The Irish standard., 1902-08-09
THE PHILIPPINE FRIARs AGAIN,

out the country. In the course of his
address the distinguished prelate said:
Gas to matters in the Philippine Is
lands, we cannot discuss them. They
are for the time being put beyond our
reach since they are the subject of
negotiations between the government
Of America and the sovereign pontiff"
| In America where there is liberty of
speech and liberty of the press every
question of interest relative to church
and state will be discussed, and the
question in reference to the Philippine
friars and their lands is being widely
discussed in the secular and Catholic
press at the present time, despite the
fact that negotiations for the settle
ment thereof between Washington and
Rome are now pending.
We find in the New York Sun of last
Sunday letter from "a Distinguishing
priest" whose name is not given. brA
who is evidently a Republican, judy
ing from his attack on Catholic pd-
pers. The following paragraph indt-
Gates the tenor Of his article: I
Must it be that Catholics are lee
turcd every week by men animated by
Democratic partisanship and inspired
by Satanic malice and diabolical cum
ming? 1t is time for the leaders of
Catholic thought and opinion in Amer
lea to acquaint their fellow citizens
what manner of n.en are those so-called
Catholic editors who weekly pour
forth lava torrent of abuse and sar-
casm on a long-suffaring Catholic pop
| ulation. Their vitriolic illusions are
not only a disgrace to Christianity, but
even to common humanity also. They
reflect 10 credit on the Church, but
they say many things which rebound
to her dishonor But they do represent
absolutely the worst element in the
Democratic party. The so-called Cath
Ollie editor is Democrat first and a
Catholic afterward.
1t is a well-knOwn fact that tn, Cath
Ollie press of the country is opposed to
the imperialistic policy Cf the Rcpub-
lican administration in the Philip
pin Islands, and that Republican cler-
zeal editors. like Father Cronin. Of the
Buffalo Union and Times. and Father
! Lambert. of tin, New York Frpeman's
Journal, have opposed the forciblc an
neXation of the islands from the begin
ming. They are not Democrats first
and Catholics afterwarl" but Amer
leans first. last and all the time. and
they deserve net the structures Of their
anonymous assailant in the Sun who
| is represented as "a distinguished
priest who conceals his identity under
| the fictitious signature of ''Sacerdos."
| Can he he Father Malone. of Denver
who recently dined with President
Roosevelt at Oyster Bay?
Had Archbishop Ireland been less
noted for his Republican proclivites
his sermon of last Sunday. which was
spread throughout the land by the AS
sociated Press. would have more
weight with the Catholics whom he
admonisled against me(llling in
Church affairs in the Philippines. His
Catholic Societies which opened their
convention in Chicago last Tuesday.
The following words of THE Archbisl,-
op in reference to Catholic citizens
should be needed:
1.-THE simplest approach among them
to form a political party on the basis
of religious interests would be fatal to
those interests and fatal to public
peace 1t is quite easy for a few to
kindle fire which will threaten raw
age to whole community, and which
whole community will find it an ar
duous task to eXtinguish."
We think. however. that There was
hardly any necessity for Archbishop
Ireland to utter warning to the
bishops. clergy and laity assembled in
Chicago The Pope sent them his
apostolic blessing and Cardinal Glib
hons sent words Of cheer. The Amer
lean Catholic Congress of 1880 in Bal
! timore encouraged the organization of
Catholic laymen for the furtherance
Of educational and religious questions
When the archbishops. bishops. priests
and laymen of the Catholic Church in
America pull along tremendously to-
gether and stand for their rights as
loyal citizens on the American COnsti-
tuition they will not go far astray.
Archbishop Ireland need not be
alarmed.
i We believe that the matter of the
Philippine friars will be settled salts
factorily by Gov. Taft and the papal
delegate. We have some confidence
in Theodore Roosevelt. hut not much
/ in Secretary Root who misrepresentetl
the friars. and whose charges against
4, them Were said by the Vatican to be
"partly false. partly exaggerated, and
partly inexact."
Despite THE reported clamor against
the friars by the Filipinos and the at
tempted demonstration against them in
Manila on Sunday, July q. the cable