Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-07-12
CHARGE REFUTED.
No ProseIyting by Teachers
in the Philippines.
Charge That They Are Attempting to
Convert the Catholics
Shown to Be False by Gov. Wright and
Not Generally Believed.

philippines have been PROSECUTING ano
attempting to convert Catholics to the
Protestant faith. 1t is as follows:
4 beg to advise you that on the fifth
of July, Vice Governor Wright, the
acting governor of the Philippines. was
requested to report by cable the facts
hearing upon the charge, which has
recently been extensively circulated
that official positions in the public ser
vice in the Philippines have been used
for PROSECUTING purposes, especial refer
ence being made to an article which
had just appeared in the Catholic
Times.
The following dispatch has now
been received from Gov. Wright:
" Manila, July 9, 1902.
" Sec. of War. Washington
9 referring to telegram from your
office of 9Th, inst, charges made by
Catholic Times unfounded in every es
sential particular. Untrue that nearly
all American teachers are Protestant
teachers and proselyters. The fact is,
one division superintendent was
preaching i'll the United States shor;
| time, then became teacher. Possibly
two or three similar instances among
.EttItiS. ID ldI- ilcttu VI
school, was never clergyman and never
occupied a pulpit here or anywhere.
There are now two American Catholic
teachers in school of instruction
I Normal school and five in Manila
city schools Native teachers in city.
numbering 140, all Catholic.
Untrue that teachers of Normal
| schools are PROSECUTING and that school
| graduates only Protestants. Excep-
| tional that any graduate is other than
| Catholic. Untrue Filipino is taught that
| Professionalism is bringing enlightment
| and Catholicism Ignorance and tyran-
/ ny. No reason to suppose that Stone,
| superintendent. and Oliver, principal of
Manila schools are bigotted or anti
! Catholic. Both deny it, also the state
| ment that graduates of Catholic Uni
versity have been refused place in Ma
Mia and sent into the wilderness. Pri-
| vate Secretary Of Commissioner Moses
| Catholic, also private secretary of At
| kinson, general superintendent of pub
| lie instruction, also three division
slperintendents.
! Have shown your cable to Rev. VIM.
| d. Kinnor, Catholic priest. member OF
! the advisory board Of general instruc
| ton, who confirms the statement OF
facts made by me above. Law to
| inaugurate public school system for bid
religions instruction in, schools or
school buildings by teachers, but al
| lows same three days per week in
| school buildings. by priests or preach
| ers, out of school hours upon request
| Of parents (See Section 16, Act. 7D. It's
| intended as concession to Catholic SEN
| timent There are about 340G native
| teachers employed in the islands all of
| whom are Catholics. Teachers selected
without reference to religion and not
| allowed to preach or teach religion in
| schools No discrimination against
| Catholic teachers. WRIGHT"
You will observe that the statements
| of this dispatch Were confirmed by
| Father McKinnon. who was formerly
| secretary to Archbishop Chappelle, the
| direct representative of the Holy See
| in the Philippines. The statements of
the dispatch appear to be further con-
| firmed by remarks which are published
| in the newspapers. this morning, as
| made by Archbishop Ireland i'll a
| speech delivered at a convention of the
| National Educational Association at
Minneapolis.
| None of the Drelates of the Roman
| Catholic church, whose duty it is to
| safeguard the interests of their church.
| and who are familiar with the facts
| nave made any such charges as are re-
| ferred to in the inquiry addressed to
| GOV Wright and in his answer above
| quoted. | am confident that they know
| better what the true facts are than the
unknown and irresponsible sources of
these adverse statements.
| 1T is the purpose of the Philippine
| government to maintain in the archi-
| pelaco the same kind Of free sacred in
struction which exists in the United
States and which has proved to be for
| the interest of religion and all religions.
| The government means, so far as it
i can. to give education to the people of
/ the islands and it will do this without
| any discrimination for or against any
| church and sect. 1t does not mean
that any officer or teacher Of the school
system shall use his position to build
up or pun down any church whatever.
whether Catholic or Protestant. The
laws already enacted in the Philippine
islands contain the following provis-
ion:
- No teacher or other person shall
teach or criticize the directness of any
church. religious sect or denomination
or shall attempt to influence the pulpits
for or against any church or religious
sect in any public school established
under this act If any teacher shall in
tentionally violate this section. he OF
she shall after due hearing. be dis
missed from the public service.
Conformity to this provision, in the
shirt as well as in the letter, will be
strictly required. | think the govern.
ment OF the Philippines is entitled t.
T ask that citizens of the United States
, shall not assume. or believe, upon mere
: rulnor and improved statements. thai
,. the government is not in good faith en-
forcing this law which it has made