The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-12-11
HIS TRIUMPH.
Premier WekerIe's Religious
Reforms Sanctioned.
Divorce Of Church and State Accom-
piished After Most Bitter Fight.


BuDA-PEsrH. Dec. I1.-There was
scene OF unparalieled excitement In the
relchsrath yesterday when DIR. Nek'
erie, the Hungarian primo minister, an
nounoed that the King of Hungary lEm'
poror Francis Joseph had given his sane
tion 20 the ecclesiastical bills.
The Liberals rose in body and chcered
wildly fer several minutes The house
rapidly emptied, and the members
pressed around and congratulated Dr.
Wekerle and Herr Won Hieronyni, Hun
garan minister Of the interior, who hac
gone to the Hobbies.
The Liberals have the highest hopes that
the firm position they have maintained or
the ecclesiastical measures will enable their
TO carry out further reforms. They have
arranged TO hold mass meeting on Ihurs
day. On the evening OF that day there
Will be torchlight procession, and the
city will be illuminated in honor Of the
victory they have won.
or Wide Scope.
Ths ecclesiastical bills TO which tne
royal sanction has been given, include
measures legalizing civil marriages, al
lowing the conversion of Christians To
Judaism, granting religious liberty to
Hebrews and removing the restrictions
with regard TO the children of mixed mar
riages. In fact, the bills provide for com
plete religious freedom in Hungary.
All the measures, with the exception OF
that in regard co children Of mixed mar
riagcs, were bitterly opposed by the Clerl
icals. Not only the Roman Catholics, but
the Greek orthodox bishops, fought
against the adoption OF the measures
AT one time it looked as though the op
position would win. The house Of mag
mates rejected one of the measures. Ger
tain concessions were made by the govern.
ment, after a ministerial crisis had beer
successfully overcome, and now, as ths
above dispatch states, the Liberals have
secured great parliamentary victory,
the politico.religio effects of which will
be far reaching. Every effort was made
by the ultrainontane Clericals to defeat the
measures by eendeavoring to work upon
the well-known piety of the sovereignty.
A Newspapers Warning.
Tho Magyar Allan, an ultramontsns
organ, declared recently that it was inn
possible for the apostolic King OF Hun
gary to sanction these bills adding: "The
bleeding figure OF the innocent Queen
Marie Antoinette standsibetween Francis
Joseph and the civil marriage law, which
has it's own origin in the French revolu.
ton" The article concluded as followsI
ut is written that we shall hearken to
the word of God rather than to- That -nl
man, and the Almighty will visit the sins
of the fathers upon the children unto the
third and fourth generations Woe to the
dynasty that challenges the Judgment OF
God. Woe to the nation and to every man
who renounces the faith of his fathers and
forgets that one day we shall all have to
render an account of our actions.
"We lift our eyes with the deepest SYM
pathy toward our lord and king at the
difficult moment when decision has "a
be taken. May the fortifying power OF
divine grace fill his heart with courage
and enlighten his spirit, SO as to enable
him to oppose the demands put forth on the
ground of q false Interpretation Of the
constitution
"AIay he remain faithful TO his apos-
tolic reputation, to his oath ana TO the
traditions of his august family, and by his
decision restore the nations peace, secure
the future of the fatherland the stability
os his own house and the salvation of his
soul"
The king, however. viewed tho subject
from different standpoint, and on tho
occasion OF the recent visit of Dr. Wekerle
to Vienna 1t was announced that the
prime minister had secured the royal sane
tion to the ecclesiastical bills.