They blundered with France, with Spain,
with Portugal, and with Germany. They
boggled things when they had Professor Fer
-1 I y-', * were too open, in the way
they shot Gaynor, and had fire iset to his
magnificent barns. True, they cowed Gaynor,
and kept that school money which they get in
v iolation of law; but they added immensely
to their own unpopularity. Besides, they have
played our Presidents too openly and too
much. The whole country may take fire, at
any moment; and the demand for the sending
away of I ale onio, the Pope's Ambassador,
may become fiercely imperative.
And they have blundered in boasting too
loudly and too often of their intention to
make the United States a papal fief.
Somehow, Pm under the impression that the
Irish and American priests are growing
restive, under the ecclesiastical bossism of the
Italians.
The Philippine Friar Lands
In the opinion of the House Committee on In
sular Affairs, which investigated the charges
made by Representative Martin, of Colorado, the
“public lands” in the Philippines do not include
the friar lands, and therefore the restrictions
imposed in the Philippine Organic act of 1902 do
not prevent the sale of friar lands in any amount
either to individuals or corporations. This is a
thoroughly lawyer-like decision, which neverthe
less is plainly at variance with the spirit if not
the letter of the Organic act.
