East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-08-20

(By Charles p. Stewart, staff cores
pondent of the United Press.)
Cerebere. France, Aug. 20.-Just
how quickly the pending church-and-
state situation in Spain is going to de-
velop real fighting is pretty hard to
guess. Hostilities may begin almost
any day now. Or they may be warded
off for good many months. Each
side is afraid of the other and their
fears make them hesitate. At the
same time. things can't stand still.
There's a climax coming and the only
question is-how much time is going
to intervene between now and the mo-
ment Of its arrival?
Whoever gets the idea that the
Spanish anti-claricals' quarrel 10 with
the Roman Catholics is mistaken. Out
OF the country's total population OF
close to 10000, 900, 1t is estimated that
not more than 10000 are anything
but Roman Catholics. Naturally the
people are not at outs with the church
Of which they themselves are men,
bers. It is the state church they are
attacking-Spain's one great, over
shadowing vested interest. 1t is as q
anu
Industrial organization that the anti
clericals are opposing 1t.
The Papal administration has. as a
matter OF fact, taken sides with this
organization. which seems to put the
anti-clericals in position OF hos
tility to Roman Catholicism, but an
overwhelming majority of them are
good Roman Catholics for all that
incidentally, there is the best au.
thority for the statement that more
than one-half the members OF the
College OF Cardinals believe the va
tican is making a mistake in support
ing the Spanish state church, or that
at any rate, 1t is making a mistake in
supporting 1t so unqualifiedly as 1t is
doing. So that II the Spanish anti
clericals are injuring their standing as
Roman Catholics by opposing the
Papal administration, a majority OF
the catholics are injuring theirs, too
Church Is Vested Interest.
The whole Of the present trouble
is due to the fact that the church, as
a vested interest. has been appropri-
ating to itself so large a proportion
Of the country's wealth that the
masses of the people have been and
still are kept upon the very verge OF
starvation. AS might naturally be ex-
pected Of so enormous a vested inter
est the church is intensely conserva.
tive. not to say reactionary, and as II
has had until very recently the tight
est kind of grip on the government
II has been able hitherto effectually
to suppress every attempt in the di.
rection Of progress, ir improvement
In the peoples condition.
With that portion Of the great ar.
my of churchmen which concern itseli
purely with spiritual matters-that 1.
to say, the parish priesthood nc
fault is found. This class, indeed, 1.
practically as poor and oppressed a.
the masses of laymen. It is the so.
called religious establishment
against which the anti-clerical cam.
paign is being waged The member,
Of the various ORDERS which con,
duct them are estimated at upward.
Of 100000. They conduct agricultur.
al operations upon an enormous scale
run factories, laundries and mercan
tile concerns, loan money, manage
vast estates and in fact. engage II
every line of business open to the la,
community.
1t Is not so much that they do al
these things. however, that the anti
clericals complain OF, as that they d.
them under conditions giving then
an overwhelming advantage over pri
vate enterprise. The enormous capi