The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1919-07-10
Pv FRANK J. TAYLOR

New York. July 1O-The church Is
the onlv institution in Russia when
NJ holsheyiks insist upon operating
On a capitaiistic basis. The bolsheviKs
threw out the church as state
nroposition when they came into pow
or and seized everything else. FOR
merly the church and state were
closely allied, the state supporting
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 churches per capita than there
are movie theaters in Los Angeles,
and the city block that does not have
,oore than one is difficult to find.
II was "a hard 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 czar re-
gime duped the people Religious
holidays and religious ceremonies
gave the priests tremendous inilu
ence over the superstitious peasant.
The bolsheviks consider 1t woE-
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 but have
also stopped work.
Following the fall of the Kerensky
government, the churchmen doubled
their Efforts to stir up counter revolu-
tlon, the bolsheyiks say. The latter
retahated by completely severing the
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
oyer-zealous against the bolshevik
government Congregations have fall
en- off, though many churches aie
open. Incomes are lin ed TO what
the congregation cares to donate
They are now ON the same financial
basis as the American churches.
The tithe system is abolished, and
no church can levy taxes. The bol-
sheviks further cut off the privilege
of educating children, which was for
merly done largely by the church
men. Religion is separated from edu.
cation
In Russia it was the custom to
worship the bones of saints, sup
poseduy buried in churches through
out the land. The bolsheviks have
partly completed a census of the
bones of saints which is enlightening.
1t shows already, say the bolshe-
yiks, that certain saints Of consid-
cradle renown had as many as TWEEN
ty legs and more arms and heads, ac.
cording to the number of churches
which claim interned members of
saints bodies Investigation of the
tombs proved that many kinds of
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
money, food and wine, thinking the
bolsheviks would never find 1t
there.
The bolsheviks have conducted
these Investigations ruthlessly, and
are giving them wide publicity. mo.
vies' are taken of many of the ex-
posures, as far as the shortage of
films will permit. Films for maki:.y
movies is probably the article which
the bolsheviks most need right now,
considering its value in propaganda
work.
All churches have not ceased to
exist. In Moscow it is estimated that
half of them are operating on the
"eapitalistic" basis and as independ-
ent institutions, and are fairly sue
csssful
Gany of the chnrchmen are trying
Eo,. Sir, ToVfyyroc