The Catholic Standard and Times on the Philippine Situation.
By B.
Mention is made in our “News, Notes and Comment,” of Bishop McFaul’s recent utterance concerning the duty of Catholics to make their influence felt “whenever bigots attempt the invasion of our rights.” Still more recently the Bishop has written to the editor of the Catholic Standard and Times (Philadelphia), saying: “No Catholic political party is intended, neither are we to act as Catholics in obtaining our rights, but as American citizens—and employ the means guaranteed to citizens. Our people are asked to imitate representative non-Catholic laymen, who go before local boards, State Legislatures and the National Congress in behalf of their rights as citizens or for the redress of grievances. * This is a campaign of education—not only for Catholics, but for non-Catholics as well. Bigots have too long dragged our religion into politics for their own selfish ends. We propose to put a stop to this mixing up of our religion with politics, and to prevent discrimination against us as American citizens simply because we are Catholics. It cannot be doubted that the grievances we are suffering at home and in our new possessions would never have occurred, at least they would soon have been removed, if we had made known our sentiments in legitimate channels with that strength of purpose which would have made an impression upon those in authority.” As intimated elsewhere, the Catholics look at such things in a very different light from that in which most Protestants view them. For example, a few years since when the Protestant churches that had been receiving governmental aid for their Indian schools, voluntarily relinquished it, the Catholics refused to do so; and the act passed by Congress at that time, providing that after a certain date no more such appropriations should be made, is one of the “grievances” of which they complain. Taking Bishop McFaul’s letter as a text, the Catholic Standard and Times says: “The present is not a time for irresolution. It is not enough that Catholics consider their position, pass resolutions and speak through the newspapers. They have voices and votes. These they must use with the earnestness of men who know what they are about and determined to carry their resolve. They are American citizens, and they have the same rights under the Constitution as all other classes of citizens. When they see other citizens banding together for the purpose of making an attack on Catholic institutions and Catholic principles and Catholic property, they would not deserve the name of American citizenship to stand idly by while such an outrage on the Constitution was being contrived.” It will be remembered how active certain Catholic prelates were at the conclusion of the Spanish-American war to secure the “rights of the church.” These “rights” had reference of course to the condition of affairs under the church-and-state regime in Cuba, Porto Rico, and the Philippines. Referring to this phase of the question, the paper we quote says: “There is confiscation in the air. Many portents point to an assault upon the property of the religious orders in the Philippines, in breach of the treaty with Spain.” The Standard and Times then quotes the Brooklyn Eagle, “one of the best informed papers,” which “gives, on the authority of its Washington correspondent, a statement made to him by ‘an Administration official high in authority,’ to this effect”: “The friars are to be gotten out of the Philippines, but at this time it is impossible to say how their expulsion is to be effected. Navy and army officers have reported that much of the trouble and discontent in the islands is the result of the influence of the priests. While we know that this sect has been violently opposed to our government and that efforts were made by its members to aid and encourage the rebellion against the authority of the United States, we regard the friars as more menacing to the interests of the natives than to the United States. The whole subject of their future is to be decided by the Philippine Commission, which has full power to dispose of the matter. Of course, we are being kept advised as to what is being done and the final decision will have approval of the Washington authorities. “Numerous complaints have been received by the American authorities, to the effect that grounds and buildings have been seized in the past by representatives of the Church in the Philippines. The titles thus involved are to be searched by officials at Manila and an attempt made to restore to the rightful owners all property that has been wrongfully confiscated. After this has been done the serious task of determining what shall be done with the friars in regard to their future occupation of the Philippines will still remain. Owing to their great number and the wealth of their possessions, it will not be practicable to do as Captain Leary did at Guam—merely to ship them out of the island. Some scheme will be devised, however, by which the power of the friars will be greatly lessened.” Upon this the Standard and Times says: “When we bear in mind the composition of the Philippine Commission, there can be little wonder that Catholics should feel the deepest apprehension. Methodist438and Baptist and Presbyterian are howling like famished wolves for the spoils of the monasteries. Not one of them a Catholic, not one of them a man in whose impartiality a Catholic can have implicit confidence. Catholic interests in the islands which were until lately colonies of Spain have no defenders now but the Catholics of the United States. Let the full meaning of this fact be grasped by every Catholic here worthy of the name. Let it be borne in mind how difficult it is to get any news of a reliable character from those places on any subject, and then it must be seen how little chance there is of the Catholics in Porto Rico and the Philippines at least of getting their voices heard or their wishes respected. We say nothing of Cuba, which is not altogether in our power—as yet—like these other territories. If there were never a howl for confiscation from the disinterested (?) Christian sects, it would be an imperative duty of the free Catholics here to come to the aid of the millions of their co-religionists thrust outside the palisade of the Constitution while deprived of the protection of the friendly government of Spain. They are groaning under the evil of taxation without representation. They are neither American citizens nor Spanish colonials. They are tongue-tied and reduced to the position of the dumb animals without the benefit of a philanthropic society such as that which interposes between the quadruped brute and the biped brute. They cry to their fellow Catholics here to stand between them and an irresistible power whose force is being utilized, and may be still more crushingly utilized, for the purposes of a conscienceless and hypocritical propaganda of bigotry. This is the most immediate subject of concern for American Catholics.” It must be evident to everyone, that the government at Washington has some very difficult questions with which to deal in its recently acquired colonies. The treaty of peace with Spain provides that “the inhabitants of the territories over which Spain relinquishes or cedes her sovereignty shall be secured in the free exercise of their religion.” And again: “Judgments rendered either in civil suits between private individuals, or in criminal matters, before the date mentioned [Aug. 12, 1898], and with respect to which there is no recourse or right of review under Spanish law shall be deemed final.” And yet, again: “The rights of property secured by copyrights and patents acquired by Spaniards in the island of Cuba, and in Porto Rico, the Philippines and other ceded territory, at the time of the exchange of ratifications of this treaty, shall continue to be respected.” Much as justice may demand it, we do not see how, under this treaty, there can be even any review of titles of property in the Philippine Islands; to say nothing of the expulsion of the friars and the confiscation of property held by them prior to, and at the time of the signing of the treaty of peace. It has been asserted that much of the property held by the friars was acquired something after the manner of Ahab’s acquisition of Naboth’s vineyard (See 1 Kings 21). “Whenever a man had a desirable plantation, they would trump up some charge against him, have him arrested, and, without investigation, shot; and the property was turned over to the monks.” But this was done under color of law; and according to the treaty, which is “part of the supreme law of the land,” there is now no recourse that did not exist under the Spanish regime. The fact is that by the war with Spain, and by the treaty of peace, the United States have been brought face to face with some very perplexing questions. We do not impugn the motive of the Philippine Commissioners, nor of the representatives of the United States who framed the treaty, but we do seriously question whether, within the provisions of that treaty, substantial justice can be done as between friars and Filipinos.