The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-09-04
SITUATION IN
 CHURCH AND STATE Deadlock Between Spanish Government and Vatican SOME OF THE FEATURES Taxation and Economic Question En- ter Into the Politics of the Situa-
 tiOn-ReIiRfOus Communities
 Are Exempted

Madrid, September 3.-(Special. )-The
 deadlock between the Spanish govern
 ment and the vatican has many ele-
 ments which are not generally understood
 outside of Spain.
 | It would be an error to believe that in
 Spain the wish has been simply to es-
 tablsh religious liberty for the benefit
 of non Catholic religious communities, as Senor Canalejas, the head of the Span
 sh government. pretends. His decree
 permitting nonCatholic churches to man
 fest their existence by exterior signs no doubt re-estabishes a certain equality
 between the different confessions but it's
 real purpose is far more ambitious.
 What the leaders of the present cam
 paign desire is to deal mortal blow at
 the Roman church in the peninsula.
 The fact is that Protestanism has never
 prospered in Spain. Be the cause what
 it may, in Spain there are no Protestants, but Catholics and the enemies of all
 positive religions, standing face to face i;
 and as in the Peninsula liberals, conser- | vatives, anarchists, Catholics and free thinkers are all equally fanatical, 1t fol- lows that spiritual differences degener- ate immediately into exaggeration and violence, Hence the present conflict is not one between various creeds feeling their way towards kind of Peace of Westphalia,' but a war to the death be- tween rationalism and the church of | Rome.
 | Senor Canalejas and his supporters in the press are concealing their real in tentions. They are negotiating with Rome for the modification of the Con- cordat of 1S51 for a reduction of the number of authorized religious houses, and for a reduction in the budget of cult and clergy. They are bound to proceed thus not only out of respect for the con- stitution of 1876, but from motives of eau ton. Notwithstanding the activity and audacity of the rationalistic elements in Spain, the most casual observer will mo- tice that their strength Is as nothing compared with the compact mass of Cath olics. There are regions, as Navarro. certain portions of the Basques, Aragon and Catalonia. where an army could be raised at short notice to defend the Ro- manish church.
 In this conflict Senor Canalejas would probably be beaten, were it not that the question has another aspect the economic one, to which the government has gained a great measure of popular support In | it's campaign against the religious asso- ciations It cannot be denied that her church and her clergy cost Spain a great sum- In a budget of little more than | s200, COG, ,000 of which half goes to pay the interest on the public debt and pensions, the sum devoted to the clergy Is $S,0O 00O and this does not include other large sums paid In feesi For the 49 provinces
 of Peninsula there are 5s doceses there
 are 61 archbishops or bishops, and some 21, ,OO0 canons and minor dignitaries. | The desire felt by the Spanish nation | to be relieved of some part of this heavy annual charge of nearly $l0,000,000 has
 contributed largely to the popularity of
 the radical government but indignation
 at the privileges enjoyed by the religious communities is an even greater influence | in its favor. These pay no territorial | contribution The magnificent properties
 of the monks pay no taxes whatever.
 and in consequence of this the Spanish