The Irish standard., 1908-06-06


place NJ. Clemenceau, SO that he may
have the chance of Wrestling the Act
to violence as he did with the Asso-
cation Law
And if the prophecies of the imme-
diate downfall of the Church have
been thus falsified by facts. the prom
ises made of the financial benefits that
would accrue to the tax payer from
the abolition of the Budget of Wor-
ship have Jared no better 1t is the
old case of the milliard of the reli-
gious congregations over again. The
anti-Clericals made moan over the
thirty-tive millions of francs that the
state paid to the clergy under the
Concordat in consideration of the &C.
clestical property confiscated at the
Revolution, and their complaints were
soothed by the architects of Separa-
tion with promises. not only of the pc
cuniary relief. but also of the benefits
that Separation would bring. Eighteen
months have passed away, and the
tax payers We're beginning to wonder
when they were going to begin to
reap the first fruits of the promised
harvest. The government felt that
this rising feeling of discomfort must
be met, and accordingly. on the eve
of the recent municipal elections, the
projects published lists of the
amounts allotted to the different COM
lrunes from the money set free by
the suppression of the Budget of
Worship We are thus in a position
to appreciate the wealth which is
being poured into the hands of the
tax payer as the result of his complais-
ance. The town of Lyons has received
as its share in the spoil the sum of
4,775 francs, which. divided amongst
its 472,114 inhabitants, works out at
about .01 centimes a head. Country
districts fare even somewhat more
abundantly. Thus the amount allotted
t.; the Department Of the Rhone
which contains a population of S52-
S44, is 132.705 francs. or Is centimes a
head. These sums will, of course, in
crease with the lapsing of the pen
sions and allowances granted to the
clergy under the Separation Law. 1t
is calculated that before the present
century has run half it's course, when
the liquidation will be complete, each
French citizen will benefit by the sup
preston Of the Budget Of Worship to
the extent of IS centimes But that is
only one item in the result of Sepa-
ration and its prelude of the closing
of the schools of the congregations.
The Municipal Council of Versailles
| has just announced that it has been
compelled to borrow a sum of 77,180
francs for the enlargement or building
of schools owing to the closing of the
establishments belonging to the
Christian Brothers and the Daughters
of Wisdom. And the case of Yer
sa1lles is not singular; it is but an
illustration of what has happened near
l:f all over the country. In addition
tc all this, those who are Catholics
have not to face what is to them an
unaccustomed expense, the cost of the
maintenance Of worship and all that
IT involves But that, as we have al
ready pointed out, is being bravely
and loyalty faced. as is clear from the
statements made by some of the
Bishops Others, of course, whose
lines are cast in places less pleasant,
take less hopeful view. M. Piou.
however, can scarcely be gainsaid
| when, after review of all that has
been accomplished by the Church dur
ing the last year and half he de-
| clares that "one is struck with the
results obtained. When we compare
the present position of the Church
with that which would have been hers
under legislation Protestant in spirit,
which would have made laymen mas
| tiers of her worship and the Council
of State judge Of her teaching. we
| can but bless the far-sightedness
which preferred poverty to depend
ence and integrity of faith to secur-
fts' of q patrimony." If the ground so
won and held is to be maintained and
extended, there will be need for long
enort and many sacrifices in the fu-
ture. But the Church of France.
pace M. Clemenceau. will never be
killed by liberty, and she will only
have such liberty as her children can
win by fearless and united action at
the polls and in Parliament.
CONCERNING THE INVALID.