Durango semi-weekly herald., 1903-12-31

what the Carlists are. When Fer
brother. Don Carlos. claimed the
throne. but his pretensions were de-
MED by the cortes, and Isabella H.,
although only three years CT age. was
placed upon the throne. This was
done by the repeal of what Is known
as the Salic law. which provided that
men only should be permitted to rule
in Spain. 1t is not necessary to give
the arguments that occurred at that
time. By the repeal OF the Sale law
it was possible to place woman up
on the throne, and Don Carlos and his
branch OF the royal family have been
protesting ever since. There has been
almost continuous warfare between
the two branches of the family until
the recent regency, when the pope in
tervened, compelled Don Carlos TO
Withdraw from Spain. and. through the
influence OF the parish priests. sup
pressed the movement in his favor
Don Carlos. the son of the original
pretender. is now living in Venice.
where ne maintains a miniature court,
and his son and heir. Don jaime. is
an otficer in the Russian army. He
served with distinction in the attack
on Tien-tsin and during other engage
ments over there three years ago. He
is now with his regiment in Manchur
ia.
For reasons which 1t is unnecessary
to explain at length, the parish priests
throughout all Spain and the members
of the different monastic orders al
most universally syfnpathize with the
pretender. Nearly every monastery
and convent during the revolutions
was a Carlist headquarters, and the
leaders of the movement could always
depend upon the sympathy and usual
ly upon the encouragement OF the vii
lage cures, or priests, Just as during
our civil war in the states the northern
army could always depend upon the
negro, But when the papal nuncio
and the primate of Spain. who is the
cardinal archbishop of Toledo. issued
their instructions. the entire support
of the clergy was withdrawn and the
Carlist movement collapsed. The same
touih bt thtlhltu Win
liar effect at any time in the other
direction. If the old archbishop OF
Toledo were to turn the parish priests
,oose and permit them to follow their
own inclinations the cause of the pre-
tender would revive again and present
political conditions in Spain would
make 1t very doubtful whether the
throne would survive.
According to the official statistics
there are more than $4,000 parish
priests, nine archbishops and forty
;hree bishops in Spain, which is an av
erage of about one to 450 OF the popu-
lation. Under a eoncordat or treaty
with the Holy See their salaries are
paid by the Sp ;nish government The
contribution oi the government to the
support OF the church is about 81 .000.-
20 hospitals, asylums, poorhouses,
schools and other charitable, reform
itory and educational institutions.
which In Spain are almost exclusively
md one might say entirely under the
control of the ecclesiastical authori-
les. 1t may be said also that so far
Is the charitable institutions are con
,erned they could not be under better
management. The schools, however,
ire scarcely worthy of great nation.
They are the worst that can be found
n any civilized country. as bad az in
Turkey, where there are no schools
1t all, for the policy of the church
iss to repress popular education and
keep the people in a state OF ignor-
lnce. Out of a population of 10000
200 more than 100000 are absolutely
illiterate, never having attended
school. and more than 100000 can
not do more than write their own
names.
Enormous salaries are paid to the
bishops and other higher ecclesiastics
but the ordinary parish priest. the
nan who lives among the people. re-
'eives starvation wages. The average
compensation of the cures is less than
5000 a year. which means that the
great majority Of them do rot receive
hat amount, for II takes the salaries
If many to equal one of the large sums
,aid to the popular preachers and the
'urates with political influence in
Madrid and other cities.