Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-14
RELIGIOUS ORDERS
Feeling in Spain in Regard
to Them Explained.
DEMAND OF RADICALS
THEY MUST NOT COMPETE IN IN
DUsTRIAL PURSUITS.
Acts Which Sagasta Succeeded in Pass
ing Through the Cortes-The
Papal Nuncio's Protest.
DEMAND OF RADICALS
BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.

Chicago Record Herald.
MADRID, November IA, 1903.
I-pon an exaggerated idea of the facts l
stated in q rec mt le.er concerning the NUM-
bers and the wealth of the monks and nuns
in Spain. the republican party demands
their suppression and expulsion from the
kingdom as one of the principal planks in
it's platform. 1t demands that the religious
communities shall be prohibited from COM
peting in the industries, agricultural ana
mechanical with ordinary citizens; that all
church property not used for purposes OF
worship or charity be taxed; that all titles
to property other than that used for reE-
gious and charitable purposes now lying IN
the hands of agents or trustees OF relglous
communities be transferred to the govern
ment; that cleTgymen be prohlbited from
holding public office, educational, charitable
or otherwise: that religious processloiis'
which excite the fanaticiSm OF the masses,
be prohibited from passing through the
streets; that the compulsory education law,
ALREADY on the statute books as dead let
ter, be enforced with II free school sys-
tenn, with secular teachers, and that the
money now appropriated for the dement, Oh
the church be applied for educational pur-
poses.
1t is very broad and radical program
for a country like Spain, whirn has always
been more or less cOhtlblltu ny tiit piiootS,
but il is based upon economical as well as
political reasons. The monks and nuns,
as | explained a few days ago, compete di-
reCtly with private enterprises IN almost
every industry. and, being exempt nom
taxation and being able to obtain labor
when secular companies cannot. at less
wages than they are compelled to pay. they
enjoy a very great advantage. Inc feI-
gious problem in Spain Is, therefore. quite
as serious as the trust and labor problems
i'm the United States.
A Large Income.
Seventy-five years ago. when Isabella Ii
came into power. the average annual in
come of the religious orders in Spain from
their inves tmcnts ami estates was reported
to be more than $50 100000. This revenue
Was largely reduced during the political
revolutions between 1890 and 1870 but dur
Ing the last twenty-five years they have not
only recovered a considera bic part of their
confiscated property but have added to II
very rapidly. that it has grown like
compound interest. The profits OF various
manufacturing industries owned by the
monks their enormous revenues from their
vineyards, their olive orchards, their farms
ana other productive real estate have been
carefully invested in city property and de-
sirablc sites in the suburbs of the growing
towns. Much of their surplus has also been
invested in the stock of the Bank of Spain,
which is the most. protta lie investment in
the Kingdom. lHtE are SuppOStb dlSo "
hold large amounts of foreign bonds, rail-
way stocks and other securities. and. as
they use only small part of their income,
these investments have been p ling up until
they have reached almost incredible figures,
so large that you can scarcely believe the
estimates to be true.
Knowing this, or strongly Slspecting it,
the republican leaders have been closely
watching the financial affairs of the church
with view to making practical use of
their knowledge hereafter, but the attempt
Of the government TO compel the monks
and nuns to make a SHOW down" as it 3
called out west, of their property and reve-
uues has failed.
Not long ago the agents of foreign COM
pany which has contracts TO furnish sup
plies TO the government of Spain, and does
large general business also, came here
to select a site for mandatory, believing
that it would be more profitable to make
their goods on the ground. Every available
site with water power that was inspected
belonged to a religious organization. It
was the property of some community of
monks. or belonged TO a siSterhood, or was
owned by a hospital, or had been be-
queathed to some asylum or convent. There
was not single exception. Thus IL was
discovered that the monks and nuns control
all of the advantageous water power in
this part of the kingdom, and some of it
has been held by them for more than a
century.