New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-19
FRIAR LANDS PURCHASE
SOLUTION OF PROBLEM.
Great Estates viii Pass Into Han y
of Small Farmers in Philippines.
IrroM The TRIBUNE BUREAU

washington. Dec. 1S.-As a rule. fne govern
naent OF the United States has little or nothing
20 do with religious societies or corporations
and their members. The church is so COM
pletely separated from the state that it is diff
cult TO imagine cases in which the policy of
church in the selection OF its ministers and the
assignment ot them 10 duty could be regarded
as of political moment, or proper subject of
comment.
II The pacincation oc the Philippines. how
ever. it was impossible to ignore the great part
which that question played. With the excep-
ton Of the Moros, who MosieIas. and the
wild tribes, who are pagans, the Philippine
people belong to the Roman Catholic Church.
The total number Of Catholics. showa by
the Church registry in 1895. was 655999S. TO
care for them IN that year / ere were in the
archipelago 40 regular parishes. 105 mission
parishes and lie mission, 967 IN all. %
the regular parishes. all but $50 were admins
tered by Spanish monks OF the Dominican
Augustinian OF Franciscan orders Natives
were not admitted to these orLers. There were
two kinds Of Augustinians in the Philippines.
the shod and the unshod The latter are called
Recolletos, and are merely an offshoot from
the original Order OF St Augustine.
During the revolution OF 1896 and 1898 against
Spain, all the Dominicans, Augustinians, Re
Colletos and Franciscans acting as parish priests
sn Manila Forty were killed and 104 were i'm
prisoned. and were nov all released until. by the
advance Of the American troops ii became i'm
possible for the insurgents to retain them. OF
the 1.134 no were in the islands in 1896, less
than 500 remain The remainder were killed Or
died, returned 10 Spain went TO China or
South America
There were also in the islands. engaged in
missions and missionary parishes, forty-two
Jesuits. sixteen Capuchins and six Bsnedictines
and while many OF these left their missions
because OF disturbed conditions they do not
seem 20 have been assaulted or imprisoned for
Ruy length Of time.
In addition 70 the members Of the monastic
orders. there were 100 native secular clergy in
charge Of small parishes who were not dis
turbed. There were also many native priests
in the larger parishes who assisted the friar
curstes. and they remained and have been
acting as parish priests.
The burning political question, the discussion
Of which has agitated the Philippines ever since
the advent Of the American forces in the Islands.
has been whether the members OF the four
great orders of ST. Dominic, St. Augustine. St.
Francis and the Recolletos should return to
the parishes from which they had been expelled
by the revolution. Colloquially. the term "frars'
includes only the members of these four orders.
The Jesuits, Capuchins. Benedictines and the
Paulists, OF whom there were a few have done
only mission work teaching, and did not
arouse the hostility manifested against the four
larger orders.
Soon after the arrival Of the Taft Commission
A. Manila Archbishop Chapelle. of New-Orleans
apostolic delegate. called a the members of
said commission and requested that in any in
Vestigation into matter Of the friars which the
Commission might deem wise 10 institute the
provincials OF the orders and the five bishops
Including the Archbishop Of Manila, all Of them
friars. have hearing. Accordingly the COM
missioner TO whom the subject was assigned
was enabled by the courtesy and assistance of
Archbishop Chapelle TO take the statements of
the provincials of all the mona site orders resi-
dent IN Manila, and Of the Archbishop Of Manila
the Bishop Of Kigan and the Bishop of Jaro.
The Bishop of Cebu had returned to his diocese
and so too the episcopal administrator Of the
diocese Of Nueva Caceres. The questions asked
covered all the charges which had been made
against the friarE, the feeling OF the people
toward them, the extent Of their property the
Part they took in the politics and government
OF the islands under Spain and the possibility
Of their return TO the parishes. Other witnesses
Philippine laymen, American Catholic priests
army officers. Catholic and Protestant. and
newspaper correspondents were examined in
great numbers.
This investigation revealed the fact that the
TT1ar as a parish priest was usually the only
man OF intelligence and education in his parish
who knew both the native dialect AND the Span
ash language. His position as the spirit
ual guide Of the people necessarily led 10 his
acting intermediary between them and the
rest OF the world in secular matters. In only
= few OF the pa. ls.ie5 was there any other
Spanish representative OF the government of
Spain than the friar priest At first actually,
and afterwaTd by law. he came TO discharge
many civil functions ana TO supervise correcU
or veto whatever was done OF sought to be
done II the pueblo which was his parish. The
priest. therefore, vas not onIy the spiritual
guide, but was in every sense the municipal
ruler.
The archbishop and bishops formed part of
what known IN Manila as the board OF au-
thorities. The duties Of this board were pr.n-
cipaIly 70 investigate matters Of urgent moment
and in times OF crises 10 advise the Governor
General The participation OF the friars in the
a1aiYs Of the parish, provincial anc insular
governments was much more effective to secure
entire control OF the political situation than if
the priests had been merely secular and not
bound together with ;he close association of the
lnonastic orders.
The truth is that the whole government Of
use the expression Of the provincial Of the
Augustinians, the friaTs were the pedestal or
foundation % the Sovereignty of Spain in these
islands" which being removed the whole