Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1902-07-28
IRELAND TALKS ON
PHILIPPINE MATTERS.
COMPLIMENTS PRESIDENT
Says Executive Is Fair-Minded and I'm
partiaI-Great Body of Catholics
Trusting in the Holy See-LittIe or
No PROSECUTING Done by non-Catho'
lie Teachers.

ST. Paul, July 23.-Archbishop Ire
land in an interview with the AssociaU-
ed Press yesterday reviewed at some
length the progress of negotiations be
tween Judge Taft and the vatican and
took to task certain Catholic organlza-
tions that have assumed to question
the fairness of the administration to-
ward their co-religionists. The arch
bishop reviews the progress of the ne
gotiations at the vatican and the sue
cess attending them and emphasizes
the denial already made that the pope
is displeased with the action of the
cardinals and confirms the report that
the pontiff is entirely satisfied with the
results thus far. He pays high trib-
ute to Taft's ability and sense of JUS
tice. Then he pays his respects to
those who have alleged that proselytiz-
ing of the Catholics was being allowed
in the Philippines and says:
'And now, it is to be hoped there
will be among certain classes of Cath
olics in America a cessation of the
movements and declarations such as
we have had recent occasion to hear OF
regarding religious matters in the Phi
llppines The pope teaches those
Catholics to trust the American gov
eminent as they seemingly have been
heretofore unwilling to do. In his con-
versation with Taft he expressed the
highest esteem for American methods
Of treating church matters, and re-
marked that he had more than once
pointed toward the United States as
setting an example well worth copying.
His words ought to signify something
to those who profess to take him al
their leader and guide. At any rate
the direction of Catholic affairs is his
business; not that of irresponsible
church societies or other persons; ana
when he informs Catholics that any
one matter is in his hands they ought
to promptly step aside and allow him
to have charge of it. The question Of
religion in the Philippines is now form
ally and officially his own; and it
should be considered as such. A few
there may remain who will still be-
lieve they have better understanding
of it than he has, and will insist on
telling him how to handle it; but such
as those are the few and at least it will
be clear they hold no brief whatever
from the Catholic body at large. Agi-
tation, such as it was in certain
Catholic quarters, did no honor to those
who participated in it. AS is now prov
en-, they spoke and acted without due
knowledge, and certainly without prop
er regard for the government of then
country"
The archbishop suggests that those
who have been finding fault should
first have been certain that abuses
really existed and then procee din a
proper manner in seeking remedy.
1t was to be expected in making such
radical changes as was necessary In
transferring the government of the
islands to the United States that there
would be some hardships. .'But," he
says, "It was rankest rashness and
rankest injustice to intimate that the
government intended to proselytize the
Philippine or to do aught to detach
them from the Catholic faith"
Continuing, Ireland says: '"To
know in the slightest degree Roose-
welt, Root and Taft is to be certain
that nothing of the kind could have
been thought of or could have been
tolerated. Never did there reside III
the white house a man, more fair
minded and impartial in religious mat
ters, more resolute to give all classes
of citizens religious rights granted
them by the constitution and to protect
them in those rights than Theodore
Roosevelt. During his administration
it is .unqualiiedly absurd to imagine
that governmental acts could be such
as to deny or impair the religious
rights of any people or tribe over
whom floats the American flag.
what stronger proof of fair-mind-
edness in the settlement of the re-
ligious question in the philippines
could the administration have given
than to respond graciously to the
wishes of the vatican that a messen-
ger from the American government
should go to Rome to discuss the mat
tiers directly with the pope and his adj
visors?'' asks the archbishop, and
says: american Catholics should be
forever most grateful to Roosevelt for
his noble action in this regard" "And
as to the schools in the Philippines
why not, when the presence of non
Catholic teachers is talked of, state
that out of a total of 5000 teachers,
$500 are Filipino Catholics. The agi-
tation I am reproving only comes from
the feW-American Catholics. AS a
body they trust the government and in
present issues trust the holy see and