Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-03

large congregation, while the village church
remains empty.
The Cutters are also carrying on propa-
ganda In the large towns, and especially in
warsaw. This Is done by means of fanati-
cal women who enter the churches during
mass, and just as the elevation of the host
shout at the top OF their voices: "Join the
Sons OF Mary Fight against the anti
Christi The end of the world is nearv'
Panic ensues, the beadles look for the Of
congregation takes an active part in the
dispute, some siding with the Cutters"
some against. The police do not interfere
as a rule. and the agitatress finishes her
Grafton on the church steps.
The sect seem also to have enlisted the
sympathies of the socialists, who tell their
followers that Christ was a socialist and
that the Sons OF Mary faithfully follow the
teachings Of Christ. The revivalists have
an academy for preparing followers of both
sexes for clerical work They have already
established several charitable institutions
supported by funds given by Kozlowska,
who has complete control of the treasury,
filled by the proceeds of the sale OF indul-
gences and pictures of saints. A printing
press does much to spread the movement;
its latest production is a manifesto to the
peasants, exhorting them not to give up the
churches already won from the bishops but
at the same time to refrain from violence
as much as possible in defending their own.
~
Some of the peasant-communes have bold
ly told the church authorities that as their
money built the churches they intend to
keep them. Several village churches have
formally been made over to the sect by
order of the Russian government. In one
or two cases the Polish patriots sent armed
men to resist the ''Cufers;" these men
fired the first shots, and a free fight en-
sued in which the revivalists were victori-
Gus, but In which several lives were lost on
both sides. Then in desperation the bishops
sent to Austrian Poland for three famous
preachers. members Of the Redenptorist
Brotherhood, to come to Russian Poland
and preach against the socialists and the
Sons of Mary" But the Russian govern
ment gave permission for them to cross the
frontier on condition that they should only
preach against the socialists and leave the
Sons of Mary alone. They are now In Po-
land, but have been able to do nothing to
stop the revival. So the matter stands for
the present; the new sect is making con-
verts daily, and Kozlowska, secure In the
protection of the Russian government, is
about to start on q tour throughout Po-
land.
The whole revival has created the more
stir there because all such movements are
absolutely unknown. 1t is characteristic
OF the country that a woman who is, to
say the least OF II. hysterical, should, by
telling a few young clerics the experiences
of her Dreams found a sect which, II 1t
does nothing else, has already served to
defy patriotism and the ecclesiastical au-
thorities. But It Is well to remember that
this eastern corner Of Europe, with its Ash
attic coloring and its strange mingling OF
dreaming and fanaticism, never waits to
consider the possible consequences of its
actions and generally coois OF its fervor,
political, social or religious. before the
western world has ceased to speculate on
the latest SIavonic wflim. For this reason
IT Is quite possible that the Cutters may
not only redouble the number OF their con-
verts In a months time. but also fall abb
solutely to pieces as soon as the foundress
wfthdraws from them by retiring into a
convent or Is removed by death. However
that may be, one thing 10 certain-the Pol
ish patriots have q new enemy to face, an
enemy that has sprung out of the greatest
stronghold of Polish patriotism, the Roman
Catholic Church