The Daily Worker Newspaper, October 2, 1926, Page 12

—_ RISA . By MANUEL GOMEZ, CHAPTER IV—Concluded. MERICAN editorial writers com- ment on the present church con- flict in Mexico with a certain amount of bewilderment. Eventually, they protest, the church must win out, for 90 per cent of the Méxican people are catholics. Their logic continues to bear up rather remarkably, consider- ing thé shoeks that *it receives with avery day’s news. As a matter of fact, the editorial logic referred to above has been proved false by all the events of his- tory, not only European but also Mex- ican. (This is quite aside from the fact that while a great majority of Mexicans are catholics, the percentage ia by no means as high as that indi- cated in the religiously padded mem- bership figures given out by the clergy.) It has been precisely in “cath- olie countries” that the most bitter struggles against the church took place. Could the reformation have swept over nearly all Europe in the closing years of the middle ages if it were impossible for catholics to over- throw catholicism? Mexicans were early obliged to strike at the swollen power of the catholic hierarchy. As far back as 1822, the year after independence from Spain, it was decided to occupy the buildings of the Philippine missions and to confiseate the funds accumu- lated by the Spaniards for clerical activities outside of Mexico. On Nov. 23, 1855, a law was passed cancelling the immunity from. civil prosecution. formerly enjoyed by priests. The clergy fought this law savagely, but it did them little good. Ta June of the following year the gov- ernment decreed the abolition of en- tail of church property. A precedent for interfering with church property had been created in 1822, as we have seen, but the decree against entail aroused the clergy to fury. a: 32 fom the bloody war that followed ee church emerged still worse off. ‘With Benito Juarez at the head of a triumphant liberal government, the constitution of 1857 (referred to at length in a previous chapter) was put }) into effect, and in July of 1859 the reform laws were promulgated, sup- pressing all monastical institutions and prohibiting the exercise of func- tions by all except secular clergy. In the same month civil marriage was established; on July 31 cemetaries were taken away from church control, and on Aug. 11 religious holidays were denied recognition, and government officials were forbidden to take part im religious ceremonies. And thus right on down thru the lateat revolutionary period. During these last fifteen years or more the influence of the church among the masses of the Mexican péo- ple has been declining rapidly. In the north and along the Pacific and Gulf coasts, many of the churches will be feund standing empty. Organized la- bor has broken away almost com- pletely from cleri¢al influence. The same thing is noted among wide sec- tions of the petty-bourgeoisie, the gov- erning bureaucracy, intellectuals, ete. Even the peasants of the central pla- teau, while still the backbone of cath- olic strength, are beginning to develop anti-clerical movements, In the present conflict the church ‘has found extremely little active sup- pert against the Calles government except among the wealthy reaction- aries. The division ig along class lines, with organized labor marching in the forefront of the anti-catholic forces, What will the outcome be? It is indicajed for us in the fact that the church has always pushed against the forces of history. What is against history must eventually be destroyed by history. President Calles insists that his gov- ernment is attacking the catholic church not as a religious but as a po- litical institution. But what is politi- cal? What is left of the Roman catho- lic church in Mexico after the new laws and regulations are in effect? No right to held property, no foreign officiates, no services of any kind out- side of the church buildings assigned for that purpose, no right to wear_ec- clesiastical vestments on the street, no control whatever over elementary education, no polemical press. The process has been going forward at un- precedented speed since the overthrow of Porfirto Diaz. What will take the place of catholi- cism—whether it will be a modified hierarchical form, or something else— remains to be seen. Last year an attempt was made, with the covert and sometimes the open support of the government, to set up a Mexican Schismatic catholic apostolic church, ag against the Roman catholic. The “cismaticos” entered upon the scene with spectacular energy, but their at- tempt appears to have failed. It is possible that the peasants, the masses of whom are still religious, will event- ually group themselves around their local priests. One thing is certain, Mexico’s reformation will not and can- not follow the classic European lines. The plight of the church should sur- prise no one familiar with the basis of its original power. The Whole course of méddern Mexican history tells us that the present movement is part and parcel of a great Mexican revolution which could not reach fruition while leaving the feudal church intact. The End. History of the Catholic (The State Jewish Theater Church in Mexico in Moscow By RUTH EPPERSON KENNELL, sla new play of the season at the State Jewish Theater, “The Tenth Commandment,” described as “an op- eratic pamphlet,” while not superior to “200,000” and “The Witch,” is dif- ferent in its burlesque on present day politics. Like the other plays, it has that complete harmony of rythmic movement characteristic of these re- markable players, the music is gay, the costumes daring (being, like the sets, a bit futuristic) and only the brilliant witticisms are lost to some extent on those who do not understand Yiddish. Being a political satire, an understanding of the lines is more es- sential in order to follow it than in “200,000,” which is more a rythmic pantomime. The playwright walks about with his arms full of manuscript, interfer- ing when the play does not go to suit him and appealing to the fat director for help. But the devil, a gay cynic in brown breeches and soft collar, a high scariet hat and red cape, is bent upon making a tangle of the play, and "= G@RANOVSKY Head of Jewish Theater. a aaa a ES Mae epee awe en ee ae THE CO-OPERATIVE By JEANNETTE D. PEARL. i* is now becoming apparent that the tiny atom has stored within itself an infinite amount of latent energy, which, when once released, will just astound the world with the tremen- dous magnitude of its power and pos- sibilities. A similar discovery is now coming to light from an element of quite a different sort. An element not so tiny as the atom, but almost as much obscure, the hitherto submerged work- ing class., This huge labor body also has stored in its cells infinite latent energy, which too, when once released, must amaze mankind with the magni- tude of its power and the extent of its possibilities, a A glimpse of this latent energy of the labor cell is now being revealed in the huge co-operative enterprise, initiated, begun and being completed |The Autobiography by members of the working class for members of the working class. The co-operative dwellings are much more than a mere attempt at cheaper and better living conditions for workers. These buildings, scientifically con- structed, artistically designed, breathe a living spirit—the spirit of working class solidarity—a.feature new in the social life of the worker. This co-operative surge is not a whim. It is not an experiment. It is the signal of the workers’ will to power—to mass action, mass effort, | ai mass achievement. It is the assertive expression of a repressed force taking definite course. It is not sporadic. It is deep-rooted. It is not confined to any one city. It is nationwide and worldwide, It is not an abandonment of the class struggle, but an intensification of it. In collective activity, workers will be trained for cooperative life, co-operative hope, cooperative effi- ciency. It is an additional channel in the means for labor emancipation. It is an added bridge for the revolution to cross, In co-operative enterprise workers will see concretely the goal toward which they must strive~ emancipation—and embrace the means for its preparation. Here lies the se eret of the workers’ success and the philanthropists’ failure. Philanthropists built so-called co- operative homes for workers. called to the working class to live in them. But the workers were not be- guiled. They saw thru the humanita- succeeds, The lady falls tn love with a@ young man and appeals to the devil to get rid of her husband. The devil agrees and proceeds to make a deal with the husband, who promptly dis- appears from Berlin and is mourned as dead. He turns up in Palestine, which has become Anglicized, with the British flag and two British policemen in the foreground and in the back ground (only as decoration) a classic figure symbolizing old Palestine. The widow appears looking for the grave of her husband. In the international chorus which ‘sings in this scene, the league of nations, the Locarno cabinet and individual statesmen figure. Yelk low banners wave in the meeting of the Second International, a gay woman from Broadway represents the United States and Vandervelde and MacDon ald, quite lifelike and singing in Yid- dish, dance solemnly. Finally every- thing gets into such a hopeless tangle that the whole company commits sut- cide, Wings are provided and they mount the golden stairs to heaven. St. Peter, questioning the new arriv- als as to name, occupation and sins, becomes horrified when he learns that the Tenth Commandment thas been broken and consults God on the tele- phone. They are condemned to re main in heaven, but the devil comes to their rescue and conducts them to: his home below. The first scene in hell is Europe, and here the guests are well pleased to remain. SURGE riam purposes of their benefactors. They felt in that move an effort at the perpetuation of wage slavery, an attempt to undermine labor morale, to weaken it, make it grateful to its ownera and more dependent upon them, Labor saw thru it and would have none of it. Philanthropic co- operatives passed on to the smug com- fort to the petty-bourgeoisie. THE TINY WORKER A Weekly. Edited by “Bunny” Palatnick, Roxbury, Mass. Johnny Red, Assistant, Vol. 1. Saturday, October 2, 1926 JOHNNY IS GLAD AGAIN HVERYBODY WROTE IN and we got 47 contributions. Fine—keep it poke cK pee up. Look what we got by I was born in a div, etek ee ROSH HOROWITZ ba. cried awk year re ee ~ DBAR JOHNNIH RED: nice ae gig ? Im awfully sorry I made you cry | All these will San pebene frota | but the reason I didn't write was be- from week ash-man ‘to a| ©#use school opened with a lot of bunk week but we swill-man which | #Pd I was trying to sort it out but iene, ae by om fons t comes along so fast that I got | Come on — een Teen OF too anxious to tell you what hap- | them in Tiny Reda, I was thirteen I | Pened so far, _| SCHOOL BUNK went to work in In economic class my teacher (while | By Bernard Masa- Gary's factory for | discussing reasons for choosing ® |rov, New York nothing us = vocation) said that every man that | City, Die nT ees ce ae he torte ah Sg sup mself an family, so t: One day a doctor | I said, ‘Well let's take the te . coe” ee Pronounced me lo- | workers of Passaic as an ¢ Coolidge co in the coco, bp Oa paid very little and many | a When Gary and} of m starve to death because the the rest the | bosses won't pay them enuf to sup- thru ork grafters heard themselves and even NOW the | prayers> became about this bie want ‘ve them another Wh elected me e - wage cut so they are striking. Now, “he pray to ye’ of x m5 how can they bey “re it — that pai . became | such os exis ry over campaign their oice boy. a walt Then said, ‘Well, if you | expenses? empnand can find the answer to that, you are —e A. POEM AND very because there’) always be WELL? GOOD SUGGES- some ivi happier life a”, much - no! cago, IL WAYS." but “june hen nA = wasn’ Workers Are Reds. | my statement. I was intend! roaeen Sie Neue I FO PIo- governm NEERS of cheating will pire