Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1906-12-14
GIBBONS PLEADS
FOR HIS CHURCH
Appeals to American Ideas
Of Right and justice
to See as He Does

Baltimore, Dec. 13-"The Ameri-
con public does not understand the
present crisis in France" said Cardi-
nal Gibbons when asked this evening
for, his opinion on the French situa-
tim. He continued:
IF 1 believed that my countrymen
would knowingly see great organi-
cation unjustly deprived of it's prop
e,ty, tens of thousands of honest men
and noble women robbed Of their just
incomes, hundreds Of thousands of
people brutally wounded in what they
hold dearest and most sacred, ma
iority in the chamber disregard and
trample upon the rights of the minori-
ty and the rights of millions of their
countrymen in the name of liberty,
would knowingly see tens OF thous-
ands of priests and nuns turned out
of their homes for no crime but that
OF loving God; 1 say, If my country
men can see and recognize this injus-
tice and refuse genuine sympathy to
those who suffer, then I will leave
life without faith in American love
of Justice, liberty and humanity.
not had these things put fairly before
them.
I'm France the Jacobin party is not
dead. They hate God, they hate
Christ, they hate his religion as much
as ever their fathers hated them. But
they have learned more prudent and
measured method Of attack. And
Iyct the utterances of such men are
received as unsuspectingly by many
Americans as would be a disclosure
by Mr.. Cleveland or Mr.. Roosevelt or
Mr.. Taft.
m. Viviani. the new minister Of la
Dor, speaking in the chamber of dep
uties, said: All Of us together, first
by our forefathers. then by our faith
ers, now by ourselves. have been at
tached to the work of anti-clericalism
and irreligion. We have snatched the
human conscience from the belief in
future life. Do you think the work
lis at an end? No, 1t is only the be-
Cunning
"The chamber decreed that the dis
&C urse from which this extract is TAX
ELI should be placarded in every town
and village Of France.
m. BRAND said in an address to
ischool teachers: The time has come
to root up from the minds Of French
children the ancient faith which has
served its purpose, and replace 1t with
to get rid Of Christian ideas. We
have hunted Jesus Christ out of the
army, the navy, the schools. the hos
pitfalls. insane and orphan asylums
and law courts, and now we must
hunt him out of the state altogether
What would we Americans say II
a cabinet officer were to propose this as
the great aim Of his administration?
| In order to understand the present
situation 1t must be borne in mind that
before the French revolution all
ichurches all ecclesiastical lands and
properties belonged to the church by
as just title as property is owned in
cur country by any religious denom-
iration. At the revolution. all build
ipgs, landed properties. funds. ETC..
were confiscated by the revolutionists.
1.-THE constituent assembly later voted
for the support Of the clergy an an
rual budget. The present conflict
dates back to 1880, when large
number of religious houses were
closed by order of the government
and their occupants dispersed.
Next. in 1901. the law of asso-
Citations was passed. BY 1t the
sci oois of religious orders were forced
out of existence. The members of
tire different religious congregations.
mot only male, but female as we'll,
were sent forth, either to exc out an
Iexistence as best they could in their
own native France or to go into ex-
lille.
Finally, in December, 1905, the
Iconcordat was dissolved and separA-
ton of church and state proclaimed
1t is essential to bear in mind that the
roncordat was a genuine contract and
that this contract was annulled by
the French government with no re.
gerd to the wishes Of the other party
Perhaps the feature of the situation
that will surp rise us most and call fol
just Indignation as Americans, Is tht
French governments absolute dis
regard for the property rights Of thu
church. She has been despoiled o.
the salaries granted to the minister
:. of religion as a recompensation To-
3 the funds which the church relin
:. pushed under that express condition
4 In addition, the law of separation en-
: tirely ignored the constitution ant
! laws Of the state. In America Their,
Is due recognition Of the laws govern
e ing the every lawful society, Will,
e under the recent French law provis
: ions are made for organizing Catho
8 lie worship without any proper ref
: erence to the duly authorized officer
) of the church. If the separation o
l church and state In France mean
just what 1t means in the United
States there would have been 10 sucl
hue and cry raised. Very likely I,
many It would not have been disa