The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1906-02-16

600 so that by this even. Of last year
we may see the day coming soon, when
the lands OF the islands shall he ownei
by the people,
"rirst Query: lal Are we to infer
from this statement, that none of the
lands werr owned BY the people, before
said date, tbl Is il fact that none
OF the lands were owned by the people
simultaneously with the presence OF the
Friarism IN the rhihppmrs'
Il quote tn" next sentence; THE
great curse upon the Filipines has been
the system ni land ownership aud mani
fold taxation by the church; tax was
collected ior eyerythiug' TO Kill u hog
was taxed; to marry, to he born, TO die;
50 that the people wen hopelcs,ly pov'
erty stricken Doubtless, the worthy
matrons of the club must have ,hudder
ed at the recital OF these heartrending
conditionsl Let us examine this por'
tion OF the address infinitely.
Second Query; tal Concerning land
ownership; Was not the land in mos,
eases, acquired as honestly, and was not
its retention based upon as good a IT,
tie, as the vast possessions held by crr'
tain leading members Of the various
religious denominations in this conn'
tryf Ii not why not
'tbl Concerning taxation by the church
From the trend OF the address,, | infer
that the Roman Catholic Church Is
meant. II am wrong, shall be pleas
ed to learn the fact.
The speaker said; TAX was col
lected Tor everything Does this mean,
that tax was collected by the Roman
Catholic Church in the Philippine Islands
for everythiugy Yes, or noF
'"'ru kill hog was taxed Does the
Reverend gentleman mean that the Ro-
man Catholic Church in the Philippine
islands taxed every hog that was killed
within that district. Yes. or noH
ITO marry to be born, to die. Does
the Reverend MIR. Gilbert mean TO say,
that every person, in every case was
forced By the Roman Catholic church,
in the Philippines, to pay tax in or
der to marry to be born or to dief Yes,
or nof Does he intend TO assert that
no priest would assist at the marriage
or at the death-bed OF a person, hows0-
ever destitute without first exacting a
tax! Yes. or nos
$50 that the people were hopeless
" poverty stricken Finally, does the
Reverend gentleman mean to affirm that
the Roman Catholic church in the Phil.
ippines, was the sole cause Of the people
being hopeIessly poverty stricken. on
account Of the taxation imposed by the
legislation of said chuFchi Will he
please furnish the church legislation to
that effect?
"In the fourth column of the As
torians account, we read; Il took the
first box Of Bibles into Manila" Is the
Reverend gentleman certain of this
statement. ask this question, because
subsequently he says: '"To be sure,
each Engishman could have his own Bi'
BILE. ~ In the third line from the top
OF the same fourth column, he asserts
that There were 5000 English resi-
dents there" Was it not possible, that
some one Of them may have been a pio'
neer in this field! But this il not the
particular point, TO which | wish to call
attention. Here it is; Does the Rev.
erend Pastor of the First Presbyterian
Church intend to insinuate. that none Of
the Catholics in Manila or in the Phil.
pines Tor that matter, had a bible?
I'm closing Mr.. Editor, permit me to
say, that ! write these words with
malice toward none, with charity for
all, with frmness in the right, as God
gives US to see the right" /. feel that
/ owe it to myself and to my fellow
Catholics to ascertain the truth, the
whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
That we demand: We shall not be sat
isfed with less Thanking you, dear sir,
for your patience.
II remain, Yours Respectfully
aInIIAr w ATEnoD