The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-07-10
DIGGING UP
SAINTS BONES
Bolshevk Shovels In Russian
Churches Uncover Many
Fakes on Ignorant
Congregations.
[By Frank j. Taylor, United Press
Staff Correspondent

, by Frank j. Iaylor, Un1teu TIess
Staff Correspondent
NEW YORK, July 10.-The church
! is the only institution in Russia
which the bolshevilcs insist upor
operating on capitalistic basis. The
bolsheviks threw out the church, as
state proposition, when they came
into power and seized everything
else. Formerly the church and state
were closely allied, the state sup
! porting the thousands and thousands
of mosques.
Russia probably had more churches
per square mile than any other land
| in the world. In Moscow there are
more than one Is difficult to find.
are movie theatres in Los Angeles
and the city block that does not have
more tina none Is difficult to find.
It was a nard blow to the church
when the bolsheviks got control OF
Russia. The bolsheviks are church
haters. According to them, the
church was the means by which the
car regime duped the people. Reli'
gious holidays and religious cere'
monies gave the priests a tremen-
dous influence over the superst1tious
peasant.
The bolsheviks consider 1t won
derful accomplishment, the abolition
of religious holidays, which they said
prevented the Russian from getting
ANYTHING done. There were as many
as two or three saints birthdays to
commemorate each week, according
to the bolsheviks. The churchmen
retaliate that the bolsheviks have
not only cut off the holidays, put
have also stopped work.
Following the fall of the kerensky
government, the churchmen doubled
their efforts to stir up counter revo-
luton, the bolsheviks say! The lat
ter retaliated by completely sever1ng
church and state, and forcing the
PRIESTS to rely on contributions from
CONGREGATIONS for support.
Some churchmen adjusted them
selves to the new conditions, others
went to work., and still others are
marking time in prison cells for
being over-zealous against the DOL
shevik government. Congregations
have fallen off, though many
churches are open. Incomes are
limited to what the congregation
cares to donate. They are now on
the same financial basis as the Amer
lean churches.
The 1.-THE system is abolished, and
no church can levy taxes. The boil
sheviks further cut off the privilege
If educating children, which was
formerly done largely by the church
men. Religion is separated from
In Russia It was the custom to
Worship the bones Of saints, sup
nosedlv buried in churches through
ont the land. The bolsheviks have
rtly completed a census OF the
homes of saints which is enlighten-
ing.
It shows already, say the boil
sheyiks, that certain saints OF con-
siderable renown had as many as
twenty legs and more arms and
heads, according to the number of
churches which claim interned mem
bers of saints bodies Investigation
IF the tombs proved that many kinds
IF fakes had been committed by the
priests to lead the simple-minded
Russian to believe that he was wor-
shipping certain saints bones. In
some tombs the priests had stored
food and wine, thinking the
,olsheviks would never find it there.
The bolsheviks have conducted
.hese Investigations ruthlessly. and
ire giving them wide publicity.
Movies" are taken of many OF the
exposures, as far as the shortage OF
i]ms will permit. Films for making
movies is probably the article which
he bolsheviks most need right now.