The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-05-18

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has hardly yet been timc for them to
do so, but there ia so much similarity,
not indeed in character, but In Ian
guage and ways of life, that they will
evidently become absorbed into the
general population. Children born in
the country grow up to be Argen-
tines in sentiment, and are, perhaps,
even more vehemently patriotic than
the youth OF native stock.
Argentina's Spirit Of Social
Equality.
The social structure Of the nation
IL the result Of the economic condi-
tons already described. In the rural
districts there are two classes only
landowners, often with vast domains,
and laborers, the native laborers set
tied, the italians to some extent NIL
gratory. In the cities there exists.
between the wealthy and the work.
ingmen, q considerable body OF pro-
fessional men, shopkeepers and clerks,
who rather less of a defined middle
class than they would be in European
countries.
Society Is something like that Of
North American cities, for the lines
between classes are not sharply drawn.
and the spirit OF social equality has
gone further than in France, and, of
course, far further than in Germany
or Spain. One cannot speak Of an
aristocracy, even in the qualified
sense in which the word could be used
in Peru or Chile, for though few
old colonial familie shave the Span
ish pride of lineage, 1t is. as a rule,
wealth, and wealth only. that gives
station and social eminence.
Manners. which everywhere in
South America have lost something of
x~fl ne tx4
rather more modern than In Mexi-
co or Lima, because the growth of
wealth has brought up new men and
has made money the criterion of emil
nence, or at least of prominence.
Here, as in England and the United
States, one sees that though the con-
stitution is democratic, society has
some of tho characteristics of plutoc-
racy.
Freedom OF Religious Worship.
Argentina is of all the Spanish
American republics, that in which the
Church has least to do with politics.
Though Roman Catholicism is de-
clared by the constitution to be sup
ported by the State, and the president
and vice-president must profess II,
that freedom Of religious worship
which is guaranteed by law is fully
carried out in practice. and all de-
nominations may, without let or him
drance, erect churches and preach and
teach.
The legislature has shown itself so
broad-minded as TO grant subventions
| to a system of Protestant schools
founded originally as a missionary
enterprise by a Protestant Episcopal
clergyman. and many OF the Roman
Catholic families of Buenos Aires
send their children to schools pro
vided by the American Methodist
Episcopal Church. In liberality Of
vanced than either Peru or Chile. not
to speak OF bigoted Ecuador.
| Still more noteworthy Is IL that
there seems to be little or no effort
on the part of the church to influence
public affairs. No political party lie
allied with the clergy, no clerical In
fuence Is felt In election. Tho happy
detachment OF the two spheres which
| travellers observe and admire In North
when found in a country where intol-
eranco long reigned supreme
Another political phenomenon
which no one will connect with reli-
gious freedom, inasmuch as 1t has APP
peared in nearly every country of
Europe and of North America. what
ever be the religious conditions that
prevail. is the emergence here and
nowhere else in South America OF n
/ vehement anarchist propaganda
| Among the migrants from Italy
and from eastern Spain there have
/ been enough persons engoged in this
movement to cause great alarm to
/ the government. Not long ago the
chief of the oliee was killed by an ex-
plosiya thrown by a Russian anarshist.
and in the summer of 1910 a bomb
was exploded in the great Opera
house during performance, wound-
/