The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1903-09-17

to congratulate the country on this
colossal and wicked blunder that has
brought such results in it's train is a
fine example of unconscious mockery."
MISSIONARIES IN philippines.
Episcopal Clergyman Writes of Deep
Faith of Natives Under "constab-
uIary" Rule.
Rev. John A. Staunton, Jr., an Epis-
copal missionary in the Philippines,
writes frankly of the native people, in
The Living Church. He does not sug-
gest the obvious conclusion. from his
own observation, that it is hardly
worth while for any denomination to
continue futile attempt at convert
ing" these people from good Catholics
into Indifferent Professionals, but his
statements are as interesting as un-
usual.
have never heard a sermon on tie
Passion which appealed so forcibly to
the imagination or reused the mind so
actively to sense Of the physical re-
atty of the events of Holy Week as
the procession l witnessed during the
solemnities of last Good Friday. And
1 cannot conceive any more effective
method of teaching Christian truths
among ignorant people than has been
adopted by that branch of the Chris
tian church which has taught these
people in the past. The scenes are ter
rible in their realism, but enduring in
their effect. l wish to express my de-
liberate conviction that the Filipino
people as whole have a more init
mate knowledge of the facts of our
Savior's life today than they will have
fifty years hence, when religious pro-
cessions have been practically prohib-
influence of American Professionalism.
The Episcopal church can be in these
islands for no higher purpose than to
save souls from the shipwreck Of faith
which is bound to result. For many
different sects have already started
campaigns of proselytism with teach
ings varying as widely as the tenets
OIL Individual preachers.
| l notice in the printed report of
secretary of prominent American
board of missions (not our OWN the
statement that Of the inhabitants of
these islands nearly all are heather
| with a thin veneer of Romanism of
the mediaeval-Spanish type
| OF course all depends upon the view
point; but from our point of view, is
the statement correct? There is but
one way of telling; one must live, at
least for a time, among the people.
| On recent trip to the west coast
of Cebu visited the native priest, who
has been cure at Balamban for a
great many years. I went to his house
| III company with the school teacher,
now the only American in the place.
The old man had been turned out of
his large and commodious residence
by the American soldiers, who had I'M
til lately occupied the town. The Of
| ficer, a lieutenant, wanted the house
| for the use Of himself and his wife.
So the old priest was told to move
out, and he still occupied neighbor-
ing and very dilapidated casa AL
drawn, Padre Benito had not yet moved
back, for at his age, which was more
than seventy, house-movlng was for
midable task. The old man received
us kindly, and, according to the inva-
riable Filipino custom, had his servant
bring us wine and tobacco.
| We chatt for some minutes with
him about various topics, about his
pueblo and his people, and about his
books-for he had many in Spanish
and Latin on his desk and on his
shelves-when the sound of music
drew us to the window to witness a
passing procession Long double lines
OF men, women and children passed
slowly and with great reverence, chant
ing an antiphonal litnany. Every
night, Padre Benito told us, process
sion perambulated the village praying
God to avert the epidemic of cholera,
from which neighboring towns were
suffering. For a month, said the old
priest, the good Lord has spared us.
Perhaps he will hear our prayers and
will turn away the evil. I could not
help contrasting the dependence OF
these people, said to be fatalists-and
'heathens forsooth-upen the pity
of merciful God who hears prayer,
with the type of American fataIsm-
and heathenism-which in similar
cases trusts wholly in disinfectants. II
seemed to me, too, that the native TEN
per was very much in accord with that
which our prayer book seeks to incul
cate in it's collects, it's litany and its
penitential Offices.
Would it not be just retort to the
above mentioned secretary of missions
for Filipino to say, after returning
from hurried trip to the United
States, Nearly all Americans are
heather, with thin veneer of Pro
teetantism Of the modern English
type?
II the Filipinos are heather, then