The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-07-04
vox PoPuLI.
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MR.. LEBARoN REPLIES TO MRS.
RUTHERFORD AND MR.. MOBILES
Editor Pensacola Journal:

Editor Pensacola Journal:
In your issue Of June 9th, there |
appeared two articles, one from the |
pen Of Mrs. Minnie Wolf Rutherford, |
and the other by Mr.. J. M. Mobiles, of !
Berrydale, Fla, answering a piece |
wrote insThe Journal Of the 22nd inst, |
relative to conditions in Mexico. / |
wish to reply to some Of their state |
ments concerning the object and in
tentions Of the Constitutionalist, and
l take particular exception at the
statement of Mr.. Mobiles that the peo-
pie Of Mexico have been 'heId in
bondage for nearly 400 years by the
Pope Of Rome" Following are
few facts which may prove enlighten-
ing to Mr.. Mobiles and others of his
kind.
The Roman Catholic church has
been held responsible for the abon-
Unable ignorance of the masses
in Mexico. She has given Mex
leo all the civilization she pos
sesses, and would have given her
more, but why? She was not allow
ed To the Latin mind, religious
liberty, as we understand it, is a for
eign idea. Even under the Spanish
regime, when the church was sup
posed to have been at the height of
her power, that country reserved the
right, as do all countries where the
Catholic is the state religion, to seize
property and remove bishops at will.
Still the church was allowed to teach
and civilize the Indians, and subse-
quent events proved that she is the
only one capable of doing so. With
the overthrow of Spanish power and
the advent of Benito Juarez, there
came an end to the liberty of the
church in Mexico. In his claws of
Reform" Juarez effectually bound
and gagged the church and she has
been so for the last fifty years. "She
was forbidden to teach, which means
to open schools of any kind, except
theological. Her ministers even,
could not dress as clerics. The law
of May 18th, 1873, forbade any re-
ligious demonstration outside of
church building, forbade priest and
sisters to dress in any way that would
indicate their calling. The constitu-
ton of 1857 interfered with personal
liberty to the extent Of forbidding
anybody to enter a religious order,
and refused religious orders a legal
right to hold property. The law of
July 18th, 1859 suspended religious
orders and religious societies, forbade
the foundation of new congregations,
ordered all books, manuscripts, paint
ings and antiquities belonging to such
orders to be given up. The law of
February Goth, suspended female com
munities. The law of July 18th, 1859,
took away all property from the
clergy, but that of FEBRUARY 5th, 1861,
returned to the church all parochial
residences, bishop houses, etc. Then
September 25th, 1873, saw new law
which forbade any religious institu-
ton to acquire property or the reve-
nue. derived therefrom. The law OF
December 14th, 1874, struck at the
right of the clergy to receive legacies
The law of July 31st, 1859, took
away from the church her hospitals
and charitable institutions, as also die
law of February 18th, of the same
year. To make it certain that the
church could not be charitable, the
law of August 9th, 1904, forbade
: clergymen to act as directors anc
administrators or patrons of private
charities, and extended this decree
even to include those delegated by the
clergy. 1t will clearly be seen thai
under the constitution and laws Of
!. reform, the clergy had little power
left, and the church little chance tt
uplift the people" | take the abovt
from "the Book of Red and Yellow.
: Being story of blood with a vel
f low streak, by Rev. Francis Clemen
h Kelley, president of the Catholic
Church Extension Society, who hav,
investigated and charitably helped tn,
prosecuted priest and sisters driver
u from Mexico and are now in tn
r United States. DIR. Ridpath, a man VIII
throughout his work betrays hi
prejudice to the Roman church, say
in his History of the World" con
corning the church in Mexico tina
a perpetual monastic vows were aboI
: ished," and LANDED property of tn
church was confscated and given owe
i to the use of the state" Page TIA
/ Vol. VIII. Again, we are told tina
l. in the last ten years, Catholics hav
! been waging war against religion
freedom. If they have been wagin
9 war against religious freedom, hoi
has it been manifested, since the
Is have not changed the laws agains
. themselves? They are charged wit
joining forces with the "Cientifcos,
and working through the home. Wit
l. what Cientificos did they form an a
IT lance? President Diaz, the leader c
p the Cientifcos was himself a FIRE
/, mason of the Supreme Council c
> Masonry. And during the adrninistrs
ton of Diaz, there was scarcely
J. Catholic to be found in the list {
Mexican officials. Madero gave hope
q