La Solidaridad and the Propaganda Movement

The newspaper contented that the spiritual administration of the Philippine towns has been entrusted to the hands of the friars in notable contradictions to the canonic prescriptions, and it seems that our governments, to preserve the fictitious peace and apparent order of things in the Archipelago, are content to give free reign to the immorality of the friars, giving them bishop who are also friars.

The newspaper questioned why being as there are many known secular priests in those Islands learned and adored with virtues, none of these is proposed for any of the Philippine bishophorics, not even to counteract the deleterious influences of the religious communities who try to make of the Philippines a country of fanaticism and ignorance.

It is necessary, therefore, that our governments concentrate on this, decide if it is their scion to make of the Philippines a country informed, liberal, an integral part of Spanish nation and not a factory exploited by the friars which it continues being up to now, an explicit, clear declaration that the friars being parish priests, are subjected in everything and for everything to the authority of the diocesan, and the latter, to be an important judge and just governor, fall back on naming priests who having nothing to do with the religious orders; that is, who are seculars.

He also corrected the belief that the state of retrogression in which the Philippines is found is due to the native way of living – the laziness and the indolence of its inhabitants, who are, allegedly, indifferent to all forms of civilization and progress. He proved the fallacy that the Filipino is indolent by nature.

He also called the attention of the Spaniards “to look at your unfortunate Philippines, to free her from the oppressive monarchism so rampant through all her islands.” In addition, asked them to change their colonial policy “because Japan did not need monks to educate her to rule herself constitutionally like she is ruling herself now; Neither did the Scandinavian Islands need the religious orders to help them enjoy the benefits of modern civilization; nor Liberia to enable it to take its place among the nation.

He also pointed out that “there is no doubt that commerce is the only important colonizing agent” and that “commercial and industrial Spain should be interested in knowing the Philippines.” He encouraged the importations of manufactured products from Spain and the exportations of raw materials like abaca, cotton, sibucao, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, and medicinal plants. He also encouraged financial ties.

In the next five years, Del Pilar, who died on July 4, 1896, put out the newspaper despite of affliction, deprivation, and starvation. The newspaper, which came out every 15th and last day of the month, with a modest paper of 12 pages, the usual coverage, although sometimes it came out with 16 pages or more, and printed in two columns on each page, about the size of a page of current weekly magazine, ceased publication in Madrid, Spain on November 15, 1895, with 7 volumes and 160 issues.