The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1875-04-10
The Conflict in Germany.

The recent debate on The Dill WILL
drawing State endownents from all
priests and bishops in Prussia who refuse
10 eugsge themselves to obey the law,
gave Bismarck an opportunity to make
one of those slashing speeches so charac'
teristie Ut the man and OF his policy.
An old Conservative and Protestant
who had formerly been associated with
Bismarck, in the government, took up
the gloves against the Liberals, whose
anti Papalism he traced, and possibly
with some truth in many cases, to their
addiction to in6delity. The supreme
authority of God" he contended, was
to be superseded by a Pagan divinity
called the State" Bismarck's reply is
an excellent illustration of his we'll
known bluntness and directness OF
speech, and states squarely the question
at issue between the government and the
Church
Herr Won Gerlach did not now know
how to reconcile his allegiance TO God
with the loyalty he owed to the King.
But he prince Bismarck) was none the
less convinced that he was serving God,
King, and country alike in asserting the
political and religious independence of
his nation against Roman oppression and
intrigue. If Herr Won Gerlach had
charged him with the intention of intro
duclng sort of political Paganism into
Germany, he was forced to tell him in
reply that he had said what he knew to
be false at the the time. The question
at issue was not whether the country
should serve man rather than God, but
whether they were to bow down to the
Pope rather than the King. 1t was well
known that these and similar speeches OF
the Ultramontane party were delivered
in this House, not because they could be
expected to produce any impression upon
the members, but only because the law
allowed them to be printed with impu-
nifty in the Parliamentary reports. The
only object was to submit them to a por-
ton of the public less capable of judging
for themselves. The UltramOntane
speakers had assured the House that the
present law would produce no effect. He
1.-THE Chancellor) could not but admit
that the anticipation was probably cor
rect. The Pope and the Jesuite we're far
too rich to be Inconvenience by the
withdrawal of so paltry a sum, but the
government, though they foresaw the
practical inutility of the bill, had, new
ertheless, thought it their duty to take a
step which freed the taxpayers from sal
arying Jesuits engaged in fighting Ger
many.
The withdrawal of 81, 600, 900 a year,
however, from the support of the clergy
is not SO paltry matter, and, combined
with the transfer of the administration
of all ecclesiastical revenues to lay hands
is heavier blow to the Church than the
Chancellor chooses to consider it. The
measure has at least the merit of impair
tiality, however, As it applies to the
Lutheran and other Protestant denomi-
nations rs we'll as to the Catholics. But
it is only the Catholics who will feel the
full force of the blow. as it is really
against them, or against the Ultramon-
tanps, that it is aimed.
However much we may question some
of the means and methods which Bis
marck and his associates have seen fit to
adopt, the final issue of their conflict
with Rome cannot for a moment be
doubted. All of the power is on the side
of the government, and what is far more
important, the great majority of the peo-
pie are with it. The few PrOtestants
who, jealous of interference with their
own religious affairs, or from political
reasons, take up the side of the Church,
are far Outnumbered by those Catholics
who have long been FESTIVE under the
domination of Rome, and by the still
greater number. who, however they may
be classed nominally, are really indiffer-
ent. Or, as Herr Won Gerlach puts it,
" addicted to infdelity."-Chicdgo Post
and Mail,