“In presence of this carelessness—we may say, even of this culpable indifference—we make a last appeal to the patriotic sentiments of the liberal Catholics of Delémont, beseeching them to assist more regularly at the Sunday Mass, and above all to induce their wives and children to be present at it. If Catholics [!] will not show more zeal in supporting the liberal curate and the council of the parish, the latter will resign in globo the charge entrusted to it.”
Nothing, however, discourages the government of Bern, and in conformity with the law of worship, voted some months ago, it has obliged the new parishes of the Jura to proceed to the formation of parochial councils, and to the nomination, or rather confirmation, of the intruding curates. But here, also, what deception! Out of 12,000 electors, only the tenth part voted. In 28 communes, not a single elector presented himself at the ballot. In the others, the number was laughably small. At St. Imier, for instance, out of 1,933 electors, only eight answered the summons. At Moustier, out of 1,429, only 24. No less significant are the numbers of votes polled for the elected curates:
Fontenais: M. d’Abbadie (Frenchman) had 77 votes out of 1,651 electors.
Courtemaiche: M. Coffignal (Frenchman) had 15 votes out of 1,683 electors.
Undervelier: M. Salis (Italian) had 13 votes out of 1,046 electors.
Courroux: M. Maestrelli (Italian) had 60 votes out of 1,557 electors.
Roggenburg: M. Oser (German) had 40 votes out of 465 electors.
Bislach: M. Schoenberger (German) had 33 votes out of 669 electors.
Dittengen: M. Fuchs (Austrian) had 33 votes out of 667 electors.
Bienne: M. St. Ange Lièvre (Frenchman) had 50 votes out of 1,040 electors.