Page:A history of Chile.djvu/359

 THE PERUVIAN WA.l 327 bibiting the clergy from performing marriage ceremo- nies unless certificates of civil marriage were first ob- tained. The clergy refused to marry any one previously mar- ried by the civil law, and the main political issue now became the repeal of the law of 1883. The ultramon- tane archbishop excommunicated the president and his cabinet ; also all members of congress who had voted for the obnoxious law. He further threatened that a similar penalty should be visited upon every commun- icant who obeyed the statute and had a civil marriage performed. This ridiculous opp'jsition to a most salu- tary law was carried even furth(ir, and in the March elections the clergy bought votes with absolution and religious privileges. We begin to see the first lightning flashes preceding the storm. It is related that, on the 24th of January, 1886, President Santa Maria received through the mail at his residence in Santiago, a package containing an infernal machine. He was suspicious of it, and upon carefully untying the strings, found that it contained ->. clock-work machine attached to a hammer in such a manner as to explode a charge of dynamite. To this pass had politics come. Increase in the public revenues enabled the admin- istration to initiate and carry forward many important public works. Large sums were voted to construct railways and other public works, and for purposes of education and colonization. The'Araucanian territories were occupied as far as the site of the ancient Villa- J-ica and active colonization was begun. A law was passed pensioning the infirm and crippled soldiers oi the war and their orphans. Public offices were reorgan- ized, and a better system of promotions and payment of civil employes and military officers was arranged.