Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1875-05-13
The Geghan Bill.

The necessity is forced upon the En-
quirer, in defending the Geghan bill
from the political stand point, and il
the interests of the Democratic party
to missrepreseht the facts.
The bill was passed in the interests
of and in compliance with the de
The Democratic leaders were plainly
told that unless they. passed the bill
the party would lose the Roman Catho
lie votes and having past the measure
the Catholic Telegraph said the Dem
ocratic party deserved and would re
ceiYe the solid Catholic vote. The
Church thus assumes to control the
politics of it's members. It claims te
own the political conscience of it!
members, and holds that Roman Cath
olic voters owe their allegiance first tc
the Church and second to the State
Thus. whatever a Roman Catholics
opinion may be on the various politi-
cal questions of the day, he must ig
more all these in the interest of am
question that the Church may present
The solid vote of Roman Catholics il
promised to the politioal party tina
will legislate in the interests of thr
Church. The member of the Roman
Catholic Church who submits to thi
dictation is not and can not be free
man. In the performance of his du
ties as citizen of the State, he i
bound to obey the commands of tn
Church, and to disregard entirely hi
own opinions on political questions
He may be opposed to the principle
of the Democratic party, for example
or Of the Republican party yet if ei
ther party pass measure in the inter
est of his Church and demanded b.
the priesthood, and the latter offer tn
solid Catholic vote in return for tha
| favor, as was done in the case OF th
Geghan bill, the member is required tx
cast his vote for that party. We d
not say this demand is always observ
ed. We should hope not; but if it
not obeyed, it is not the fault of tn
Church, but is due to the inspiring in
f1uence of our free institutions, Whic
opposes any connection betwee
Church snd State, and impresses up
on the individual high sense of hi
personal independence.
The Enquirer claims that the Geg
han bill only places the Roman Cath
olics on an equal footing with othe
denominations. This is not true. A
denominations were previously on a
equal footing. There was no sectar
anism anywhere. The Representative
of every denomination had access t
the institutions, and equal privilege
were accorded. Roman Cathol
priests did not often avail themselvt
of these privileges, though often il
Vited. In several noted cases they d.
clined on the ground that preachin
was only small part of their perform
ances. In the case of the Reforl
Farm, the priest stationed at Lanca
ter refused to hold services in the il
stitution unless the managers woul
erect an alter to be set apart exclusiv
ly for his use.
1t is not equal privileges they as
but exclusive privileges. They d
mand this to the extent of iEterferir
with and breaking up the discipline
the institutions, and they do it on IL
ground that they are Roman Catholic
i The talk about liberty of cOnscient
is all bosh, The Enquirer knows
it ought to know, that the Roms
I Catholic Church does not believe i
does not tolerate, hnt denounces libe
ty of conscience. 1t is not ecu
rights or liberty of conscience that
sought, but unequal rights and t
slavery of conscience Under Il
= Geghan bill any convict of a penal
institution, or any inmate of a refori
atory or benevolent institution, has
right TO refuse to attend religious e
ercises of any kind, thus interferil
/. with the management of the instit
ton, and encouraging insuborlinati,
on the part of those who need to
f thoroughly controlled. Cincinn,
Gazette