The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-08-03

terests in the Philippines. Filipino cath
olics desire the friars to remain
".cENTRo cAToLIco.'
ct trust the love Of fair play which IS
characteristic of our people will be ex-
tended 10 the much maligred friars who
ask for no privileges. but to be permitted
to enjoy as we do the blessings Of Ameri-
can citizenship I say. let the friars alone
until they are guilty of some overt act,
then try them and. If guilty. punish them,
but don't rob them Of their property ana
Danish them by an imperial edict- This
the patriotic sense Of the American people
viii not tolerate"
Il believe the government went about
the whole Philippine matter in the wrong
way. When the islands came into our ros-
session our officials should have held 4
conference with the archbishop Of Manila
and some of the leading priests Of the ISL
ands and asked their cooperation IN IN
ducing the popuace to submit TO Ameri-
can rule. The Catholic clergy, had sucn
a course been taken, would have worked
hand in hand with the government TO Sc
cure the loyal allegiance of the people
The priests would have said 10 the FIJI
u.nos: You have new masters now. Obey
them The clergy would have had infiu
ence with the people and there would
have been no need Of all the fighting of
the past four years.
TN dealing with the Philippines the
government ignored the Catholic clergy,
though practically all the Filipinos are
Catholics The first commission that was
sent there was a bigoted commission.
President Schurman is an atheist, and
Rev MI Dorchester. who was also on the
commission, is a bigotcd Baptist preacher
who had previously wr,t-,n taok
against the friars and natI ally looked
fnr ';inps in tn t',Lnp2' 5 that wound
justify his book It would have oeen 10
more than just to put one Catholic on the
commission.
u am convinced that the government is
sending teachers to the Philippines WHO
will try to proselytize the natives. What
to me apears the most lspiorlbse part IF
the government policy is that Il Is send
ing preachers to proselyeiLa the Catholics
(for many of the cover noat teachers are
preachers). while at the Sane tima II is
paying the sultan of S'iiu who has about
a dozen wives, and is Ut sending preach
ers to his people.
Why did not the government pursue
the same policy with the Philippines that
ii did with Cuba in regard TO the friar
matter In the latter country there was
nothing done by the government against
the friars Some of the Spanish clergy
resigned their parishes and returned to
Spain.
The Taft commission went about its
work at the Vatican in an uldiplomatic
way Our country needs TO train men TO
Nothing can be gained in di-
plomacy by beginning negotiations with
an ultimatum.
Il have in my library statistics OF the
" ork of the friars in the Philippines, and
they show what a work has been done by
the orders in behalf of the people. As
an example of the fact that the people
want the friars to remain, 1 will cite one
Instance: One friar left Manila and re-
turned to his parish, where the govern
ment had established a school He opened
up a school and in a short time only
eleven pupils were left in the government
school, while over two hundred were in
the one opened by the priest.
The government made a mistake in
dealing with Aguinaldo. I think the gov
eminent now sees that to be the case. e
would have been better had the govern
ment dealt with the clergy"
Keep your vital organs in good condi-
ton if you would have health through
the malarial season. PRICKLY ASH
BITTERS cleanses and strengthens the
stomach, liver and bowels and helps the
system TO resist disease germs.