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Show I ' ' " V . - '-i it JM -Sy : . j TOHW E. REDMOND, IRISH PARL lAMENTART LEADER. I SECTS AND THE FILIPINOS. Episcopalian Minister on the Evil of Denominational Missions. How the secular press regards the effort to win the Filipinos to Episco-paliahism Episco-paliahism may be '-inferred from these words, which appeared in a recent is-sut; is-sut; of t'he New Yrork Times: An open letter addressed to the newly new-ly chosen Protestant Episcopal bishop to the Philippines by the Rev. Algernon Alger-non S. Crapsey of Rochester, is likely to excite some controversy. While cordially cor-dially admitting that a better man for the place than Bishop Brent could not be found, Mr. Crapsey insists that the creation cf the place was a grave mistake mis-take for several reasons, the most im-' portant in his estimation being the fact that the Filipinos are not heathen, but Christians, so that the appearance of a missionary bishop in that field will be an intrusion both dangerous and useless. After referring to the difficult problems which confront the civil and military authorities in the Philippines, Mr. Crapsey says: "Now. if we add to these complications religious rivalry rival-ry and bitterness; if every Protestant denomination rushes in there, not to j build up, the kingdom of God, but to secure denominational advantage and prestige, then we make a bad condition condi-tion worse and the work of pacification pacifica-tion much more difficult than it is at present. Surely the people of those isiands have suffered enough without having forced upon them all the evils and discords of sectarian Protestant ism." The writer of the letter, too, is hopeless of any compensating benefits. "J is impossible," he declares, "that anv new form of Christianity shoulc ; take root in that soil. Experience I teaches that the seed of .the Reformation Reforma-tion is sterile in lands long under the , influence of the Latin race. Our mis-Fions mis-Fions 'have been barren in Mexico and in South America, and they will be I barren in the Philippines, in v uua. nu in Porto Rico." So Mr. Crapsey wants to leave tie schools and other agencies of our civilization free to do their work, and, when that work is done, to leave the Philippine islands to develop their religious life naturally along the lines of their history. He prophesies that Bishop Brent will be simply the chaplain of a few transient Americans, and that for this he cannot afford to give up his Boston church. The bishop's bish-op's reply will be awaited with interest. I time. Kansas City council sent a delegation dele-gation of about forty members, while Chicago, St. Joseph, Topeka, Alton, Springfield and other sister councils were well represented. Members or the A. O. II. will be grieved to learn that Mr. Mantis O'Donnell, a prominent Hibernian o. Columbus, O.. died on the 30th ult. IP was also affiliated with the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick and the Knights of Columbus. s- That the Ancient Order of Hibernians is forging so rapidly to the van is due in large measure, according to the gen eral concensus of opinion, to the ritua that has recently been introduced. It is very beautiful and impressive, conveying con-veying lessons of permanent value. Tlv aims of the A. O. H. are of a practical and ennobling order. Its purpose is t j perpetuate t'he glories of Irish Catho liclty and to illustrate the real nature and beauty of the Irish character. TI recently introduced ritual will greatly accelerate this work. There will be gratifying intelligence to the members of the A. O. H. in tin realization that the movement toward the more thorough study of the Irisl language is making rapid headway it Philadelphia. All indications are that the present session of the Philo-Celtic society of that city will prove the most successful in the annals of the organ ization. At the usual meetings songs are sung in Gaelic. |