The Detroit times., 1909-01-23
five GREAT CLER|CS
\ STRIVE FOR HIGH
POSITION
MARQUIS DE cAsTELLANE CALLS
1T A "vERITAeLE SCRAMBLE"
FOR EARTHLY HoNoR-ANAR-
cHY IN THE CHURCH.

PARIS, Jan. 2,.-There has never
h been a time In France like the present
\ in which the church's ambition has
manifested itself so strongly at the
! doors OF that mecca OF mundane glory,
! the academy.
4 A seat that was occupied by Car
4 dinal Matthew was found TO be va
/ cant, and this has made in the ranks
!, OF the clergy a veritable scramble for
! the honor of occupying it--with the
small ones as well as with the great;
4 with the bishops as we'll as the priests.
And you can see at the same time
! in the arena the Marquis de Cabrieres,
] prelate of old noble blood, an eloquent
| orator and archbishop of Abb, and
/ Monseigneur Mignot, described as the
most distinguished, yet in truth being
the most humble OF all.
After these comes Monsieur Baudri-
art. rector of the Institut Catholique
de Paris, who is contesting for the
honor with Monsiegneur Duchesne.
who Is a Roman prelate OF the olden
times, who believes in God in the
morning and believes In nothing at
night.
And last comes the fifth candidate,
/ Fable Fremount, who / have heard
! proclaim from the pulpit that there
was nothing in the Catholic doctrine
| opposed to the Darwinian theory of the
| evolution OF man, and he challenges
tho other four in the contest for the
academy honor
Nothing But Anarchy.
And II we see these open dissensions
1 IN the religious world, as we always do
/ In France, unhappily we have TO seek
the causes in the requirements of
politics. These five candidates would
not have presented themselves against
each other IL one had not been Bona
partist. another a Royalist another a
partisan OF the government, another a
protesting Republican. and the fifth 4
plain. everyday Republican.
While they are waiting. their aca-
demic polemics are creating no little
scandal in the world OF the devoted.
There Is no more discipline. In the
church. as in every other place. there
Is nothing but anarchy.
On Oct. 80. 1908. the Congo was
oficially annexed to Belgium. This an
nexation was made the subject OF
many strong. earnest discussions. and
the matter was finally passed by ma
jority Of only few votes
Are we to conclude that the bour-
geois OF Belgium have made a great
mistake in accepting the present which
was given them by their king?
No. the Congo is an admirable field
for development. I believe that the
Belgians will not in the end be much
benefited by thir new acquisition. yet
am forced TO say that in the inaug-
uration OF the regime of slavery which
Is attached to the name of Leopold II.
colossal error has been committed.
and this is but one OF many that might
be mentioned.
1t is easy enough TO be precise. the
question can easily be solved because
II Is only necessary to establish in
the Congo regime such as exists at
present in all the English and French
colonies OF Occidental Africa. While
the state claims all the natural riches
OF the soil, in French Guinea an dthe
neighboring colonies. the right OF the
native to work the forests for his own
profit Is recognized, this being done
under the control OF the state. which
acts as guardian of what is best for
the general interests.
II would be well to Introduce such
regime in the Belgian Congo. But
alas! The Belgians are slow. very
slow! And to make a grand success.
ful end in the Congo they will be
Obliged to swallow some big mouth