Milford chronicle., 1902-07-25
CATHOLICS REBUKED
Church Societies Taken to Task by
Archbishop Ireland.
HIs VIEWS ON FRIAR QUESTION

Says Direction of Catholic Affairs Be-
longs to the Pope and Not to IRE
sponsibie Church Societies and Edi-
tors-His Tribute to Roosevelt.
st. Paul, July 2S.-Archbishop John
Ireland, in an interview yesterday, re-
viewed at some length the progress of
the negotiations conducted between
Judge Taft and the Vatican, and took
to task certain Catholic organizations
that had assumed to question the fair
ness OF the administration toward their
co-religionists. The archbishop said:
Yes, the news from Rome is quite
satisfactory, and it is, am sure, quite
correct. The sovereign pontiff and 9TH
er Roman authorities are delighted
with Governor Taft personally and
with the negotiations in course of
progress between him and the Vatican.
1t is to be hoped there viii be among
certain classes Of Catholics in America
a cessation Of movements and declara-
lions such as we have had recent occa-
sion to hear of regarding religious mat
tiers in the Philippines. The Pope
teaches those Catholics to trust the
American government, as they SEEM
ingly have been heretofore unwilling
to do. In his conversation with Gov
ernOr Taft he expressed the highest es-
TEEN for American methods of treat.
ing church matters. and remarked that
he had more than once pointed towards
the United States as setting an exam
pie we'll worth copying.
His words ought to signify some
thing to those who profess to take him
as their leader and guide. At any rate
the direction of Catholic affairs is his
business, not that of irresponsible
church societies or newspaper editors;
and when he informs Catholics that
any one matter is in his hands, they
ought promptly to step aside and allow
him to have charge of 1t. The question
OF religion in the Philippines is now
formally and officially his own, and il
should be considered as such. A few
there may remain who believe thai
they have better understanding of il
than he has, and will insist on telling
him how to handle It; but such as
those are few, and at least it will be
clear that they hold no brief what.
ever from the Catholic body at large.
THE agitation, such as it was. II
certain Catholic quarters, did no honor
to those who participated in it. They
should first have been absolutely Ger
tain that injustices had been done tC
their co-religionists, and next, If in.
Justices had been done, they should
have sought a remedy for them by an.
peal to the proper officials before rush
ing into public clamors.
1T was rankest rashness and rank.
est injustice to intimate that the Unit.
ed States intended to proselytize in the
Philippines, or to do aught to detact
the inhabitants from the Catholi,
faith. TO know in the slightest degree
Mr.. Roosevelt, Mr.. Root or Mr.. Taft Is
to be certain that nothing Of the kin(
could have been thought of or coulf
have been tolerated. Never did there
reside in the White House a man more
fair-minded and impartial in religious
matters, more rssolute to give al
classes of citizens the religious right.
granted them by the constitution and
to protect them in those rights thar
Theodore Roosevelt. During the ad.
ministration it is unqualifedly absurd
to imagine that governmental act.
/ could be such as to deny or impair the
religious rights of any people or tribe
over whom floats the American flag"