Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1875-09-02
Who Is Responsible for Sectar.
iauism i'm Ohio Politics?

Mr., PendletOn and Governor Allen
will not be able to fix the responsible
ity of whatever sectarian agitation
there is in the State canvass this year
upon the Republicans. 1t was brought
on by MFG eghan, Democratic Rep
resentative from Hamilton county, re-
iptorced ythe editor of the Catholic
TeLeqraQR. There was where it began.
Pending the passage of his bill opening
the doors of the Penitentiary, Reform
atories and Asylums of the State to the
Catholic clergy, Mr.. Geghan, in an
open letter. toa friend in this city, de-
clared that the Church had "a prior
claim on the party; that fully two
thirds of the elements of the party
were Irish and German Catholics, who
had been always loyal and faithful to
the interests of the party and hence,
he said, 'the party IS under obligations
to us (Catholics), and aCe haze q perfect
riqht to demand of them as party .
to redress our grievances.
The demand was that the Legislature
should pass the Geghan Bill. The
Catholic Telegraph holding with Mr..
Geghan that the Church had a proprie-
tary right in the Democratic party,
threatened the withdrawal OF the Cath
olic vote if the Democratic Legislature
did not comply with the demand made
upon it by the Church; and when the
Legislature, moved by this priestly
menace, passed Geghan's Bill, the
Catholic Telegraph came forward and
pledged the unbroken, solid vote OF
the Catholic citizens of this State we
quote its exact language to the Demo
cracy at the fall election.''
Now, here was a compact publicly
entered into between the official organ
of the Church in Ohio and the represen-
tatives of the Democratic party in the
legislature, in pursuance of which, and
for the legislation demanded by the
former and granted by the latter, the
solid vote of an entire sectarian body is
to be given to the candidates OF the
party whose representatives had yield
ed to the demands of the Church.
This is wholly Independent of the
merits or dement's of the legislation
solicited. If the principle of the Geg.
han Bill was, just one, there was nc
occasion for the compact, for it could be
safely trusted to the sense of fairness
and equal Justice which has, upon the
whole, marked American legislation in
dealing with questions affecting the
Interests of religious bodies. But the
occasion seems to have been seized
) with avidity by Representative Geg
han and the Catholic Telegraph to per
feet politico-religious alliance, and tt
notify the Republicans that they haC
nothing to expect from Catholic voters
, since their solid vote would be cas-
f against their candidates for State of
fees, no matter who they might be.
Does Governor Allen or Mr.. Pendle
ton doubt that the pledge will be ful
filled? Do they not count upon tina
: ''unbroken, solid Catholic vote" tt
swell the majority which the Governor
affects to believe he will get as send
off for the Presidency next year
Whatever differences there may bt
among Democrats ON financial or Othe
issues of expediency, it is part OF tht
( Democratic estimate of results that tn,
I Catholic vote will be cast without di
vision for Allen and Cary in October
1t is condition of the contract to b.
: fulfilled by party that does not q
back upon its word.
Mr.. PendletOn has had enough ex
, perience in political life to know tna
no such contract, whether entered int
by Democrats and the Catholics on tn,
: one side, or Republicans and Protest
] ants on the other, can be made withou
/, producing agitation and giving to an.
political contest the flavor of sectarian
ism. If it was Governor Aliens desir
to keep the canvass free from agitation
of that sort, he should have mad
t some sign of protest when Geghan wa
+, asserting the prior claim Of the Churcl
upon the party, and the Cdthoic Tele
3 graph pledging the solid Catholic vot,
: as consideration for certain piece O
\ Legislation. If it did not we'll conten
!, the Democratic legislators and thei
friends throughout the State to hav,
the fact go upon record that the solit
/. Catholic vote was to be given to thei
State ticket in October as reward TO
complying with the demand, most in
solently urged, to pass the GeghaI
Bill, they should have resented tn,
spirit of priestly domination at the tin'
/ it was displayed. This they did not do
and they have been exceedingly eau
tious to say nothing to offend sourc'
of power from which so much is expect
/. ed in October.
We charge the responsibility of lug
ging sectarian feeling and prejudice il
the canvass, where it belongs, to the
authors of the compact entered int
last winter. Whether, having con
| tracted to deliver the Catholic vote
, those who pledged it will be able tc
do it, is another question. There is no
a Democrat in the State who does NO
expect the attempt will be made ir
! good faith to do so. And did Governor
. Allen or Mr.. Pendleton for momen,
think that such an attempt could be
made without rOusing sectarian feeling
on the other eide? An alliance of this
sort, with all that 1t implies, can no,
be made in any State of the Union
without arousing sectsrian feeling and
bringing into the canvass elements OF
strife that ought always, if possible, to
be left out.