Douglas daily dispatch., 1926-06-11

its measure Of cooperation but has
actually opposed their development
with systematic obstruction, parti-
cularly in those very features which
are essentially Christian and the eaSe-
cution of which in no sense con-
flicted with the doctrine which the
church in theory supports. If there
has been any failure of harmony 1t
is due chiefly to the divergence be-
between the clergy's theory and prac-
tice.
1T is certainly regrettable that
the lack of sincerity of certain MEM
bers of the Catholic clergy causes
continuation of this ancient struggle
when the two programs could so
we'll cooperate. If instead of con-
tinuing to fight and thereby newt
ably losing ground they would only
work with us with the sole purpose
of seeking the welfare of the peov
pie! For surely it must be realized
that we are no longer obliged to deal
with the one-sided metaphysical dog
ma which for two thousands years
has controlled the mind of the masses.
Instead we have the struggle of
two rival dogmas for that control.
The one is, as l have said, ineffec-
lively abstract. The other is mate
rial and consequently effective. The
first nourishes the spirit and pre-
pares it for trials; the second nour
ishes the stomachy the brain and the
souls to avoid these trials. Now in
this struggle upon which our atten-
tion is focused so inopportunely, few
indeed would accept the first alterna-
tive if its protagonists espoused it
to the exclusion of the other; if
they asserted that it was not possi-
BILE to be Catholic and to serve God
while seeking at the same time
minimum of well-being and justice on
earth, if indeed they denied that
conscience should motivate this life
as we'll as our actions in prepara-
tion for the next world.
Il therefore call upon you with
all the sincerity which characterizes
the men of the revolution and 1
exhort you for the good of our peo-
pie that you neither calumniate nor
injure the progress of that essentially
Christian and humanitarian program
which the government seeks to de-
velop in our country Its oppressed
classes have for many loEg and bit
ter years experienced sundry injustice
and have missed the spirit of brother
hood and justice which should have
prevailed in the direct upper
classes, who have neglected the noble
part of mans mission on earth and
instead exerted all their efforts to
pile up their material fortunes. I
assure you with all sincerity that
not only will you encounter any OBJ
stacle in carrying out the tenets of
your religion in this country, but that
you will have the support and SYM
pathy of every Mexican. We ask only
that no systematic and unjustified
obstruction be raised against the
popular desires which have acquired
such strength in the minds of the
people that to deny their existence
or to oppose their realization would
merely reveal the utter ignorance Of
whoever should attempt either.
Very respectfully yours,
IA. OREGON"
No teacher of the ethics of Jesus
Christ has any need to fear opposi-
tion on the part of the government
of Mexico. Mexico is in no sense
anti-religious, any more than is the
United States, and yet the people Of
the United States have always been
quick to resent the faintest approach
to interference in their affairs by
the officials or. priests of any orr
ganized church, whether it might be
Roman Catholic or protestant.
The fact that the government Aof
the United States has not been called
upon to face the problem of inter-
ference with it's affairs by prelates is
solely due to, the fact that the church
was entirely divorced from the state
when the government was founded.
Mexico, on the contrary found itself
Immediately after the adoption of it's
constitution of 1857, faced by the
most violent opposition on the part
of the church Hierarchy in every at
tempt it made to improve the condi-
ton of it's people and to democratize
its government.
The church problem has unfor-
tunately remained with US up to the
present day and will only be settled
right when the Hierarchy of the
church shows its willingness to con-
tent itself to move within its proper
sphere in the life of the Mexican
people.
Yours, sincerely,
ARTURO M ELIAS,
Consul General of Mexico.