New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-10-29
FRANCIS KERN1N.

III Is distinctly JnOugn cautiously given out
in the Grant organs that Mr.. Herman must not
be chosen Governor because he is a Catholic.
Though he educates his own children in the
common schools of his city, and has in all
things upheld the Common School system,
himself drafting the report to our late COnsti-
tutional Convention against devoting public
moneys TO the support of schools under the
control of any church or sect, Professionals are
urged to vote against him as not to be
trusted by the friends of Common Schools.
Such craftsmanship draws after it long trains
of evil If Catholics are to be prescribed
purely because of their religion, a recoil is in
evitable. We cannot afford to pass upon the
orthodoxy of each others religious faith in
choosing civil officers. This was first at
tempted in Mr. Jefferson's case, but without
avail. The people would not believe that
they would have their Bibles burned if he
were chosen President-so he was chosen:
and they have had more Bibles than they
have read ever since. just so will the Com
mon Schools DO no wise assailed or injuriOusly
affected in case of Blr. Kernan's election.
On the morning on which it announced Mr..
Kernan's nomination, The NelO- York Times made
the following insidious and malignant attack
upon his religious faith:
As for the candidate for Governor when say that
Francis opposed every designed for the
prosecution of the war against the rebellion and that he
is man OF extreme views the subject Of his religious
creed, we have said all that recommend him to
the lower class Of Democrats The idea OF Repub-
licans voting for such man is ludicrOus TO the
last degree; but such Of them as believe
in Fentons honesty WISDOM and passionate longing for
reform may, perhaps. do it, more Objectionable
loo hava
for they asked vote for COpperhead and bigot
Herman happily stands moro chance OF being elected
Governor than the man in the moon. We shall not only
carry New-York State beyond peradventure; but, as
matters look now shall carry the city itself Let
Kernan here and find how things going and
he would sell his chances for glass Of Bourbon"
It's. Syracuse correspondence was understood
to make a more cautious reference to the
same subject in saying that "Mr. Kernan's
nomination was admitted to be highly re.
spectacle, though for certain reasons, we'll
known but seldom publicly stated, it could
"nOt be strong one"
THE TRIBUNE made not the slightest edito-
rial reference TO the subject, and in its CORE
spondence merely mentioned that, although
Mr.. Herman was known as a severe and earnest
Roman Catholic, the objections to him on this
score, from the friends of the Common School
system, would not be urged when it was
known that he was an ardent friend of that
system, and had himself labored in the Con-
stitutional Convention to make sectaran appro-
priations impossible.
Having begun the warfare upon Mr.. Kernan's
religion, the next step by the Grant journals
was to accuse THE TRIBUNE of introducing
the subject, and thus affordng them a reason
for treating it as a legitimate topic of polit-
ical discussion. Lies which are contemptu-
Ously ignored sometimes come, by dint Of
incessant repetition, to make an impression
upon the public mind and there are, doubt
less, some respectable persons who to-day be-
lieve that THE TRIBUNE has urged Mr. Ker-
mans religion as a reason for his support
The simple truth is that the sole reference to
his religion in this canvass, has been the cita-
ton of it by the Grant journals as reason
for his defeat. They denounced him as a
bigot on the morning after his nomination.
They forged an offensive ticket (obtruding
upon a campaign document the sign of the
cross), which they falsely said his supporters
were circulating They declare through the
columns of their most respectable paper, that
the election Of Mr. Herman means the rule of
clerical party in the Boards of Emigration,
Education, Public Charities, and Public
Works; that he is the Jesuit candidate, and
that his triumph would be the triumph of
that Order
On the falsehoods thus put forth we do not
dwell. But it is time to say in reply just one
word. If the liberal friend and patron of our
common schools, Francis Herman, cannot be
elected Governor because of his religion, then
no man belonging to the faith cherished by
over one-third of the voters of New-York can
be. In Roscoe Conkling's own county, an Irish
Roman Catholic Is put up for Assemblyman On