The Irish standard., 1906-12-29
prosecuted Me, they will prosecute you

prosecuted Me, they will prosecute you
also.''
Laws Of Association.
In the further carrying out Of the
program Of frances Decentralization
an even more decisive step was taken
in the enactment Of the various So
called laws Of association. Both We'll
deck Rousseau and Julian the Apostate
Combes, openly avowed in the chamber
Of deputies that these laws of associa-
ton, in so far as they concerned the
Church. We're intended as q preliminary
step to the final separation OF Church
and state. which they We're laboring
for all the while. Waldeck-Rousseau,
addressing the chambers on the. 18th
of December, 1899, while rejecting the
separation Of the Church and state as
premature at that time. held 1t In prin-
ciple. and as a preliminary step there
to demanded the passage Of the law OF
associations.
Il had" he said, already prepared il
after the Gambetti ministry, in 1882,
and again at the time Of the Ferry
ministry. Indeed. consider the pass
ing of this law Of associations as a
necessary preparation thereto"
NJ. .Combes, his successor, was even
more explicit on this subject, and. did
not hesitate to state in the chamber Of
deputies on January II. 1905. that he
had always been partisan Of the idea
of separation. but that the public opin-
ion must first be prepared for the re.
ception of such a law. Yet in the face
Of these explicit declarations, that
might easily be multiplied. they have
the audacity to stand before the world
and accuse the Pope Of having forced
it upon them against their will.
The law Of associations, as passed
by the Waldeck- Rousseau administra-
ton, and later amended by Combes,
while liberal enough in its enactments
concerning economic associations, was
for the greater part intended as a
prospective measure against religious
organizations. All such religious Or
CARNATIONS, to acquire a legal stand
ing, were compelled to apply for au-
within three months under
penalty OF dissolution, and to present
q complete inventory Of their posses.
sions. s.:.-;
confiscation Of Property Of Orders.
Instead Of judging on the merits Of
the various orders individually, they
were all rejected zen bloc" and their
property. which through tho inventory
had become well known, was. declared
condscated to tho state. When can
vassing for votes, Waldeck- Rousseau,
as bait. held out the promise of a
billion francs, to be realized from the
property that would be stolen from the
religious orders. which was to be de-
voted, he said, to pensions for the
Workingmen Of France.
After the dissolution of tho religious
orders, however, it was found that not
even enough was realized from the sale
of these properties to pay the cost of
liquidation, and that in consequence,
the simple minded and all trusting
workinsmen would have to go down
into their pockets to pay the deficit in
taxes for tho privilege Of having de-
stroyed the charitable and religious ia
stitutlons OF France. which had been
the poor mans best friend for GEN.
turtles.
All was now ready for the final act in
the great tragedy of religious destruc-
ton. and the blame must be fixed upon
the Pope.
When the Break Came.
The article Of the Concordat, giving
the president the right to nominate
bishops, afforded the long-desired OPP
portunity to break with the Pope. Men
whom tho Pope upon careful examina-
ton found unit for the position of
bishop in Gods church were proposed
for his acceptance. 1t would be hard
indeed to expect that an arch-infldel
like Combes, and later Of the church,
would be likely to propose men pos.
sessed of the qualifications which
should be found in good bishop.
The Pope's refusal to approve tina
proposed names. despite the govern
ments positive declaration that 1t
would submit no others, was then de-.
nounced to the world as a violation of
the provisions Of the Concordat.
1t must here be remembered that
no Pope ever gave or could conscien-
uously give, to any ruler the power to
nominate unworthy mon for tho sacred
Office Of bishop. and this had always
been understood by the government Of
France.