Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-25
REASSURES The FlLIPINOS
Governor Taft Indicates Tariffs Are Likely
to Be Reduced Soon,
PEACE AND INDUSTRY WILL HASTEN DAY
Informs the Natives of Made
in Negotiations with the POp
R~tERrdinR the Friars
and Their Lands.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24.-The bureau of
insular affairs today furnished to the press
copies Of the speech made by Governor
Taft on the occasion Of the reception ten
dered him when he arrived in the Philip
pine Islands. In the course Of the speech
Governor Taft said:
You can be very sure that II will be only
lean duty on Philippines products will be
reduced 70 SO small a inquire as to make Il
sionai aciioIp, ee en- " tb" ,s psIaS ana 70 no St'
inent OF the time for a popular assembly
are only the outgrowth of a conservatism
the real conditions in the islands, a doubt
may say, which nothing will SO quickly
tiTee ana "a other u pnrs4p TIGsG SRd an Svoi sHrlSU Of
useless, political agitation for the next
The many questions requiring settlement
between the Philippine government and the
church led the president and secretary OF
war 70 direct me to visit Rome for a con.
settlement might not be reached. After an
audience with the pope the instructions
were referred to a OF cardinals
and an answer was given me agreeing gen
eraiIy With all the purposes stated TN the
things the purchase OF the friars' lands by
the government.
This answer proposed that further nego-
tiation he had between an apostolic dele
gate and myself in Manila. With the hope
Of having less to do i'm Manila and by au-
S SaS + Of Of ttbhe secretary | replied by sug,
to be signed in Rome, submitting the ques-
tons at issue to a tribunal Of arbitration
pope, two by this government and the fifth
to be appointed by the viceroy OF India.
Questions for Arbitration.
The questions were:
First. The price to be paid for the friars'
land.
Second. The price to be paid for the &C.
eupatien of parish churches and converts
Third, The disposition of educational and
charitable trusts, including the San Jose
college case.
The contract included a covenant that
the members of the four great religious
orders, who. were all Spaniards, should
leave the islands in two years after the
first payment was made for the lands and
that only secular priests or n~on-Spanish
members OF the regular clergy should act
The vatican agreed to sign such a con-
tract excepting the last covenant. which
he declined 10 sign. first. because Il re-
lated to the administration of religious
matters not the proper subject Of a com
mercial contract; second. because by sign
feRse to. Spain, whose subjects the friars
were and as such were entitled to remain
In the islands under, the treaty of Paris,
and because the vatican did not wish to
give countenance to what were regarded az
the exaggerated charges against them.
Cardinal Rampolla that he intended to re-
organize the church IN the islands, 10 fe-
cali the triarS now IN the islands from
political intermeddling to the institutes OF
their order, to provide ecclesiastical edu-
cation to the natives so that the priest
hood ultimately should be entirely native
and to introduce. priests of other nation,
atty than Spanish, chiefly from the United
States, into the islands. He said that the
money for the lands would go to the
church for the benefit of the church in the
Philippines and not to the orders, and ne
finally reiterated what had been said
earlier in the correspondence that no prizes
would be sent to any parish In the islands
whom a majority OF the Catholics OF the
parish did not wish to receive.
Recur to Original Method.
In view of the unwllringness of the vati.
can to enter into a Contract for the definite
removal of the Spanish friars the secretary
tract obligatiig the Philippine government
and the American government to pay such
indefinite sum without further investigation
and preferred TO recur to the origtna
method OF negotiation proposed by the
vatican through an apostolic delegate. whC
Is to visit the Islands with authority to sci
the lands, to settle the rentals due and q
agree upon the question of charitable anC
educational trusts. This basis was agreed
to and negotiations are to be continued
hereafter. All the data necessary have
been, submitted by the representative o.
the church to the government.
1t will thus be seen that the negotiation.
upon many of the issues are only begun
proved and that on the question OF the re
turn of the friaTs to the parishes. the mat
ter is completely IN the hands Of the PEG
nile of each parish for a settlement bV