The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1904-07-23

and it was the same where parents wished to bury
their dead. For marrying, the charges were so hgh
that hundreds of couples could not AFFORD III, so
took to living together without any formal cere-
mony. When the Americans took charge OF the
country the American army chaplains had their
hands full marrying such people. Chaplain AXton
said there were $500 teachers i'll the islands now
of whom 900 were Americans, and he never knew
of a woman teacher to be molested, though some
of the teachers have been killed. The work
of the various evangelical denominations de-
scribed, and the fact was mentioned that each de-
nomination had its territory, there was no
conflict between the churches In the work. Chris
tan churches are being established everywhere,
but there is enormous field yet to be occupied.
Truly, the harvest is plenty but the Iaborers are
few
Chaplain John Axton and Rev. John Axiom are
the same in person, but not the same in military
law and ethics Chaplain John Axton should never
make statement that he could not support by
affidavit. 1t was impossible for him to observe or
be witness of what he sets forth the immoral
tiles of the padres. His short stay the island
of Luzon would not admit of it. Crcumstantial
evidence is against him. Therefore what he ut
tered last Sunday comes only from hearsay, en-
beilished by his Imagination and inordi-
nate desire to create sensation. We speak ad-
vsedly, because, although the words of Axton may
be printed and put away in the archives of the
Methodist Book Concern the official reports of
commissioners will damn him as falsifer SO
will the testimony of a Protestant bishop (whose
name we cannot now recalD sent out to prose ytize
the Filpinos and who wrote back that the task
was hopeless one If John Axton will raise up
his right hand and swear that such immoraties
and abuses" exist in the island of Luzon since the
arrival of the American bishops and clergy, the
owner of this paper will spend a thousand dollars
to discover whether he lies tells the truth
Were Chaplain Axiom other than the light
weight he is; if he retained an ounce of gratitude
in his heart and love and respect for friends in his
soul, he would have communed with himself be-
fore insulting the Catholic community of Salt Lake
in the manner he has, for insult it really is And
his meditations would probably take this course:
"Now these fellows of the Ministerial Asso-
citation want something saIacious, something that
will make Rome howl. But if [ tell only what | |
saw with my eyes, why there's nothing much
to tell. Therefore it is best to talk upon sub
ject that | know something about-Christian En-
deavor for instance, or baseball. Come to think
about it. it was the Catholic Church. after all
that impaired any kind of civilization to the is
lands. 1t may be and is imperfect, but it is bet
ter than savagery. They tell me the padres are
immoral, grossly sinful, but it is hard to make a
perfect Christian out of an Asiatic Malay The
climate IS hot Their passions are hot Not even
John Wesley could have done as the Spanish frars
have done to civilize the natives As well try to
make silk purse out of sow's ear.
'There is something in the Bible which says it
IS best to cast the mote from your own eye before
olucklng the beam from your neighbor's eye. Now
f | went properly about the Masters business, [
should have attended more diligently to the NOR
lis of the Eighteenth infantry and not trapsed
around Manila gathering stories about the Fill
Dlno padres. If [ deliver the sensational lecture
he Ministerial Association expects, some one on
he outside may ask about the water cure
horrors! Some one may ask me how many native
oncubines are supported by the Eighteenth in
antry. Some may recall that awful tragedy
n the basement of the Swedish Lutheran church
N Second East and ask me if [ ran across Rev
1ermans out in the Philippines. Dear me. there's
he First Methodist Church and its immoral rec
I'd made clear by Peeping Tom Tiff. No. no.
ad best cut out the Filipino padres and talk
bout something l know"
If John Axton had communed with himself
n this way, and talked as John Axton talked when
e was secretary of the Y. M. G. A. he would have
etained his sef-respect and the respect of his
ormer friends and associates among Catholics.
tut he chose the other course, thereby showing
hat empty headed mortal he is, destitute Of
ense gratitude.
Shame upon you, John Axiom Shamel
THEIR GRIEVANCE MAY RE JUcr