SPAIN OF TO-DAY 15 



The debates in both houses of the Cortes upon these last 

 proposals have been very warm. The one of which so much 

 is made in America — the so-called permission for non-Catholic 

 organizations to display the insignia of public worship — has 

 not caused so much comment in Spain. In fact, Catholic news- 

 papers refer very little to it. It is regarded more as an af- 

 front to the Pope, as evidence of a desire to avoid a real revi- 

 sion of the Concordat, and is treated as a cheap bid for popu- 

 larity. But in regard to the Spaniard's constitutional right to 

 form associations as he pleases, feelings run deep and strong. 

 The provision of the bill that orders may be suppressed and 

 their very interior affairs regulated by officious state meddlers, 

 has roused general indignation. Protests have been pouring in 

 by mail, telegraph, and special messenger from every part of 

 Spain. Sometimes four to five columns of the bare outline of 

 the protests and the thousands of signatures appear in the 

 papers. Catholic sentiment throughout the entire country is 

 aroused, for this is recognized as the opening gun of an as- 

 sault upon the Church. Canalejas is a Catholic, but his suc- 

 cessor may not be, and so the Catholic world is rousing itself. 



Catholic Spain is fairly well organized. At present there 

 are 255 Catholic associations or clubs, 47 Catholic labor unions, 

 556 agricultural associations, 297 Rafifeisen Mutual Banks, 95 

 artisans' unions. 33 consumers' leagues, 92 indemnity associa- 

 tions. 33 diocesan councils of different societies, eight popular 

 libraries, and three credit banks. The Catholic press publishes 

 60 papers of all kinds. The units of the organizations are the 

 various parishes which make a focus of religious and social 

 life. 



It has been asserted on the floor of the Cortes, and repeated 

 over and over again in our press, that Spain is over-run with 

 religious orders, and that they pay no taxes. Olf course those 

 that are authorized by the Concordat pay no taxes, for they 

 are part and parcel of the State Church. I have not the sta- 

 tistics at hand to show what taxes are paid or what exemp- 

 tions are claimed, but if one will look at the matter a moment 

 from an American standpoint it will be seen that ordinary 

 civilized nations exact no taxes in similar cases. For instance, 

 here in our own country, schools, hospitals, libraries, asylums, 

 etc., pay no taxes. Why, then, should the religious orders in 

 Spain, which conduct such institutions of education, charity, or 



