Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1902-06-12
FRIARS MUST GET OUT.
Order Given Gov. Tnft I'm Dealing with
the vatican OH Going TO Rome.

RoOt mas sent TO the Ih1llpplneS com
mittees of the senate and house the
textual copies of the instructions
given by him to Gov. Taft for his
guidance in dealing with the Vatican
respecting the acquisition by the
United States of the friars' lands in
the Philippines. These Instructions
were exhibited by GOV. Taft to the
Vatican officials and served the pur-
pose of credentials. The text is as fol-
lows:
''You are authorized, in the course
of your return trip to Manila, to visit
Rome and there ascertain what
church authorities have the power to
negotiate for and determine upon
sale of the lands of the religious or
ders in the Philippine islands, and
if you find, as we are informed, that
the church at Rome has such power,
you will endeavor to attain the re-
suits above indicated. Any negota-
IONS which you may enter upon are
always subject to granting of power
by congress to follow the negotia-
tions by binding action. In any nego-
tiations you will bear in mind the fol-
lowing propositions, which should be
negotiations:
cone of the controlling principles
of our government is the complete
separation of church and state, with
the entire freedom of each from any
control by the other. This principle
is imperative wherever American
jurisdiction extends, and no modifica-
tion or shading thereof can be a sub
ject of discussion.
"Ihe religious orders cannot longer
perform in behalf of the state the
duties in relation to public instruc-
tion and public charities formerly
resting upon them, and the power
which they formerly exercised,
through their relations to the civil
government, being now withdrawn,
they find themselves the objects of
such hostility on the part of their
tenantry against them, as landlords
and on the part of the people of the
parishes against them as representa-
tivcs of the former government, that
they arc no longer capable of serving
any useful purpose for the church.
No rents can be collected from the
populous communities occupying
their lands unless it be by the inter
ventfon of the civil government with
armed force.
"For several years past the friars,
| formerly installed over the parishes,
| have been unable to remain at their
posts. and are collected in Manila
with the vain hope of returning.
| They will not be voluntarily accepted
again by the people and cannot be
restored to their positions except by
| forcible Intervention on the part of
| the civil government, which the prin-
ciples of our government forbid.
"Under these conditions it is for
| the interest of fhe church, as well as
of the state, that the landed proprie
| torship of the reli gious orders in the
| Philippine islands should cease and
| that if the church wishes to continue
| is ministrations among the people of
| the islands and to conduct in its own
! behalf IA system of instruction with
which we have no desire to interfere,
! it should seek other agents therefor.
at is the wish of our government,
! in case congress shall grant authori-
| ty, that the titles of the religious or
! ders to the large tracts of agricul-
! tural lands which they now hold
! shall be extinguished, but that full
compensation shall be made therefor.
1t is not, however, deemed to be
| for the interests of the people of the
| Philippine islands that in thus trans
| ferring wholly unproductive tracts of
| land into money capable of produc-
| tive investment, a fund should there
! by be created to be used for the at
tempted restoration of the friars to
the parishes from which they are now
separated, with the consequent dis
turbance of law and order.
"Provision should be made for as
certaining what rentals, if any, ought
to be paid for converts and other
church buildings which have been oc-
cupied by United States troops dur
! ing the insurrection, this being of
course subject to further specific ac-
ton by congress.
Your errand will not be in any
sense diplomatic in it's nature, but
will be purely a business matter of
negotiation by you as governor of
the Philippines for the purchase of
property from the owners thereof,
and the settlement of land titles in
| such a manner as to contribute to
the best interests of the people of the
| islands"