Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-08-07
BYRNE DEFENDS POLICY
OF THE GOVERNMENT
Discusses the Friar Question
in the Philippines.
DEFINES THE CATHOLIC POSITION
VIII Welcome a Separation of
Church From State.
SAYS the Government Desires the Church
shall Detail for Parish Service in the phil
fppines Priests whose Presence VIII Not
Cause Constant Disorder.


is that the Church shall detail for /
parish service in the Philippines. |
Catholic priests whose presence there
will not cause constant disorder, 7 said /
Hon. William n. Byrne. United States
District Attorney for Delaware, in his /
address on Some Issues of the Hour.
before 1000 people at the annual ban
quet OF the knights of Columbus here |
tonight. The banquet was held ut the |
Hotel Rudolph, aud brought together
a number of notable speakers. james
a. Burns, Past State Deputy for New
Jersey, acted as POSTMASTER.
Mr.. Byrne spoke of the action OF the
Knights of Columbus Of Delaware aud
throughout the country in protesting
against the misrepresentation Of Cath
Ollie interests in certain recent publica
tions, and held that as Catholics de-
manded from Protsstants the stEictest
yeraaity in the printed word, so they
in turn should observe these strict
standards when treating Of topics
affecting the conduct of their Protest
ant fellow countrymen.
81 believe, . said Mr.. Byrne, that
no Catholic editor in America would
allow TO appear in his paper any state
ment Of fact as true whi3h he knows
to be- false. But this is not enough.
NJ scrupulously honest MAN states q
thing as fact which he does not know
10 be true. and regret 10 observe that
the statements appearing in The Cath
ollie press charging the Government
with pFpselytizing in the Philippines
were made without that care of inyesti-
CATION which the gravity Of the charge
demanded. =
Mr.. Byrne stated that it WAS not
true that numerous Protestant clergy
men were employed as public school
teachers in this Philippine Islands and
showed that there are abont $500
Catholic teachers IN the Philippine
schools. In addition to the influence
of the Catholic teachers, instruction in
the Catholic religion may 30 given in
the school buildings three days every
week.
Surely said Mr.. Byrne, with
our Catholic teachers outnumbering
the PTotestants three to one, with the
young Filipino already grounded in
I the practices of the Catholic faith,
with an adequate allowance Of time to
| Catholic priests 10 give these school
/ children in the schoolrooms instruction
/ in the doctrines of the Catholic re-
i
| weakness of our cause if We franticaily
/ accuse the Government of systematic
! proselytism because small proportion
of the teachers in the Philippines hap
pen to be Protestants.
THE Constitution of the United
States prevents the Government from
passing any law respecting the estab,
lishment of a religion, and the spirit
OF that provision is equally proven
tive Of any action of the Government
tending to change a religion. Tha'
the Government of the United State:
pledges its werd and its honor to OBJ
serve the spirit and the letter of thE
constitutional provision, restraining i
from any effort to change religion, il
seen In this law now in force in thu
| Philippines.
"No teacher or other person shall
teach or criticise the doctrine Of an.
church, religious sect or denomination
nor shall attempt to influence tn
: pupils for or against any church Q
, religious sect in any public schOO
: established under this act. II an
teacher shall Intentionally violate thi
section, he or she shall, after due hear
ing, be dismissed from tie publ
service. "
/ Having shown the safety of catholi
, cism under the school system in III
Philippines, Mr.. Byrne proceeded TO dis
cuss The transition oil the church ther
from State aided institution to on
free, independent and untrammelled.
While American Catholics, sal
Mr. Byrne, Twill welcome the separf
=, tion OF the church from the State i
the Philippines, il must be done
i such . way as not to injure the churc
s in the exercise Of her spiritual fuH'
tiens. The personnel Of the goyernin
class in the Philippines must not be
constituted as TO produce in the mir
q of the Filipino the conviction that
e must become a Protestant in order
n become number of the ruling class.
a This phase OF tho question will,
am sure, receive the attention of OF
. government which will not fail to a
10 cord to the American Catholic his a
" propriate participation in the maGnii
l. cont work of planting liberty OF Il
4 American brand in the Philippine
i lands for the benefit of the Cathol
:. Filipinoa.
Is Regarding the personal liberty of Il
q, Friars, | would not be here a nome
5 in support of any programme that "
r punitive OF those religious men. VIII
~ accede to the present condition of /
separation of Church and State pl
40 vafling in the American Repuhl
or and win not import my church in
my State, insist, with equal '
be hemence. that the State shall keep c
of of my church.
cit is because | know that I
ne American government is actuated
on no such intention that ! am able al
-ly Catholic American to support the q
eminent on this question. 1t asks I
AT cooperation of tho Catholic Church
/. its work of establishing order a
~ maintaining peace in the Phillip
i4o Islands, which, far from being p
gh gramme Of punishment, is one repl
It'll with the highest conceptions Of C
erv structiye craftsmanship
No. 4 feature of the occasion WAS
unanimous adoption Ct motion
IN Joseph A. McSamee, of this city,
90 send cablegram of felieitation to
44ti Holiness, Pope Leo XIII, and the
lowing message was at once dispatc
10 the head Of the Catholic Church
Rome:
-les Your spiritual children, knie
,e's of Columbus OF America, in meet
lis. assembled at Atlantic City, rejuiC
the in tine strength of your potitic
and felicitate your Holiness on the mem
;ted BILE achievements of your suspie
The reign, and rejoice at the spirit
rms amity yon manifest for the Amer
in Republic.
stol