Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1865-07-28
From the New ork independent, July 7ol
Free Suffrage a Religious Safe
guard.
BY WILLIAM r. HOOPER.

The New York Observer has done, and Is
doing, an excellent work by showing the dan
ger to our institutions from the presence Of 90
large body Of Catholics in this country.
Bound together by the tie of q common faith
that allows political and religious headship in
a foreign potentste, all secrets developed
through the confessional, without mental cul.
ture they constitute unit to be worked by
one string in the hands Of the priestly body.
1t has been the mis- ortune of the Irish Catho-
lies to have been united, not only against
Protestanism, but against all ;hose ideas of
freedom and equality that should be the BIRTH
right of every American citizen. They have,
TO man, been in favor Of slavery. they are
now united, to a man, in their denial of suf-
frage to the blacks.
The danger is a growing one, The Catho-
lie World informs us that in 1903 the
Catholics we're 100000 in populalion.of SIX
and half millions, or one sixty-hith of abe
whole in 1880 they were 100000 in thirteen
millions, or one twenty.ninth of the whole |;
while 1860 they were 4, ,400, 900 in 81 900, 900
or oneseventh OF the total population. This
population will continue to grow for Canada
| is pouring her legions into this country faster
than ever before. while the termination Of the
war throws the whole South and the magni.
fcent West open TO foreign immigration. The
magnitude of the danger can not be over
estimated. But the Observer only tells us OF
the danger, it points out no mode Of escape.
1t lifts up voice Of warning it does not
tell how to avoid the evil We propose tc
show n complete means Of obviating the dan
ger.
There are in the United States large body
Of men, their numbers increasing as we move
southwark, who are ignorant and as uneduca.
ted as the Irish Catholics. But they have no
common religious faith, nor does the confes
sional put them and their secrets in the power
OF any men or any priesthood. There are
four millions of them almost the exact num-
Der that thereare Of Catholics; all black ell 10y
al, and nearly all Protestant. Like the Irish
they reason through their feelings unlike the
Irish.they show great desire and aptitude foI
intellectual improvement Without any free
school system whatever, their children are
counted in free schools by tens Of thousands
While in Washington, Norfolk, Richmond,
Newbern, wherever Northern philanthropy il
willing to teach, thousands of adult blacks
laboring by day, study BY night They are
unlike the Catholic Irish, in being docile, af
fectionate snd gentle. Their love of muaie
their Wiling obedience, their religious sspi
rations are valuable characteristics. In per.
sistepcy Of labor, for stern aud rugged work
the Irish are superior for the more beautiful
qualities of humanity, the blacks But the
Christian especially notes the fact that the
Irish are all Catholic. oil hostile to the Bible
all haters of Protestsntism, while the blacks
have an intense desire to read the Word oil
God, are nearly ell Protestant, and all follow
ers of Him who came 10 lei the oppressed 60
free.
These two classes are the supplement oI
each other. Each is rich in the qualities
lacking in the other. To one the franchise ID
granted FROM his birth, or after temporary
residence The other must rise from poverty
to be worth $3.50 before he can vote 10 New
York In States west and south Of New
York be can not vote at all Now, II II is de
sirabe to meet the positive Catholic element
iu politics or religion by one equally positiv,
in another direction. We have but TO cloths
( the black with the same political power We