Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1906-12-21
KAISER ENTERS CONFLICT,
WHILE THE PUBLIC INTEREST OF
FRANCE IN OWN AFFAIRS LAGS,
GERMANY IS STIRRED.
DEFIED BY CLERICALS.
Reichstag's Dissolution Is Deemed a Blow
at Strong Religious Faction in
That Body.

but the following statement is authorized
by the Vatican:
The situation may be summarized as
follows: The concordat, the most
solemn bilateral contract, has not yet
been denounced by the French govern
ment which wishes to establish Il new
legal standing for the church in France.
Violence may prevail for time, but
who are suffering from this state OF OPP
preston preserve all their rights and all
their claims.
THE explosion of joy among the Ma
sonic and demagogic societies as a re-
suit of the persecution on the part of the
government shows that the war is
against the church and religion"
THE Holy See is not opposed to the
making of applications under the law,
but takes exception to the whole spirit
of the circular issued by Minister of
Public Worship BRAND.
The report that some of the French
episcopacy and clergy were ready to
make applications to hold religious meet
ingS is not true
New French Laws Radical.
PARIS, Dec. 1.-THE first day of the
regime of the separation of church and
state having passed without grave dis
orders public interest in the details of
the continuation of the struggle Is al
ready visibly tagging.
On the other hand it is deemed here
and in Berlin that Kaiser William of
Germany reached an open rupture with
the clerical majority in the Reichstag
yesterday when he dissolved Parllament
for it's refusal to uphold the colonial
policy.
The cabinet met today with President
Fallieres to decide upon new church leg
islation to be presented to Parliament.
-, 10, bo ~ Il
law of 1905, by which a years grace
was allowed, so as to suppress at once
the privilege of forming new cultural or
diocesan associations. All church prop
erty will be Immediately handed over to
the state. The churches themselves will
be retained for public religious uses.
The clergy will lose their rights to
pensions if they are deprived of their
French citizenship, while those who are
entitled to allowances will lose them
if they do not conform with the law.
The conditions under which they clergy
will forfeit French citizenship will be
drawn up in q special measure.
Kaiser Invites Clash.
1t is believed the Kaiser has invited a
struggle with the Vatican, and Germany
may become the scene of another kul-
tWkampf against the Catholics riyaling
in bitterness and determination the re-
lentleSS campaign France Is now Wag-
ing against the Pope.
Only one-third of Germany's G0,O00,
900 inhabitants are Catholics, but this
minority, by standing together in a solid
phalanX, has for years been able to con-
trail Parliament,
In fact, it has been the clerical party
to which the Kaiser has looked for sup
port of most of his policies. AS q result,
the clerical party has grown into such
intimate relations with the government
that it frequently has been characterized
as the governing party. The clericals
have grown SO strong in numbers and
have attained such an influence over the
policy of the government that political
prophets asserted that Imperial Chancel-
lor Won Bulow never would venture to
create a breach with the party.
The storm has long been lowering,
and in the last few days it became mere
y a question of when and how it would
burst For months there has been grave
unrest in Germany over the imperial
policy in many directions. The discon-
tent finally focused itself upon the
kaiser's colonial policy.
Faction to Force Trouble.
It seems that the ultramontaines hope
to be forced to have recourse to private
worship and that they are embarrassed
by the unauthorized applications to hold
religious meetings under the law of 1881.
At a church in Vincennes a notice was
posted characterizing as treason" the
action of two parishioners in making an
application and saying that Cardinal
Richard was the authority for the
statement that the Pope's inhibition APP
piled to laymen as well as to the clergy.
At Lille, department Of the north, 200
Catholics drove out a policeman who
was reporting an infraction Of the law
at the church of LIE Grand Philippe, pur-
sued him and threatened to throw him
into the river. a son of the policeman
was chased and stoned by his play
mates.
While students were evacuating the
seminary at Anglers today a number of
manifestants peuted the local authori-
ties with eggs and attacked them with
sticks. The police made several arrests,
the prisoners including some of the sem
inarists.
More Apply for Worship.
4 number. of additional applications
to hold meetings under the law of 1881
were made in this city and in the de-
partments during the day. No serious
incidents were reported anywhere. Many
of the prelates have issued touchingly
worded letters to their tiocks protesting
against spoilation of the church.
The archbishop of Lyons in a letter
to the Catholics of his diocese, said:
Il am a French bishop, but l blush
with shame for my country. May God
forgive those who are relentlessly pur-
suing the work, which they have under
taken, Of destroying religion
French Clergy Passive.
It is now apparent that the resistance
Of the clergy of France will be purely
passive and that there is no prospect of
religious passions being aroused unless
the churches are closed and the govern
ment therefore is resting on it's oars and
will continue to do so until Parliament
authorizes the drastic measures which
the cabinet is preparing.
In the meantime in this city, except
in the churches where legal applications
We're filed, the police again took notes of
infractions of the law at the morning
masses,
Government Avoids Force.
Cardinal Richards is awaiting expulsion
from the Episcopal mansion. The gov
eminent, however, desires to avoid even
the appearance of force in the case of
the aged primate, who is in bad health
and is postponing action in the hope that
he will depart in a few days of his own
volition.
The Action a violent Socialist organ,
today made an attack on the govern
ment, calling attention to the alleged
fact that the Catholic gymnastic socie-
ties had numbers of rifles. There is not
the slightest evidence, however, that
armed resistance is contempla ted.