Evening star., 1902-08-05

PLEADS FOR SUPPORT
American Catholics Should
Not be Hasty.
MR.. BYRNE DECLARES
CATHOLICISM SAFE UNDER
PHILIPPINE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
Words of Patriotism at Celebration of
"Embarkation Day" at At
lantic City.

lantic City.
| United States District Attorney William
| Michael Byrne of Delaware made the
! principal address at the celebration of En-
barkation day" by the knights Of Column
bus at Atlantic City last night. Mr.. Byrne
made an earnest plea for Catholic support
| in the Philippines. He said that is was not
| true that numerous Protestant clergymen
were employed as public school teachers in
| the Philippines, but showed that there are
$500 Catholic teachers in the Philippine
| schools. In addition to the influence of the
| Catholic teachers, instruction in the Cath
olic religion may be given In the school
guildings three days every week.
| Holding that Catholicism is safe under
the school system IN the Philippines, Mr..
Byrne proceeded to discuss the transition
| of the church there from a state-aided insti-
| tuition to one free, independent and untram-
| meled
| Catholics have no fear" he said, ''of the
| fundamental principle of American polity
| that the church must be completely sepa-
rated from the state. No harm can come
| from observing the demarkation established
| in the Bible between Caesar and Christ, and
whenever the church has essayed to aid
Caesar by comforting upon civil government
| the benefits of her religious ministrations
| the experiment has been one of disappoint-
! ment and disaster.
while American Catholics will welcome
| the separation of the church from the state
| in the Philippines it must be done in such
a way not to injure the church in the
exercise of her spiritual functions. The
personnel of the governing class in the
Philippines must not be so constituted as
to produce in the mind of the Filipino the
conviction that he must ocome Protest.
ant in order to become me mber of the rul-
ing class. The career of the truculent Bu-
encamtno proves how vital this question is;
and in selecting its governing class in the
Philippines the American government, with
its fundamental equipose between all
shades of religion, must not make such Sc
lections as may operate as a Protestant
propaganda among people now exclusively
Roman Catholic. This phase of the ques-
tion will, / am sure, receive the attention
of our government, which will not fail to
accord to the American Catholic his appro-
pirate participation in the magnificent work
of planting liberty of the American brand
in the Philippine Islands for the benefit OF
the Catholic Fiiipinos.
Spanish Friars and Puritans
Much has been said in this country about
| the Spanish friars in the Philippines. but
happily the American government has ex-
pressly disclaimed any participation in the
accusations made against our religious or
ders there.
AT about the same time the Spanish
frar came in contact with the Filipino the
New England Puritan met the American
Indian. After centuries of labor under ad-
verse circumstances Of climate and race
the Spanish friar presents his wards TO the
world transformed from state OF saw
agery to degree of civilization in which
the descendants OF the head-hunting Fill
pinos take a creditable place in the arts.
in music in letters science Jurisprudence
and sociology. The American Indian, with
vast advantages of race and climate over
his Filipino brother under the care of the
New England Puritan, instead of treading
a
schools dotting the land over which his
fathers roamed, finds himself huddled in
the confines of reservation awaiting the
hour of his ultimate extinction.
so well has the Spanish friar done his
work in the Philippines that the hour has
arrived when his wards no longer need his
fostering care in the management OF tenn
poral affairs. This same spectacle of eFo-
luton occurs in Europe in the labors of the
Sons of st. Benedict and their associate
monks, after they had transformed the
savage tribes OF the northern forests into
the artisans and husbandmen of medieval
civilization, and / rejoice that the hour of
transition finds the interests of the Spanish
friar in the hands of the Justice-loying
American government.
The Property of the Friars.
Unlike England. unlike Spain, unlike
Mexico, unlike most every other country
dealing with the question of monastic pos
sessions. the American government pro-
time shall work no injustice to the friars.
The condition of affairs in the Philippines
demands that the friars no longer be ex-
tenSive landlords Their boundless acres
ought to be divided into small homestead
lots for the benefit of the Filipino people,
who would thus receive that impulse 10 in
dustry and frugality arising from individ-
ual ownership of property.
This is identical in principle with the
irish land problem. The Roman Catholic
bishops in Ireland unanimously demand
that the English government compel the
Irish landlords to sell their vast estates TO
Irish peasants fair terms, and what
American Catholic can complain If the
American government voluntarily does for
the Catholic Filipino what the Irish Cath
olic bishops demand shall be done by the
English government for the Irish peasant.
Secretary Root declares that the desire
of the government is for the voluntary
withdrawal of the friars, arranged, not by
the government. but the religious superiors
of the friars themselves. Is there anything
like expulsion or interference with per-
sonal liberty in that program?
mo civil power has jurisdiction 10 pass
punitive or corrective laws aiming at the
internal organization of the Roman Catho-
lie Church. 1t is because l know that the
American government is actuated by no
such intention that am able Catholic
American to support the government on
this grave question. 1t asks the co-opera-
ton of the Catholic Church in its work OF
establishing order and maintaining peace
in the Philippine Islands. which, far from
being a program of punishment. is one re-
plete with the highest conceptions of con-
structive craftsmanship.
Should Not Be Hasty.
American Catholics should not be hasty
TO judge while these important matters are
under fair investigation. Precipitancy in
this matter may do no good to the church
nor to the~state. Certain il is that Cath
olic interests are in safe and conservative
hands With the possible exception OF the
Supreme Court of the United States. the
world does not contain body of men su-
perior in wisdom to the college of cardinals
of the Roman Catholic Church; and
douht II there be any men in America who
could more securely safeguard Catholic in
terests than that body of illustrious diplo-