The sun., 1902-07-19
Jud so Taft, Friendly Negotiations.

In certain quarters. both political and
religious, an attempt IL made 10 str
ND m schief bv mlSrcprcSentlng the
negotiations now going on ~ Rome for
tho purchase of the property of tho
Philippine iriars and to bring about
their wilhdrawal from those Islands.
In the first placa. Judge rArr'S confer
ences with the NG'i~an authorities with n
view 10 securing tirse ends are repre-
sented as a formal diplomatic recogni-
ton Of the Vatican. which introduces into
our policy h new and dangerous prece-
dent contradictory ~ the Constitutional
separation between Church and state in
this republic The truth is. however.
that n business ,rg1saction purely, entire
" apart from strictly diplomatic inter
course has been proceeding at Rome.
Our Govcrnm ent is pr,acluded 10y the
express terms al the treaty OF peace with
Spain 10 say nothing oi tho Constitution
and the whole principle upon which thus
republic is bard. from any forclble cx-
plIlsion of the ~ anIsh friars from N"
Philippines. on II, own motion. II they
are to withdraw they must 60 volun-
tarily under the operation ~ eccleslas-
tioel authority.
letter we IWlblished a few DAYS ago
from q Roman Catholic priest II this
country explained the situation very
clearly and very fairly. y" interference
with reii gion IN the Philippines IL even
remotely sugg'< ted nv the nlted States
The Vatican ~ simply invlted To exer-
cise its authority To- withdraw the Span
ish friars Voluntarily. not because of
their reli gious affiliations or because 81
any religious opinions they hold and
propagate. or n any accusations against
them Of immsUal conduct but simply
because. as tAs distinguished American
priest explained hey are opposed to us
and are postpsning indefinitely the CON
summation ~ our powerful purposes.
That being the situation II seems 90
this Government that IL IL obviously for
the interest of the Roman Catholic Church
that the vexaious obstacle should be
removed Or. as Secretary RooT eN-
plains in his last lcrter ~ instructions
10 Judge TAFT. tho reasons making the
withdrawal desirable are not religious
or racial. but arise from the political
and social relstionS which existed under
the former Government and hav" ere
ated personal antipathies menacing 20
the peace and order Of the community
The suggestion of withdrawal il made 90
The Vatican. also, on The ground that the
existing conditions are prev th.~e
particular agents from serving the
church in the stations 70 which they
were assigned They are now congre-
gated af Manila, IN great part, and -
bitter is the Filipino antipathy tn them
that thew could not be restored 10 their
parishes except by force, which, under
the Constitution. the Government could
not use Accordingly. In the interests 80
the Catholic Church itself. other relig-
inus Instruments should be substituted,
who. as Mr. RooT SAYS, without pass
ing judgment on the merits - the Fill
plno accusations against The friars,
might he able - accomplish for their
religion what they themselves had 50
signslly failed 70 accomplish.
No conhScation %, Church property in
tho islands - proposed or Il possible.
The proposal II Mr. RooT is 20 buy the
lands OF the frlars at a liberal valuation.
on the condition that the friars retire
from The islands % give place 10 other
religious agents II the Church No
rest raint Is put IN the Church, moral or
physical, 10 compel ar1mescence in our
terms, ard. financially, these terms are
obviously Of advantage Ia tho Church
especially, for the lands are unproductive
and are held IN adverse Possession by the
natives, who refuse TO pay rent for them
and 10 receive back the Objectionable
f1ars IN tho parishes
In order tha, both Catholics and Prot
e-tant- may understand exactly our
purpose ~ absolute religious Impair
iiality, Judge TAFT, under instructions
from Secretary Roof has stated tho
case very frankly ~ tho authoritative
Vatican. without diplomatic evasion. but
with business directncss