The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1903-03-26

tee that it will fulfill all its prom
ises." This statement, and al APP
peal to all members TO extend the
power of our church through the wide
circulation of La Verdad, " is made by
the order of Archbishop Gregorio Ag-
lipay. The journals purpose is to
insure for Catholics in the Philippines
the same degree of religious freedom
Catholics possess in the United States.
It's work seems to be aimed immedi-
ately against the friars whose domin-
ion for centuries has been all powerful,
and both corrupt and tryanical.
The dispossession of the property
holdings the order has gathered into
it's hands and the Punishment of the
members are measures the government
has been negotiating at Rome and
Manila. The Punishment of the
friars is deemed matter absolutely
necessary to the peace of mind of the
Filipinos, SO great and SO long have
been their expressions, and SO ava.
ricious has been the spirit of the
people. They have been to the Phil.
ippines what the priesthood had been
to Mexico till the advent Of Juarez to
power after the fall of Macmillan.
The Washington of Mexico solved the
problem of dispossession by whole
sale and absolute confscation of the
property holdings of the priests. They
had gathered into their hands every
thing in Mexico, except the air the
Mexicans breathed-mines, lands,
buildings. nearly everything of ma
terial or commercial value, and Mex
leo had long been languishipg under
this religious monopoly. Juarez
simply confiscated and turned the
property over to the government. Then
Mexican nationality began. The
United States in the Philippines pro-
pose to buy the friar'' property hold
ings at fair appprisal, but say the
friars must 60 to insure internal tran
guilty. Their expressions and the
crimes charged against them have
made them utterly repugnant to the
great body of the Filipinos, On this
subject LaVerdad makes this editorial
declaration:
1.-THE blood of the 81 martyred
Filipino priests, murdered by order
of the friaIs on one pretext or anoth-
er, the blood of Jose Rial and
thousands of others who were done
to death by relentless inquisition,
calls out for redress. The day Of
reckoning has come for the friars.
Now is the time to bring forth things
new and old. 1t would better become
the new organization with the intel
ligence and good sense they undoubt-
eddy possess, as individuals, to strive
to introduce here the best that they
know about the Roman Catholic
church in the United States. and ad-
vocate the same spirit of religious lib
erty which they enjoyed in America
The members of thu New Church are
entitled tc this, and what is more,
under the stars and stripes, they will
get all that is coming to them. Why
not all of us together strive to bring
peace and concord to this wounded
country? Practically all the Filipinos
are united in this new movement. -
Complaint is made that few Amer
leans in Manila hold aloof from this
independent movement and have or
ganized TO defend the old church in
the Philippines; thereby they have
undertaken an impossible task" as
La Verdad views the matter. To strive
ito introduce in the Philippines the
best that they know about the Roman
Catholic church in the United States, "
is proposition that ought to commend
the work of La Verdad and Archbish.
op Aglipay to all classes III society and
all creeds in religion-all that desirl
the best religious, moral and materiae
progress in the archipelago.