The menace., 1913-12-06

Iof the Tiber and outrages the laws Of
bosh oo6 and man.
The weird oersmouies Of THE Nagi
% ancient Media the Bahyiouian
maidsn's sseriaoe of virtue 90 the ood
Bel. and the ancient Egyptians human
sacrifice % the Me afford no more
shining eHampie Of the banefui eject
of . paEAn religion upon the human
mind than Ia offered by these mem.
beu Of -ths ouly true church" once a
year.
TIN iNHuMAS CEREMONIES
Anton Chico. Tehiqui. and Pnnta De
Agus are the three towns In which
these victims of diabolism are most
conspicuous. on the day appointed
the "penitentes" meet AZ their lodge
building with faces masked, and the
bodies Of both men and women strip
ped % the waist After q service In.
side, which the vulgar world IL not
permitted 10 witness. they march.
single hie 10 the doleful strains Of =
nfe. Leading the bloody procession
IL man bearing upon his naked should
ers a cross that taxes his strength 10
the uttermost. Next in order IL the
musician. followed BY the Others. each
Of whom ID bsrefootsd aud aogging
himself over the shoulders and down
the hack With q most cruel instrument
Of torture made OF the spikes OF a
plant called Spanish dAEEer plated
together. which breaks the auiveFiug
nesh and causes the blood 70 Gov az
every blow. $50 r.L. Ar. f.. q.
They strike across the country
headed for some object about a mile
away, and turn neither 20 the right nor
TO the left for any obstacle, The
naked, bleeding feet must press such
jagged stones, cruel prickly-pear.
wicked cacti. and thorny mesquite AZ
may be In the line OF march. for the
'penitentes" are doing penauean for
the sins OF twelve months. a e7Ei O.
Before beginning the march some
who have been especially active In
annexing other peoples property 20
their own holdings. request that an
outsider be blIndfolded and brought
in 10 administer forty lusty flows upon
the bare back Of EACH H. iE always
possible 90 induce some admirlng on.
locker 20 perform this friendly service,
and he seldom fails TO start the blood
with the hrst blow.
The cross.bearer stageers on, often
falling, his feet lacerated by the stones
and thorns. but eventually the given
object is reached aud the weary march.
ers, faint and bleeding, arrive; but
as yet they cannot rest from their la.
bors. The blood stained trail must be
retraced. Il 10 beyond the capacity
OF any human mind 10 conceive OF the
agony OF body and anguish OF mind ex.
perienced on that awful return. Some
faint from loss OF blood aud Intensity
Of pain, but those possessed with SUI.
heient strength 10 raise the cruel whips
continue to nagellate themselves until
the lodge IL reached again. The cross
bearer staggers, falls, rises and stag
gers on again, with eyes protruding,
veins swollen and breath coming IN
jeriy sasps that grow weaker aud
fainter, but the goal must be reached.
On the succeeding days others must
serve as cross-bearer aud mu.
sician and this horror Is repeated. The
number OF deaths caused by this in.
sane superstition cannot be known;
but that some OF the cross.bearers fall
under the heavy weight and expire is
well known.
Romanism was introduced into New
Mexico more than three hundred
years ago. San Miguel. In Santa Fe,
10 the oldest church in the United
States. These fanatical "penitentes"
are deyout Roman Catholics, through
heredity. They also. are American
citizens, who take an active part in
politics, aud whose vote counts as
much as that OF the governor.
Great 10 Romanism.y-J. H,B.
Now, loyal Americans, is Il not n
burning shame that the Intelligent peo.
pie OF this country do not want Cath.
olics as their public. oficials, school
teachers, etc.g Any organization with
such record attempting to parade
their ntness for government and In.
struction insults every citizen in the
land. One would have TO travel long
ways BACKWARDS TO find a system
more superstitious and degrading than
modern Romanism. s at'er 81 +
And yet they have the gall to pre-.
scribe their dogmas and ceremonlals
as the panacea for every American
evil.
We repeat the good old slogan:
PUT ONLY AMERICANS ON
lGUARD."