The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1910-08-20
-CLERICALS
HAVE NO QUARREL
WITH THE CHURCH
Would Secure Relief From
Competition Of Untaxed
Industries.
Religious Orders Dominate
All Lines.
REPUBLIC POSSIBLE OUTCOME
tBy Charles p. Stewart. stan cores
poudent OF the United Press)

iHy Charles u. stewart, stan CORES
poudent Of the United Press)
Csrhere. France. Aug. 2O-Just
how quickly the pending church-and-
state situation In Spain Is going TO
develop real nghung Is pretty hard
TO guess. Hostillities may begin al
most any day now. Or they may be
wardod on for a good many months
Each SIDE b. afraid OF the other and
their fears make them hesitate. Al
the same time. things can't stand
giii There's a climax coming and
the only question is--how much time
o. going to intervene between now
ard the moment OF It's arrival?
Whoever got the idea that the Span
ish anii-clericals' quarrel Is with the
Roman Catholics - mistaken. Cat
of the country's total population OF
olofe to 20 zoe. go. Il h estimated
that not more than 10000 are any.
thing but Roman Catholics Natural
~ the people are not at outs with
the church OF which they themselves
are members Il "a the state church
they are attacking SPANS one
great. oyerihadoylng led interest
II Is a monster land holding. CONNER
clal and Industrial Organization that
the anti clerlcals are opposing H.
The whole Of the present trouble
i due TO the fact that a clerical
vested Interest. has been appropriai-
ing to itself 20 large a proportion OF
the countryis wealth that the masses
Of the people have been and still are
Kept upon the very verge OF rtarya-
ton. As might naturally b. expect
ed OF 70 enormous a vested interest.
IL is Intensely conservative. not TO
say reactlonary. and as h has had
until very recently the tlghtest kind
of grip on the government. Il has
been able hitherto onectually TO sup
press every attempt In the direction
OF progress. or Improvement In the
peoples condition.
with that portion OF the great
army OF churohmen which concern
isalf purely with spiritual matters
that Is 20 say, the parish priests
no fault ~ found. This class. indeed
g. practically a. poor and oppressed
as the masses OF laymen. IL Is the
so-cailod religious establishments"
against which the anti-colerical cam
pa'gn is being waged The mem
beers OF the various orders" which
conduct them are estimated at up
wards Of 10000. They conduct ag-
rlcultural operations upon an enor-
nous scale. run factories. laundries
aud mercantile concerns loan money,
manage vast estates and. In fact. en-
gage m every line of business open
TO the lay community.
Il Is not so much that they do all
these ihlngs. however. that the anti
clericals complain OF. and that they
do them under conditions giving
them an overwhelming advantage
over private enterprise The enor-
nous capital at their command
makes them. TO start with, exceeding
~ Formidable. Second. they are
wholly independent of the regular la
Dor market. the rank and file OF the
members Of the orders doing al
work required. In return merely for
the living allowed them. And finally
they pay no taxes.
Against monster trust" so fav-
ored and 50 powerfully entrenched
the anti-clericals say II Is practically
impossible for any lay enterprise IA
stand More than this. the masses
Cf the people are compelled out OF
their meagre share OF the country's
resources to pay the entire expense
Of government.
Last summers widespread disor
ders were a revolt against this con
d.tion. The drafting of troops from
the country for service In Africa was
indeed, the immediate cause of the
outbreak. but this intolerable burden
a