El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-07-24


tablisbment Of "an honest church in.
Mexico" something, Gen. Villa says,
which Mexico is sadly in need Of is
original with the commander Of the
northern division, and he 1ully believes
it has solved the problem once and
While it has long been Gen. Villas
cherished plan TO separate church and
state, this new move on his part will
bring the two together more firmly,
as under the new plan, the church is
ID be directly under the state govern
ment. The various state governments
viii, for the most part appoint the
priests and other clergymen and will
be responsible to Gen. Villa for their
actions.
State to Aid CIergy.
Appropriations will be made from
the state treasury for the support of
the church and liberal sum will be
laid aside annually for charitable work
among the poor. This latter sum will
be placed in charge OF a committee
which will have for its work the in
vestigation and study Of social condi-
tions among the proletariat element
They will be empowered to use the
appropriation in remedying unusual
cases of suffering among the poor.
While this announcement came as
surprise to everyone around the gen
eral when he made il, he sat in his
private car and calmly watched his
hearers faces as he recited his plan
in detail
Believes Church Problem Settled.
81 believe I have settled the church
problem" he said quietly. 7 am going
to appoint the priests, curates and 9TH
81 clergymen myself. instead Of haT-
ing them appointed by a bishop who
does not know them and who does not
understand the people Of the district
to which he sends his emissaries. OF
course am going to make my first
selections from those clergymen who l
have been in Mexico but who hive
refrained from mixing in the nations
politics When I have exhausted this !
supply. 1 viii choose men who are /
educated and who really understand /
what the church means
Wants a Good Church.
TT has often been enormously said |
that I am trying TO abolish the church /
entirely. but this is a lie. Religion in 4
a modified form is good thing but It /
must not be permeated with affairs
OF state and politics. to be successful
This has not been the case in Mexico
earnestly endeavor to make A new
church grow up; one that will benefit
the people and not the priests. The
churches will not be in charge Of pro-
fessional thieves, who. in the past have .
forced the loWly poems to rob and
steal that they might give freely to
charity st Peter and the suffering
souls in purgaLOry.' The priests must l
be intellectual so that they can give
mental aid TO their Pensioners. They
will be expected to assist in educat- I
ing the children OF the country so that
they, TOO, will be able TO grow up in
as well as physically and
Must Exact No Fees.
Furthermore, clergymen will be
compelled to perform all marriages
md baptismal ceremonies without
sharge or fee. They will be recon- |
1ensed sufficiently by the state gov
eminent and any attempt on their part !
% extOrt contributions or fees from I
my member Of his church will be
made punishable by law Further
more. any priest who uses his cloth
o violate unsophisticated young girls I
viii be unsexed and turned upon the
country as an example Of Pancho VII
as distaste for such unhOly acts"
Example Of T'riestly Acts.
Gen Villa leaned back. surveyed his
and laughed mirthfully. !
I have heard" he continued. that my I
latred toward the church as we had [
in Mexico has been the cause of
much unwarranted criticism on the Z
art Of prominent Catholics in the /
United States but had some OF your
,eopIe Travelled with me in Mexico and !
cen what 7 have seen IN respect TO ]
he church here, I do not doubt hut I :
hat they would share my feelings in ]
his respect. I would have shown them ]
low every once in while come priest. !
Wearing a long, white robe, would l ,
neak out into the night and appear I ,
lear a poor hovel close to town: leave /
fancy vase or a gold braided bag / .
When he had made sure that he was
,eing seen by the ignorant neighbors.
would announce in deep sepulchral !
ones that he was q messenger OF God: [
hat money was needed by the saints
n heaven and by TIE suffering souls
n purgatory and that all good Chris
ions must contribute some coin until
he bag or vase was filled
The Poor Ma de Poorer.
Next day, when the story had been
peddled by the ignorant. ]
.xcited poems, there would be a wild !
cramble Of starving believers who
wanted TO see the heavenly gift But | !
-lasi When they arrived upon the
Gene they would find that the priests
we're already in charge. demanding an I
omission fee Of Is -entavos- In addi-
ion to this fee one was supposed, I
lnder penalty Of eternal damnation, TO
lrop coin into the vase There IS
10 doubt but that the vase was like
he mythical Devils Boot which. al
hough coins were poured into Il by /
he ton load was never filled Twenty
i've centavos TO a starving peon Is a ;
ortune. and probably he had to steal 1t
. enter the shrine. One Of these incl
tents happened in chihuahua on the
9th day Of April 1913, and I have
many disguised witnesses who are ,
Wiling to testify as to its veracity- ,
such practices as these will stop"
CLARENCE OUSLEY. an antf-Pro-