El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-12-05

cause it is most convenient to do so"
At the very time he uttered those
lofty words, the leaders and lteutenants
of the faction which he was actively
supporting were shooting their prls-
Oners in cold blood by scores after each
engagement, were torturlng men
reputed to be rich. were driving nun
dreds of peaceful people from their
homes, were lOOting and deflling
churches and treating ecclestastics and
religious women with every species of
abominable infamy, from murder and
rape down.
In other words. at the very time that
the president was stating that no
where on this hemisphere can any gov
eminent endure which is stained by
blood" he was actively engaged in
helping install in power government
which was not only stained by blood
but stained by much worse than blood.
At the very time that he was announc-
ing that he would never condone
iniquity because it was convenient to do
So" he was not merely condOing but
openly assisting iniquity and installing
into power a set Of men whose actions
were those of ferociOus barbarians.
Bryan's Excuse.
Remember that I am 4-ot engaged m
defending the fractional opponents of
these victorious WrOngdOerS. There is
not evidence sufficient to decide which
of the many factions behaved worst.
But there is ample material to decide
that they all behaved atrOciOusIy. Ap-
parently the administration took the
ground that inasmuch as Mr.. Huerta
and his followers were bad men, it was
out duty to cOndOne the evil committed
by their opponents.
Father r. H. Tierney, of New York
city, an entirely responsible man, in
forms me that when Tin company with
two other men, whose names he gives
mel he called UPON Mr.. Bryan to, bring
to his attention the abOminable out
RACES committed on certain nuns by
the followers of Carrauza and Villa
Mr.. Bryan informed father Tierney that
he had information that tie follow ars
of Huerta had committed similar out
RACES on two American women from
IOwalr'
This sentence has been read to father
T1erney, who states that it describes
the interview with eXactness. The
original of the affidavits herein quoted
are in the possession of father Tierney,
So East Eighty-third street, -Sew York
city, and father Kelly and will De
shown by them to any reputable per-
son. Apparently Mr.. Bryan believed
ieved the revolutionaries Of blame.
One InfHmy to Wipe Out Another.
Surely, it ought not to be necessary
to say that if the facts as thus stated
to Mr.. Bryan were true land if there
was any doubt, immediate investfga-
l4oA dS u their ruin Dy the govern
ment was not demanded), then the way
to get justice was not by treating one
infamy as wiping out the other, but by
eXacting the sternest retributiOn for
both and effectively providing against
the repetition of either.
Even assuming for the moment that
the attitude of the administration had
not so committed the government that
it was its duty to interfere on behalf
of the nuns thus outrased, Mr.. Bryan's
statement to father Tierney shows al
most incredible CallOusness on his part
to the most dreadful type of suffering,
to acts far worse than the mere MUIR
der Of any man.
It seems literally impossible that any
representative of the American gov
eminent in high office could fail to be
stirred to his depths by such wrong, or
could have failed to insist on the i'm
mediate and cOndign punishment Of
the wrong doors and on the amplest
safeguarding against all possible repe-
titiOn Of the wrong.
Apparently the only way in which it
occurred to Mr.. Bryan to take any
action against the faction whose al
herents had perpetrated these hideOus
wrongs on the two American women
was by encouraging another faction
which he must have known in advance
and certainly did know after the event
would commit and had committed
wrongs equally hideOus.
Cnrrnnza-ViIIa Decree on Worship.
have before me a copy of Eel Her
aldo de Toluca" of September Is last
1t contains a manifesto on behalf Of
the victorious revolutiOnaries of the
party of AIessrs. CarranZa and Villa,
dealing with the conditions under
which the Roman worship will have to
be practiced." q translate into Eng
lish). Among the preambles are the
following: 1, that the ministers of the
Catholic worship circulate dOctpines
which are not in accordance with the
principles of the true Christ; ., that on
account of the learning that these min
listers have acquired they cannot In
the minds of those who possess equal
or greater learning (but who differ
from them in OpiniOn) pass as sincere
believers, in the doctrines they preach
and that they thereby exploit the ig-
norance OF the ignorant masses; 8, that
inasmuch S this conduct harms people
by frightening them with the fear Of
eternal punishment and thereby tends
to make them subservient to the priest
hood and that inasmuch as all kinds
of people from wOrkmen to capitalists
give too much money to the churches
and because of various other similar
facts the decree in question is promul-
gated.
Changes Church Practice.
This decree includes the forbidding
"of any sermons which will encourage
fanaticism;" the prescribing of any
fasts or similar practices; the prohibit
ton of any money being paid for
christenings, marriages or other mat
ters; the prohibition of the soliciting
of contributions chat is, the passing
Of the plate); the prohibition of cele-
bration of masses for the dead or the
celebration of more than two masses
a week. the prohibition of confession
and with this object in view the clos
ing Of the churches excepting once
week at the hour of the masses; and,
finally, the prohibition of more than
one priest living in TOluca and the re-
quirement that he, when he walks in
the streets. shall be dressed absolutely
as a civilian without anything in his
costume revealing the fact that he is a
minister. IN order to be permitted 10
exercise the functions thus limited. the
priest is required to affix his signature
of acceptance to the foregoing regu-
lations.
Now, in various South American coun-