The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-08-04
HISTORY OF MEXICO.
: BY Eber Cole Byam.


BY Eber Cole Byam.
PART XIV.
The seizure of the invested funds
belonging to the Church in Mexico
closed or crippled many schools. and,
as this policy continued, its evil
effects increased. The Mexican Lib
erals" deprived the Church of the
means to educate and then blamed it
for the resultant illiteracy.
Mexico at that time had popula-
ton of about 100000, which would
give it communicates about equal in
number to those of the Baptist
Church of today Now, for the sake of
comparison, let us look at the condi-
ton, financial and otherwise, of the
Baptist congregations. According to
the Baptist Year Book for 1916, they
possess:
Property ........$2 1921 ,687 ,S26
Invested funds ...... 5l,071,S1S
4uCOI1S 1o,VVosVVd
Churches . 51,24S
Clergy 1926
Educational establishments 233
We thus see that the Baptists have
about the same number of educa-
tional institutions as the Mexican
Catholics, but they exceed the Next
can clergy and nuns by more than
five to one; they exceed the Mexican
churches and chapels Q,7SS and 1924,
respectively by more than five to
one; on invested funds by nearly
seven to one, and on all property,
Cincluding land, churches, converts
and contents, according to the OBJ
viously exaggerated Mexican state
ment), by nearly four to one.
If 1912 churches, and chapels,
were too many for the Mexicans, how
about the 51,24S Baptist churches?
In 1851 Mexico had 1850 clergy; if
these were too many, how about the
1926 Baptist clergy? If the actual
income of $685. S5 was too much
for the Mexican Church, how about
the $43, 055,007 of the Baptist Church?
III
too great for the Mexicans, how about
the $51, 071,S18 of the Baptists? And
finally, if S62.918,030 worth of prop
erty, on an exaggerated estimate, was
too much for the Mexican Church,
how about the 1921 ,6S7,S belonging
to the Baptists in the U. S. A? And
last, but not least, if it was right to
Of oil
lar, how about the same right-but
why pursue the subject further?
Applying the Mexican Constitution to
the Baptists.
The new Mexican Constitution"
has been signed and will soon go into
effect Here is what it would do to
our Baptist friends if applied in the
United States. 1t would confscate all
of the 1921, 6S7,S26 worth of property,
including the schools and charitable
institutions conducted by them. The
schools would of necessity remain
closed and the property would be di-
vfded among deserving politicians, or
disposed of at forced sale. The in
mates of the charitable institutions
would be thrust out upon the uncer-
tain kindness of liberal world. Ii
1888 churches and 1924 cbrpels were
considered too many for Mexico S
seven and half million people, it is
certain that 51,248 would be consid
cred superfiuous for a like congrega
ton in the United States, and over
three-fourths would be sold to be
devoted to profane uses; the re
mainder being loaned to Baptist
congregations during good behavior .
that is, as long as they supported the
political group that had robbed them
All their fifty odd millions of invested
funds would be confscated and the
clergy would be prohibited from re
ceiving any more funds for any pur
pose. and the Church would be pro
hibited from owning any property
from which it might derive an income
The Baptist clergy would be prohib
tied from performing any service
marriage, baptism or burial, outside
the Church, and would be prohibited
also from engaging in any charitable
enterprise whatever. If the Baptists
attempted under all these restrictions
to teach, they would find that their
graduates would be unable to follow
any professional career because al
such careers would be licensed and
licenses would not be granted the
graduates of Baptist schools. And
finally, if the Baptist clergy dared tc
protest against this spoliation and in
justice, they would be holly charged
with ''meddling in politics..
Mexican Methodist Mission Proper
tons Applied to Catholics in
Mexico.
William Butler, the Methodist mis-
sionary, in his book called 'sMexicC
in Transition from the Power Of
Political Romanism to Civil and Re
lfgious Liberty gives detailed
statement (1S92) of the number oil
communicates secured by the Metho
dist missionaries in Mexico, the mum