The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1885-09-04
IN Chilli.
Serious Obstruction Placed in the way OF
Lovers by the Church-The Liberals
wouId Enforce the Civil Marriage Act

Lovers ky the CnurCh-The Liberals
wonld Enforce the Civil Marriage Act.
It Formerly cost $25 to be married. by the
church and a large part OF its revenues
came from that source, says the Santiago
correspondent of the Chicago Tribune. Inc
Poems, who scarcely eyeT are able to &C
cumulate so much money, therefore Lived
in a state of c~onCubinage, and more tnah
half the children bOrn in Chill were lie
climate. New marriage certificate can oe
secured from a civil magistrate for 20
cents. and persons cOhabiting without 1t
are subject to fine and imprls Onment, Inc
archbishop has issued a decree
n~icatinC from the church all persons who
are married by the civil rite, and the Cath
olics of the country, comprising W per
cent. Of the popula ton, are IN a serious dl-
Iemma- They are compelled 10 choose be-
tween accommodation, and lmpFlson-
ment, therefore, in the upper classes,
weddings are no longer iashiOna bic
Some people 20 first to the churCh
and then 10 the magistrate. and run the
risk Of accommodation, but the more
conscientious prefer TO emaiu single.
Just now in Santiago theTeis a young man
of brilliant attachments. a member OF con-
grass, and a leader of the Liberal party who
wants TO marry the daughter OF a promI-
nent merchant. The engagement has been
existing for several years, and both parties
are willing to fulfill it according to a clvll
law. but the girls mother Is a devOut Cath
Ole, and cannot be convinced that a wedding
without the blessing OF a priest Is matTl-
mony. The yOuugman will go to church
as well as to the magistrate, but the arch
bishop has forbidden any priest to marry
him without a fell retractiOn by him OF his
political record. This be refusestO make,
and the couple are preparing to go to the
United States or some European country
to have the ceremony performed.
4 few weeks ago there was a marriage in
high life in one of the south provinces Of
Chilli. which attracted wide attention from
the TACT that it was the first d]etinance OF
the church in that part of the country.
The Sunday following the parties were de-
nourced from the pulpit Of the cathedral
by the bishop, and the Catholic newspaper
publised some very brutal comments to
the effect that the couple had placed
themselves on the level OF beasts by CO.
habiting without the blessing Of the church.
The brides brother hammered the editor
so that he will be d cripple for life, and
would have given the bishop a similar
chastisement had not the latter kept out
OF the way.
At the next presidential election, which
occurs next spring, the issue viii be the an
fOrcement of the civil marriage law. and
if the Liberal party is successful, as it I'M
doubtedIy will be, some measures will be
taken 70 reduce the church to subsection,
and a law has already been proposed I o ex-
pei from the country priests who intimi-
date citizens from obeying the civil mar
riags act. This viii be open war and priests
who threaten to exeommunicate viii be
sent TO exile, where they will shortly be fol-
lowed by the monks and nuns, and gen.
eral eonfscation of church property win
be the next step. It is estimated that one
third 81 the entire property in Chill is
owned by the church.