The Cairo bulletin., 1908-11-15
! AF( REPLIES
TO QUESTIONS
SAYS U. S. GOVERNMENT DID
NOT PAY CATHOLICS
$1,000 ,ooo
PHILIPPINE CONDITIONS
Subject of Pre-EIection Correspond
ence Between Presdent-Elect
and Rev. Larson, OF
St. Paul, MINI.

81. Paul. Mimi. Nov. l4,-Th'
Dispatch" today in its morning cdi
ton will print the following CORE
spondence which passed between
Rev Angus Larson, pastor Of tn,
Swedish BAPTIST church of this city
and Judge William II. Taft. The let
ter from Mr.. Larson was directed tC
Judge Taft through the Republican
headquarters in St. Paul, under date
Of September 2G last, and the answer
by Judge Taft was dated Cincinnati
Ohio, October 8, last. Neither of the
letters has heretofore been made
public. Judge Taft answers Rev
LaIsons questions in the order IN
which they are asked as follows:
MY Dear Sir; have your letter
of September 26 You ask me
whether $7,000,000 were paid to the
Catholic church out of the United
States treasury, on my recommends
ton I reply that It was not The
Friars agricultural lands in the Phil,
ippnes, 5000 acres or about that
amount were purchased from the
corporation formed by the three or
ders of the Friars in the Philippines
and the money was paid from bonds
issued by the philippine government
under the authority Of congress, and
is charge upon the Philippine Isl
anda The purchase was approved by
the Filipinos
The uprising in the Philippines
was against the Spanish government,
and the Spanish Friars whom the
government used as policemen in at
tempting to stamp out the sediton
and political discussion among the
Filipinos
"In a speech in New York, | did
not make plea for the Roman Cath
Ollie church in the Philippines, except
to say this That the influence ofI
all the churches in the Philippines
was necessary for the uplifting of the
people, and therefore, that everyone
would desire the prosperity OF the
churches, and that the Roman Cath
Ollie church had the largest following,
everyone, Protestants or Catholics,
would desire its prosperity; that itl
was in a deplorable condition due toI
the change in the situation in which
the government paid its expenses tol
one in which it was bound to look to
its parishioners for support, ami that |
they were in the habit of deriving |
benefit from the church and not con.
tributing to IT,. 1t made a difficult |
situation for the Roman church,
III is not true that half of the popu
lation or three millions of the people |
are not Roman Catholics. There was
at one time, a large detection dre to
the so-called Agilpay schism. but i'll
has not been maintained in number
and many are returning to the Ro-
man Catholic church. while Others
are going into Protestant churches
The present governor is a Roman
Catholic, but he is one of the most
careful men in maintaining an I'm.
partial attitude between Catholics
and protestants that we could pcs
sibly have. He does not forbid teach
ers to take an interest in Protestant
Sunday school work or TO attend
Protestant churches. Only by law
there is enioined upon teachers the
non,teaching Of religious matters in
public schools
NO money has been paid to the
Friars for Libraries that they claim
10 have been burned. SO far as I can
.-....tto.. Tho e,,,,, 90 r,,ua,, NATL ,rag
for rent and damages to converts or
rcctories by United States soldiers.
Il 10 not think that Catholic digni
taiies in the Catholic church should
have greater consideration frCm
public official than any other regu-
Iarly organized religious body. 1t has
han pend that by reason of the fact
that the Philippine government IN
der Spain was ineXtricably united
With the Catholic church. and that
that Union had to be severed and ,
property and other interests had to ,
be assigned to the cnurcn or TO the
state. I had mueh to do with the
hierarchy OF the Catholic church. an; ;
.isited Rome. in order to bring about ;
a settlement The settlement has
Jeen brought about, and in ms judg
nent it is fair and just to all parties. I
L am not a Catholic. and have not
leen affiliated with the Catholic
-hUICh All ] have attempted 10 do
Eas TO do justice to that church a1d
% the Filipino people. I have treated !
hat church exactly as ] would have ,
reated any other church had it been
N p similar position 10 that Of the ,
-atholic ehrrch Ia
j. nav add with respect to tEel
-riars' lands that the purchase vas
Political one and agrarian Cnel
ather than a commercial one There In
rere sixty thOusanI tenants on thef r