
cess Of litigation. 50 that the beneficer
purposes of these founda ations may n1
lfail.
"9-Your errand will not be in ans
sense or degree diplomatic in its nature
but will be purely business matter of
negotiating as governor of the PhiIip
pines for the purchase of property from
the owners there of and the settlement of
land titles, in such a manner as to con
tribute to the best interests of the people
of the islands.
(SlgnedD "ELIHU ROOT, Sec'y. of war