The Washington times., 1902-07-28
Secretary Root lmpartS
His Views of Natives
Religious Status.
PRAISE FOR THE PRESIDENT
Declares Chief Executive Has Sought
With Singleress Of Intention TO Act
in just Manrer-Expu.sion of Friars
Would Be Unconstitutional.

Secretary Root. before his departure
for Europe, gave cut clear and clean
statement of his views in regard to the
religious status of the Filipino and his
devotion to the Catholic Church, OF
wEich. according to the views of Mr.
Root, the Filipino will always be a most
Gevout son.
The statement appears in the last
issue of The New Century a Catholic
weekly which is published in this city
and which IS regarded as well and re-
Iia5ly informed On matters Of Catholic
nature. The following is what secre-
tary Root is reported to have said:
81 wish to give especial emphasis to
the idea that in this deeply compli-
Gated problem. President Roosevelt has
sought with singleness OF intention to
act in thoroughly Just manner. Some
newspapers gave false impression of
his high-m.nded intentions by the use
Of .hrases that he in 70 way counte-
nanced.
For instance. it was said that Mr.
Roosevelt AMI / had determined that
the f-iars must be expelled. This word
Is easily misleading. Expelled? Why,
the veriest tyro in the law knows that
there IS no shadow of constitutional
pretext by which the friars, or any
other body Of men. can be forcibly ex-
PEELED from American territory. Such
assertions have merely lnfamed feeling.
Never Sought Exclusion.
1--WE never sought the forcible exclu-
sicn of the friars, and what we now de-
sire is that Pope Leo. having jurisdic-
tion over the religious CT lers. direct
that the Spanish orders be withdrawn
and other priests substituted for stheir
members.
II am we'll aware that the Filipinos
ere a Catholic people who cherish their
religious convictions very deeply and
very tenderly They depend upon the
church for which they have SO profound
a respect
''As one who has at least some slight
knowledge of the Filipino mind. gather
ed from the reports of observers, l am
convinced that beyond the shadow of
doubt the Filipino is unalterably a
Catholic. To speak of nothing else, the
great beauty OF your ceremonial at
tracts him.
THE austere baroness OF the Quaker
meeting house, or the average conventi-
Gle OF any Protestant denomination
would make no appeal to his nature and
the drift OF his sympathies. and his in
tellectual and emotional interests.
Filipino Devo.t Catholic.
THE Filipino is a Catholic, and am
convinced that he Will remain a Cath
Ollie The Catholic Church is. and ought
to remain. an important element in the
life. peace. prosperity and progress OF
the Philippine Islands.
THE question OF the withdrawal of
the friars we have solved along lines
that We believe to be for the general
good-it will certainly be for the good
Of the Catholic Church, whose efforts
would be crippled by the ministration
OF a clergy to which the body of the
people are politically hostile.
Should we attempt to restore the
friars 20 the parishes under the. same
police protection which the Government
of the United States is bound to extend
to any other Spanish subjects residing
in the Islands, 1t Will be regarded by
the people as an act OF the Government.
and thus retard the paciacation of the
Government to Be Fair.
Now. with regard to the school ques-
tion. You have again my unqualified
assurance that the Government is act
Ing with absolute air-nindedness. If
you believe that the number of Catholic
District superintendents Is small. you
must remember that we had difficulty in
securing Catholic teachers qualified by
experience for the positions.
Neither must the fact be ignored that
Father McKinnor is a member of the
school board OF Manila, whose work and
whose influence is of very decisive i'm
portance. Then. too. in the heat of dis
,ussion the fact is sometimes pressed
out OF view that out of an aggregate OF
5 600 teachers in the Philippine public
schools, $3.50 are Catholics. This, TO
my mind. is one of the most significant
facts in the situation