Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-05-02
Has Unfortunate Effect Upon
the Love of Filipinos For
the Church
GOVERNOR TAFT is PRAISED
Report of Father e. j. Vattmann's In
vestigation Conducted With Consent
Of the War Department and Under
Direction of the Church Authorities
Status of the Catholic Church.

the report of Father T.. J.. Nattmann
chaplain Of the Twentieth United States
infantry, to h Catholic bishops as
sembly, in annual convention here las
week, on the status OF the Catholic
church in the Philippines, were made
public yesterday. Father Vattmann
with the knowledge and consent of the
war department and un] er direction OF
the church authorities, recently made a
careful investigation of Catholic inter-
ests in the archipelago. He is unspar-
other members Of the Philippine COM
mission for their honesty and impair
TALLY in religious affairs. He COM
mentS On the influence of Agiisan. an
insurgent priest, in the islands, and ex-
presses the belief that had an American
bishop instead of Monsisnor Guidi been
appointed to Manila the breach would
not lave been so wide. and it would
have closed quickly. Father Vattmann
regards the present feeling toward the
friars as most unfortunate.
ITO my mind says Father Watt.
mann's report, st is ieplorable that
certain of our Catholic papers persist in
misrepresenting Governor Taft and his
administration. He is a clean and hon
est man, broad minded aud liberal, with
no faint of bigotry in his composition.
His attitude towards the church and to
Catholic interests in general is simply
admirable. You may be certain that he
thoroughly understands The character
and the selfish designs of the renegade
Aglisay, and that he has a profound
knowledge both of the men and the
conditions around him. / repeat. the
governor is honest and impartial, and
we have nothing to fear from him-he
can always be trusted TO do the right
thing.
Commissioner Wright, Governor
Taft's able coadjutor, is also fair
minded and impartial. lie is straight
forward in his dealings and there is no
evasion or hypocrisy about him. He is
an exceptionally good lawyer, an excel
lent Latin scholar and is well versed
in canon law. of which he has made a
specially. His wife, a most estinlabIe
lady. is a devout Catholic.
Judge Smith, another member of the
commission. is a Catholic, and surely
our interests would be safe in his hands.
Mr.. Ferguson, secretary for the
Philippines, a former Washingtonian, is
another broad-minded man with not a
faint of bieotry. L fact, the commits
SION itself and all it's members are pos
sessed of the right spirit, and we Cath
olics need fear no injustice at their
"As to the Aglisay heresy-if it may
be so called am sorry to say it has
attained very considerable proportions
and BODIES danger to the faith of the
Remember there are 10, 000. 900
Catholics in the Philippines, about as
many as there are in the whole United
I have the impression that had
an American archbishop been appointed
to Manila the breach would not have
so wide and it would nave been
closed.
"Monsignor Guidi has dom very well.
cut I really believe the appointment of
IN American archbishop would have
carried with it more of prestige. Most
Unfortunate is it that there is such a
leep feeling against the friars; indeed
hey are really hated. They are looked
upon as part and parcel of the old op-
Spanish regime and it is this
that has given an impetus to the
movement. ] found this feeling
If bitterness against the friars in every
me of the provinces, except perhaps the
of Cebu.
at is beautiful to witness the pro-
ound love of the Ffllpinos for the
h urah ~ HyaS IN tIHNv 0Nra cinncl
Ytrongly impressed by il. / am deeply
to think that the faith of such
devoted people is in danger. But
,elieve I nave pointed Il the solution
# the problem"