unlimited, and their rapacity equally without limit. The religious corporations are immensely rich and the Directors thus hold in the hollow of their hands the socular means of subjecting all men to their domination. There is also the terribly demoralising sway the priests exercise over the minds of their flocks by threats of spiritual denunciation. But as the well-fed and healthy body seldom worries much over prospective harm to the soul, if the priests of Manila had confined themselves to bell, book, and candle, it is possible there would have been no rebellion... It is the secular arm of the priesthood that chastens. A rich man is asked to do a certain work for the church. If he refuses his workmen are mysteriously wanted. in another district, and his crops cannot be sown or reaped. The extent of the domination of the priests over the common people in their business can hardly be conceived. The State is known to be dominated. by the church, which claims, and is accorded, supremacy. Manila is now in the state some of the Spanish American colonies were a hundred years ago—tho Government is not only corrupt but it is priest-ridden.
The present rebellion is that of the people against
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.