El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-03-30

Is Again the Center Of a Re
ligiOus Cyclone Which
Sweeps Russia.
UNTUTORED PEASANT
rs THE REAL POWER

rs THE REAL POWER
St Petersburg. Russia. March 30
Something like a cyclone has recently
swept through the Russian churcn.
and near the center OF it is again the
mad monk" HelIodorus. An end was
suddenly put to the monks amazing
Internationally from the civil and &c
clesiastical power. For a presumptuOus
telegram addressed to the emperor, ac-
cusing the holy synod OF hereucal and
uncanonical proceedings HeltOdOrus
patron, bishop HermOgenes, was dis
missed from m emb erBnlp IN that BODY
Eis refusal TO depart for his diocese
in SaratOff led TO its being taken away
from him Finally both he and Hello
dOrus. who had come up from Isaritana
to wage his battle were eXiied TO re-
mote mOnasteries in GrOdnO- and Flad-
imir provinces This order was en-
forced only after a fortnight OF insub-
ordination, in which HermOgenes was
sustained by some OF the most influen-
tial leaders of political and court cir
Cles.
Mad Monk Disappears.
Meanwhile. HelIOdorus had disap-.
peared in a mysterious manner from
the capital. ostensibly TO make pill
grimage- He mystertOusly reappearec
in Petersburg after fOrtnights alb
sence and also made q show Of suDmis
sion and departed for his place OF exile
me personal element IN these sEl5a-
tiOnal developments includes a third
figure, Gregory Rasputin, a reputed
holy man" residing In IsarskOe SelO-
He, il now appears, was the power be-
hind HeiOdorus, enabling the latter 10
say and do what lie liked, In defiance
Of the synod, and OF the whole gov
eminent
The interdict upon the press OF St.
Petersburg and MOSCOW against pub
fishing anything about Rasputin- and
the cOnfisca ton OF about 10 issues Of
different newspapers. including some
is influential in ruling circles as the
NOvOe Fremya and the Golos Moskvy,
Is another manifestation Of Rasputin'
power. His support was on personal
grounds recently Withdrawn from He
nodorus and his group with immedt-
ate consequences TO them
Rasputin keeps as much In the back
ground as possible. With all the sly
ness Of the peasant when dealing with
persons in authority, Rasputln avoided
getting into trouble with the holy sy-
nod, though he has demonstrated re-
peatedly that the synod Is pOWerless
before him.
Power Of the Peasant.
This untut0red peasant from Siberia
has gained all his power in six years
lie owes his Introduction in the ante
chambers Of the great TO HermOgenes,
Heliodorus and TheOphanus, who led
the ultra-reacLiOnary movement which
came IN the wake OF the revolution.
TO the religious sphere of action Those
who came near him conceived an Idea
that he was person Of extraordinary
spiritual experience and power such
is the view held in the highest circles.
One Of the ministers of state who at
tempted 70 open the question about
Rasputin during the recent stir was
told that Russia exists these six years
thanks 10 Rasputln's prayers"
The Dumas Views.
The Duma views the matter differ
emily. An urgent Interpolation on the
censorship OF the press in connection
with Rasputin was adopted with but
a single dissenting voice The text OF
the Interpolation reproduced one OF the
incriminated articles from the GolOs
Moskvy challenging the holy synod to
call upon the author for proof that
Raspuun is chylst ttlagellant Secta-
rian), cOrrupter Of bodies and souls.
sly conspiratOr against the holy OF
holes. the throne and church altar.
The charge OF being a chlyst conveys
a very definite meaning to the Russian
ear At mathis and vespers priests Of
the Orthodox church rarely fail TO ad-
monish their flock against the Ebomln-
auons Of the chlysts. These sectarianS,
however, practice the utmost secrecy
and are among the most punctuai Of
church gOers. When the priest admon-
ishes, they groan and mutter horror OF
the very practices which they carry on
ChIysts in 80 Provinces.
The chlysts now thrive in so prov
inces. The most notorious thing about
them is their religious meetings lcalled
exercises In 1eaI) carried on either
with immunity in palaces, or under
constant fear OF discovery in some Sc
cret underground passage OF out OF the
way chamber. On entering the meeting
room. the men put on white calico or
linen shirts reaching almost TO the
ground and provided with long sleeves
The meeting communes are aliegori-
caHy called ships, the presiding prOpn-
et pilot. the sleeves, sails W omen put
on similar shirts with the addition OF a
white skirt They also cover their heads
with g white kerchief, with red span
giles. All Worshipers hold candle in
the right hand and handkerchief
with red spangles in the left. These
handkerchiefs are called ArchanSelS
wings Generally all remain barefoOted.
If outsiders are present, the service
isa formal one Of reading. diversified
with singing and preaching, II all by
themselves. the chlysts perform Va
riety of religious dances, OF which the
circle is the supreme degree, in which
they tumble and Wrtthe H. cOntOruOns,
Ike madmen, beating themselves on
the breast pulling The hair, sitting
down and jumping up beating each
other and crying. "Oh. Ghost, o Isar, 3
God. Tsar. Ghost" These dances, Z
with intervening prophesy and chants,
continue till all drop on the floor eX-
hausted.
In their beliefs. the chlysts are
scarcely Christians They call Jesus I
Christ the "old Christ'-in contrast I
to constantly manifested new ones. To F.
their mysticism is added q dualistic 7
view of the universe. the spirit being
a good element and the flesh an evil 4
one They reject matrtmony, are total I
abstainers from liquors, practice vege- !
-arianism. rarely smoke practice wide /
democracy and benevOlence, thereby at !
tracting the humble and the needy TO {
their fold.
ANA and Virginia. r 7. Hanks, D. D.. /
pastor. Sunday school $50 a. m. C. I
i. Nafe and A. S. Howard. superln- I