Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-05
DISRUPTION IMPENDS
Bonds that Unite Englands Church and State
May Be Severed
VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM FOR SOLUTION
Growth Of Ritualism is the Cause Of All the
Trouble.
RITUAlISTlC PARTY IS THE STRONGER
ITUALISnC PARTY IS THE STRONGER
Drastic Measures May Drive Them Into the
Church of Rome.
QUEEN HAS A WARM SIDE FOR CATHOLICS
salisbury's sympnthies Are with the
Ritualists and He Is in n
Quandnry ns to what
should lie Done.

| Copyright, 1899, by Press Publishing Coz
LONDON, Feb. 4.-(New York World Ca
| begram-Special Telegram .)-ParIlament
reassembles Tuesday. The biggest trouble
ahead of the government is the condition
OF the established church which Is rent in
twain between the high and low church par
ties. The growth of the rtualistic practices
in the church has been enormous. SO pow
erful has the ritualist party become that the
government Is afraid to legislate against
ritualism as it might provoke a schism
which would wreck the Anglican church and
probably drive the bulk of the most infu-
ential members over to Rome.
Salisbury's hands are tied as his sons are
| among the ardent champions OF ritualism,
while his own sympathies lie in the same
direction. His panacea is to encourage the
episcopate use to the full powers it already
possesses in dealing with breaches with the
public on the part of clergymen, but 1t is
an open secret that majority of the bish
ops themselves are ritualists, so no united
action is possible among them. In fact, to
ordinary observers, the services as now
habitually conducted in many Protestant
churches in London are scarcely distingish
able from the Catholic services. The bishop
of Liverpool, one of the very few low
church bishops, the other day ordered a
vicar in his diocese to dismiss two curates
who introduced the mass, confession and
reservation Of the sacrament into their
services. They were dismissed and instantly
half dozen other Liverpool Wears offered
them curacies. They accepted and resumed
their rtualistic practices. The bishop of
Liverpool implored by low churchmen
to cancel these recalcltrant curates' license,
but he dared not do so, because it would
involve him in endless trouble and litiga-
tion.
Liverpool typfes the chaotic condition of
the English church It's low church party
is earnest to fanatcism, hating what they
call Romish practices and violently call
ing for representative measures against the
ritualists who, on their side, comprise the
influential and intellectual class and are
equally earnest in repudiating all idea of
going over to Rome. though virtually prac-
ticlng Catholic doctrine, except the suprem-
acy Of the pope.
Salisbury and Balfour. who are
both sincere churchmen, afraid
Of the consequences in submitting legis-
lation, involving delicate points of doctrine
to Parliament, which includes not only a
large on-protestant element but also a
considerable section OF agnostics. This strife
is making direct for the dis establishment of
state and church The queens sympathies
are with the most advanced ritualists, in
fact is known to entertain a great ten
derness for Roman Catholicism.
work of Irish Land League.
The Irish league, founded six months ago
in Mayo by William OBrien, is fast be-
coming the most formidable weapon in the
agrarian agitation Ireland has known since
land league days.
In western ireland the best land is kept
in great tracts for grazing cattle, while the
tenants are huddled together in miserable,
stony holdings small that they are in
sufficient to support the families living in
them. The original object of 0Brien's
league was to compel grazers TO sell their
land to the tenants so to prevent a
periodic recurrence Fof the famine which
the slightest failure of crops brings on these
tenants.
The league organization, which has spread
like wildfre, now comprises $50 branches
in Connaught and is fast gaining ground in
Leinster and Munster. Enormous mass
meetings are being held throughout the
west in furtherance of its objects. All rich
nationalist sections are found standing to-
gether on its platforms. The government
attempted to stop its progress by prohibit
ing its meetings, but found that this action
only stimulated it's growth.
At a great meeting held this week at
Claremorris. near where the land league
was founded, the platform of the United
Irish league was extended to embrace the
whole national program.
Many OF the grazing tenants have already
signifed their willingness to subdivide their
land, but O'Brien determined not to part
with 30 powerful a political lever as the
hos yta
robust, has been undermined by his exer-
tiOns and he has left Ireland for few
weeks rest under imperative orders from
his doctors.
Freedom for Dynamite Prisoner.
Henry Burton, the last of the dynamite
prisoners confined in England, is TO be
released in about month. Home Secretary
Ridley has SO notified Mr.. Field, NJ. p
Burton was convicted OF completely In the
explosions at the Tower OF London jan
ury "a, 1855. and of alleged connection
with the explosion In the House OF Com
mons. Sixteen visitors were severely In.
jured in the former case, while two po-
licemen were hurt in the latter.
Burton was sentenced to life imprison-
ment by Justice Hawkins. He has served
thirteen years, during which time his con.
duct has been exemplary. His health is
said to be unimpaired.
The only prisoners still in Jail for con-
nection with Irish political movements are
those in Ireland under sentence for the
Phoenix park murders and agrarlan Of
lenses The amnesty movement will now
be directed TO securing their release, al
though successive British governments have
declined to recognize their crimes as po-
litical.