The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-13
Church Has Permitted Itself to Be-
come the Instrument of Feudal
Landlords.
ATTITUDE OF HI CLERGY
Illustrated in the Recent Revolt of
Radical Seminarists Against
a Bishop.
RUSSIA'S ST. SERAPHIN
Imperfect Skeleton Canonized-
Monopoly of the Grand Duke
Alexander Making Him Rich.

~AoNAAlS 1AAlll MILL
Special Correspondence Of the Journal.
PARIS, March al have had occasion to
allude several times to the quarrel between
church and state in France. which histori-
ans probably will regard as the most i'm
portant event of the end of the nineteenth
century and the beginning Of the twenti-
eth. If 1 felt quite free to give the subject
all the attention it deserves. I would write
about it far more fully. Only it is a deli
cate subject. and 1 find It a hopeless task
to do it justice within the limits of a news
paper article.
From time to time. however, incidents oc-
cur which are so characteristic and throw
such light on the situation that I would not
be doing my duty 10 my readers IL I failed
to note them The truth is that the So
called religious war in Francois the clef-
icals misname it's really a class war. The
church in France. for its misfortune, has al
lowed itself TO become the instrument OF the
feudaI landlords-the nobiity-and OF the
bourgeoise, or middle class, which hate and
dread the leveling tendencies of the re-
public. Having been drawn into the battle.
the church cannot complain If II receives
hard knocks.
The seminarists' strike. which broke out a
day or two ago at Dion. the old capital OF
the dukes Of Burgundy. will show you how
deeply corrupted by political motives is
\ the affected zeal for religion OF the younger
clergy. educated under the influence OF the
Jesuits. If there is a cardinal dogma in the
Catholic Church IL is the obedience and re-
spect due to bishops. We find. however, in
variably that whenever a French bishop
happens to be a republican-there are about
half a dozen OF this type. out OF eighty
this dogma is ignored.
Three years ago the bishop OF Laval was
boycotted and insulted in the papers by the
monks Of his diocese simply because OF his
republican opinions. Similar misfortunes
have happened TO Monsignor Fuzet. the
archbishop of Rouen, perhaps the most
enlightened member OF the French episco-
pacy. But the revolt OF the DIXON clerics
this week beats anything I can remember.
REVOLT AT ORDINATION.
Five of them about to receive holy or
ders declared on the eve OF their conse-
Grafton that they declined to be ordained
at the hands OF their bishop. They re-
fused to give any reason for their behavior.
Monsignor lie Nordez is a republican
bishop and consequently has been DETAINED
and boycotted by the monastic orders OF
Burgundy. Some weeks ugo, as the bishou
was visiting a neighboring parish. the
priest refused to let him say mass i'm his
church, and on Monsignor lie Nordez ask
ing for an explanation gave the following
insolent and insane reply:
II cannot let you cross the threshold OF
my church because you are a Free Mason
This calumny. invented by the c~lericals,
seems to have been swallowed by the SEM
inarists.
The five students / alluded TO having
been suspended and sent home. the whole
college, numbering seventy seminarists, de-
clared in their favor and refused to con-
tinue the studies. The attitude of these
young men reflects that of the great ma
jority of the French clergy toward all
bishops who side with democracy. No
wonder such a clergy is rosing its hold on
a nation which is athirst for education.
equal rights and progress.
The mot d ordre from St Petersburg to
yellow race DOGGY. NJ. Meline. author OF
the protectionist tariffs Of 1891 and nick
named by the working class Father Fam
ine," has been holding forth on this sub
ject and against what he calls the fantastic
Talk, he says. about cordial understandings.
national accords and arbitration has no
more Importance than puffs of smoke. The
far East explosion has silenced the Utopi-
ans, who hoped 10 see one OF these days the
lamb gambling under the eye OF the lion.
If Western statesmen do not look out in
time the effects of the catastrophe will be
to overthrow their part Of EuroDe. Strong
in the conviction CM. Meline's convictionsiD
that Russia VIII nave the nnal victory,
Father Famine centuries France TO thor
Oughly fulfill her engagements to that
power. Let her prove she is no fair
weather friend of Russia, and that good
giant will not repudiate in better times tho
debt Of gratitude. Now is the time TO act
the friendly part and to keep of the Ger
man Emperor, who watches for an oppor-
tunity 70 supplant the French ally and APP
pear at st. Petersburg as the friend in
need. NJ. Meline calls those iJuares and
Clemenceau) who try to shake the Franco
Russ alliance blind guides who do not know
what they are about and who are intent
of French policy. and he congratulates tho
two groups which condemned all Clemen-
ceau and Juares. in the way Of a foreign
policy, recommended.
ADVOCATES STRONG NAVY.
This brought the speaker TO the subject
of the yellow race peril. The fact of Rus
STA being victorious woulE not prevent
black spots gathering on tile horizon ard
clouding it for a long time. The japanese
have not only revealed the terrible covet-
BUSINESS and appetite of that race. but have
unmasked the rivalries. the secular pas
sions and the hidden ambitions OF Euro
pean ana uanSdllanllc peoples has not
France every need. in face OF the coalesced
appetites behind japan, TO be tremendously
strong If she is 20 resist In the coming
struggle? She has 20 defend her European
frontiers and 70 protect her great colonial
empire which brings her into contact with
nearly every country. and renders her liza
BILE 10 collide with redoubtable rivals. NJ.
Meline breaches "A return TO the cult Of a
nrst-class. well disciplined and powerful
navy. France cannot otherwise discharge
her providential mission.
This NJ. Meline. in the period Of reaction
which preceded the signing OF the Franco
Russian military agreement mot technical
ly a treaty.. was president OF the Chamber
of Deputies and as a professor OF ultra
moderation a favorite OF Presidents CarnOt.
Casimir Perier and Faure. Carnot had an
almost superstitious reverence for the re-
publican label. but could not see the harm
Of it's covering all sorts OF metropolitan
quack medicine. Perier had no respect for
the label and liked the quack nOstlums. and
Felix Faure would have been glad TO eNer-
else presidential authority under conditions
which would have made the republic ap-
prONimate 10 cZarism-
The military agreement. signed thirteen
wears ago by the now retired General De