The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-11-15

 half of the population Of 3,000.0 peo- pie are not Roman Catholics? un- derstand that the present Governor is a Catholic.
 fAre you aware of the attitude he Is taking against Protestants. espe- cially the teachers Of the public schools who are forbidden to take any inter est in any Protestant work. such as teaching h Sunday-school or taking part in religious servieess
 Have not thousands of dollars been paid to friars for libraries they have claimed to have been burned? Is 1t your conviction and policy that catho- lie dignataries and the Catholic church should have greater consideration for a public official and especially from the Chief Executive of our nation, than any other recognized religious body? T have not one word to say against the Catholic church or any other de- domination. but I do contend that the one shall not have any more favors than the other.
 aThis letter Is not written for the purpose Of making you believe that the writer Is person who has some .won- aerful influence or one that would be a great vote getter for any political par- ty This is simply a personal letter I have no objection to making 1t public. and if you choose to answer. well and eoods if not. take 1t for granted that you do not care to go on record con- eerning the questions and in any event I am answered. sse
 With greatest respect, I am,
 Very truly yours.
 (Signed) .BIagnus Larson, Pastor of the Swedish Baptist Church.
 St. Paul.. Minn. !"
 SudRe Taftsa Answer.
 Judge Taft's answer follows:
 sMy dear Slr--I have your letter of September 26. You ask me whether s7.100.o00 were paid to the Catholic church out of the United States treas- nrY on my recommendation. I reply that 1t was not. The ErIarss egraeul- tural lands in the Philippines. Fss.o0o acres. or about that amount, were pnr- chased from the corporation formed by the thfee orders of the Friars in the Philippines and the money was paid from bonds isHued by the Philippine governnent under the authority of f;on9resg and is a charge upon the Philfpptne islanas The purchase WAS approYed by the Filipinos
 s1he uprising In the Philippines was against the Spanish governnsnt and the Spanish Friars whom the govern nleHt used as policemen h attemptIng % stamp out the sedltion and political discusalos eTn. | speech ln New York I afd not make q plea for fl}e Ronian Cathelie church in tie Philippines. except to say this. sthaf the infiueuce Of aii ths churches In the Philippines was neces. sary for the uplifting of the people, and that therefore every one would desire the prosperity of all the churches and that as the Roman Cath ollie church had the largest following every one. Protestants or catholics would desire its prosperity; that 1t was in a deplorable condition, due to the change from the situation in which the government paid its expenses to one in which It was bound to look to It's parishtoners for support, and that they were In the habit Of deriving bencfit from the churches not contributing to It. It made a difficult situation for the Roman church.
 "It is not true that half of the popu- lation, or 3.000.0OO of the people are not Roman Catholics.
 ''rhe. present Governor is a Roman Catholic, but he Is one Of the most careful men in maintaining an impar- tial attitude between Catholics and Protestants that we could possibly have. He does not forbid teachers to take an Interest in Protestant Sunday School work or to attend Protestant Churches.
 Only by law. there Is enJoined upon teachers the nou-teaching of religious matters in public schools.
 NO money has been paid to the Fsriars for libraries that they claim to have been burned. so far as I can rec ollect.. The sum of money paid was for rent and damage to convents or reeto- ries by United States soldiers.
 q do not think that Catholic dlr- nitaries in the Catholic church should have greater considefatton from a pub Ito official than any other regularly organized religious body. It has han pened that by reason of the fact that the Philippine Government under the Catholic church and that that un- ion had to be served and property and other interests had to be assigned to the church or to. the State, had much to do with the hierarchy of the Cath olic church, and visited Rome, in or der to bring about a settlement The settlement has been brought about and tn. my judgment. 1t is fair and just to all parties
 '''I am not a Catholic. and have not been affiliated with the Catholic church. All I have attempted to do was to do justice to that church and to the Filipino people. have treated that church exactly as l wouldAhave treated any other church had 1t been in similar position to that of the Catholic church.
 4 PO1itteI Purchase.
 T May add with respect to the Friars' lands that the purchase was 4 political one and agrarian one rather than a commercial one. There were sixty thousand tenants on the Frlars' lands who because of the eonfiscatory measure passed by the so-ealled Ma loIos Aguinaldo convention, refused tO recognize the title of the F'riars. Thus title was as good title as there was in the Philippines. and it authorized the FrIars to go into our courts when they were established and institute sixty thousand eviction suits. Thts would have led to a second ravolu. tion and 1t was an absolute political necessity that we should buy the lands. and then attempt to disposa Of them, as we arc now doing, to the tenaGeH on long and even terms of
 Very sincerely yours.
 (Signedl "William H. Taft, The Rev Magnus Larson.
 First Swedish Baptiat Church,