Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-11-12

cause of the troubles of Spain. Francisco
Ferrer was intolerant when, in advocating
the modern school, he declared that "all
religions are based on ignorance and inn
posture and aim at exploitation and OPP
preston" The clerical party In Spain
was intolerant when it bounded Ferrer
to a felon's death, despite even the pleas
of the vatican. Today is the 126th ami
versary of the last public burning Of
hereto under the Spanish inquisition. And
yet Spain still finds itself I'm deeper polit-
ico-religious disorder than any other ma
ton I'm Christendom. From the day when
the Moors and the Christians were sworn
enemies each of the other hating with
that sincere hatred which is satisfied with
nothing less than the absolute extermina-
ton of the object of it's hate; from the
day when the cross and the crescent were
the emblems of a war to the death; there
have been few eras Of peace In the Ibe-
rian peninsula. Unfortunately the fanatic
intolerance OF the Moorish Mohammedan
so impressed itself upon the Spanish
Christian that It never has been eradi-
Gated.
There have bene a few reigns in which
some hberality has been displayed, but
these but serve to emphasize the long
story of intolerant oppression OF indie
pendent thought. From the time when
Averroes. the philosopher, was sentenced
to do homage at the door Of the mosque,
while every true Mussulman who came
there to pray for his conversion was to
spit in his face. there has been little re-
gard for the conscience of others. Ave.
roes infidel that he was, bore his az
Fiction with the spirit of a martyr, say
ing as they spat I'm his face: Let me
die the death Of a philosopher" Francisco
Ferrer with his last breath, shouted:
Long live the modern school,"
Through all the centuries of woe in
Spain the chief authors of cruelty have
been men who may not be charged with
evil intention. Under the inquisition many
OF the inquisitors were actuated by the
most conscientious and sincere motives. In
their eyes heresy was the most heinous
of crimes. II combined all the elements
of crime-crime against self, the booming
of an immortal soul crime against the
state, the propagation of a doctrine that
would undermine Il; crime against God,
the misleading of His people. 1t is related
that many humble and charitable men,
officers of the inquisition. performed with
tears coursing down their cheeks, acts
OF cruelty which demons incarnate could
not have surpassed. It is only CEN
fury and a quarter that actual physical
cruelty was abandoned in the Spanish
effort to regulate the consciences Of men.
Since that time the effort has been con-
fined to political activity. So closely allied
have been church and state that they are
nearly one: and no religious movement
may be made but that It affects the state,
and no political move but that 1t affects
the church.
Thus on one side of every question has
~ al ina OH
lutely intolerant; and on the other side,
the anti-clerical element, equally intol-
Grant, more violent, and absolutely reck-
less. For the last generation this strug-
gle has conferred in the question of public
education. Fifty years ago three-fourths
OF the people of Spain were totally Hit
crate. In 1857 an elaborate system OF
compulsory primary education was or
dained. This system never has reached
the perfection OF its program. The public
schools of Spain now have 100000 pupils,
approximately 10 per cent of the total
population. The public schools of the
United States have 100000 pupils, or 20
per cent of the total population. In the
United States there are also several mil
lion pupils in the parochial schools Of
the Roman Catholic church and approx
mately a million in other private schools.
In Spain attendance upon all private
schools is $500 The city of New York
expends upon its public school system
annually three times as much money as
is spent upon education in the entire
kingdom OF Spain.
The public school system of Spain is
of course under the influence of the Cath
Ollie church. According to the American
point OF view the schools should be nom
sectarian, but even in this country 1t is
insisted that the public schools shall
have some religious service, such as the
reading OF selections from the Bible. In
Spain the people are almost uniformly
Catholics, and II is natural that the
schools should reflect that faith. The
latest religious census showed only 1854
Protestants. 402 Jews, 9,645 Rationalists,
so OF all other religions, and Bits whose
religion was not stated. That is, there
were only about 30 900 people out of a /
population Of nearly 2O,OOo,OOO, who were
not professed Catholics. 1t is evident,
therefore. that the clerical and anti-cleri-
cal controversy In politics Is not so much
the result of a movement against the
church as II is an internal warfare with |
in the church.
Professor Ferrer, as the champion of
the modern school. gained the friendship |
and sympathy of progressive thinkers in |
all parts of the world by his able and
untiring efforts to introduce the modern |
sciences into Spain. Spain is the only
country In Christendom into which mod
ern science has been unable to penetrate. |
Professor Ferrer's books were the means |
Of starting an agitation in favor of mod |
ern education. This was opposed by the |
conservative portion OF the population |
and by the extreme clerical party. It