The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1908-12-12
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alarming result of co-partnership be-
tween the religious and civil power
between church and state.
The Holy Society denies that the
French government taxed all classes
to the amount of 80, 900, 900 yearly for
the support of the Catholic church.
Authority is now in order, The state
ment comes from the pen of Thomas
Z. w atson. II ever the story Of France
was splendidly recorded it was by this
noted Georgian. Commenting upon
the separat of church and state in
France in magazine article, Mr..
W atson conceded with the French
ministry and made the statement
which the Holy Spirit Society now
denies. The Rev. j. A. Forest, bishop
OF San Antonio, took the position
which the Society now takes. and even
classed Mr. Watson as ''bigot"
making war on religion. As matter
of information the Society should
read the reply to the bishop Of San
Antonio in w atson's Jeffersonian
Magazine, May, 1907. The Society
will learn from that source that the
meagre receipts of the church from
the French treasury secured by Ma
poleon,s concordat of 1901 amounted
to 80, 600, 600 yearly.
To prove the accuracy of my state
ment concerning the discrimination by
our government in favor of the Catho-
lie church by allowing it's leaders to
draw millions of dollars from the
national treasury to support Catholic
institutions, the Society will find the
facts exposed in Watson's sfBook OF
Economics. . I have not misrepre-
scented the statement. II our critic will
not accept the evidence let the denial
be made to Mr.. w atson himself.
Finally, the Holy Spirit Society
insists that we make the statement
plain in reference TO the wealth alb
sorbing Christian clergy. Our COR
respondent displays little knowledge
Of human nature. The Holy Society
should read such articles as Watson S
Emission of the Reformer," THE
Late" and stDream Children" In
the latter will be found an exemplary
of humanity, as follows: In each Of
us is a raging beast OF animality, OF
lust, of cruelty, of greed. If you are
gentleman, it is because you have
chained up that beast Human nature
is the same the world over. Loosen
the reigns of authority and abuse
res ults therefrom. It is queer that
a people of intellect as the most Holy
S ociety would overlook the fact that
the attitude of the Catholic hierarchy
b as been towards the accumulation of
wealth ever since the CO partnership
Of the Emperor Constantine with the
Christian priesthood.
Let the Society study the rise of the
modern nations OF Europe, with which
is linked the rise OF feudalism and
papal supremacy. Let the true con-
dition of Italy in the thirteenth century
be pried into. Let a little time be
devoted to the study of England in the
fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth cen
turtles. Let our critic read the true
condition of Germany in the fifteenth
and sixteenth centuries. Let our cor
respondent remember the condition OF
France prior to the French REVOLUTION,
when the common people were over
whelmed by taxation, while the no.
bility and clergy, who owned two
thirds of the wealth, were exempt from
taxation. Let these matters be thor.
oughly sifted and the Society of the
Holy Spirit will be in q position 30
Judge the outcome when the beast-like
element of humanity is left nncon-
troIled. j. T. ARCENEAUxs