Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1902-08-11
Head efAugus inians SaidI those
Filipinos Hostile to Frlars
Oppose Americans.
AUTONOMY WILL BRINCANARCHY
Friars Would Be Able to Return to
Abandoned Districts if RebeIious
Were Repressed More EnergeticaIly.
Majority Dsnt Hate Friars.

Rome, Aug. 11.-.Thomas Rodriguez,
general of the AugustinianS, and su-
prens head of the whole ORDER which
is very powerful at Rome, will leave
here today for Naples, where he wall
board a steamship next Wednesday
tor New York. Father Rodriguez will
pay his first visit to the United
States.
The general of the Augustinians re-
ccived a representative Of the Asso
ciated Press here yesterday with
great cordiality. AS it was known
that his journey to the United States
| was attributed to an intention to send
American Augustinians to replace the
Spanish order now in the Philippines,
Father Rodriguez, when questioned on
| this matter, said nothing definite had
| been decided.
Strange Should Want Vatican to Act.
"Nsthing definite can be done" said
| Father Rodriguez, while negotiations
are still pending between the holy see
and the United States. Whoever is
impartial must admit it to be strange
| that while Washington cannot or will
not expel the friars from the Philip
pine archipelago, it should request
| this to be done by the vatican, whose
principal duty and interest is to pro
| tect the friars, both materially and
| morally.
The truth is that the friars are
not hate = a majority OF the Fill
piRos, but only by that faction which
wanted to get rid Of them in order to
be left without church or law. This
| verified myself when, in 1896, | Wis
| tied the islands from end to end, and
| have had confirmation Of this state
| ment in recent reports, which say
| that friars have been called again to
PARISHES outside of Manila which they
left after the revolution Of 1898, this
being partly due to their eXcellen.
werk in the present cholera scourge.
| The result is that the Augustinians
now again occupy 10 places outside
| of Manila. They would easily be able
to return to all the abandoned interio"
| districts. where they formerly admin
| istered religion to 100000 Filipinos.
IS the civil government Of the islands
showed !aore energy in repressing the
| Iebellous clements. which are against
| the Americans not less than against
the friarS.
Anarchy Will Follow Autonomy.
The experience will convince
Warrington. continued the head cf
The Augustinians. of the necessity OF
having the Philippines under strict
rule, as the natives are entirely lack
ilg in the natural qualities or politi-
Cal education to govern themselves.
If autonomy is granted them one year
wiz be sufficient to reduce the islands
10 anarchy. the most powerful Fill
pinoS becoming the heads of so many
tribes or factions.
| with regard to the substitution OF
| SpaRiEa b.; American AuguStinians
in the islands, the difficulty is that
while the friars of our order in the
| Philippines at one time numbered
over 300. and even now amount to 13O
men, those in the United States, who
are mostly at Villanova, near Phila-
celphia, number only about 100, and
II them scarcely 10 could be spared.
Will Contradict Taft's Pamphlet.
Governor Taft shows great intelli-
sCnce and ability in bringing forward
arguments and evidence favorable to
his plans, but he ignores the other
side. l intended to contradict pam
lhlet written by him, which was
translated into Italian and which cir
oulated In Rene, but abandoned the
idea in view Of the little interest III
ibis subject taken here by the gener
ality of the public, which confutes the
different publications by Governor
Taft against the friars. On arriving
in America l will see whether it is
CpportuRe to have this book published
in English
Four magnificent altars were con.