The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-05-07
THE GEGEAN BILL.
Tuicr .ro,n ,E"rslsern 8hE"-

! Ii'N@- are VI liltinSeiNtS- pIoOI lliitJ lilt
thinking portion of the Democratic par
| tyis restive under the latest and boldest
movement on the part Of the Pope to
subsIiize that party, and make it sub
servient to his will This law may be
very harmless, and enacted in the inter
est Of the whole State, without reference
to political or religious divisions. but Ger
tainly it was not so regarded by its au-
thor, or tie leading Catholic citizens and
newspapers. This may be shown by the
presentation OF a few facts
So far as the Catholic Church is con
cerned, we believe on placing it on the
same basis with all other churches in re-
spect to its rights, privileges, and immu-
mites. We do not believe in granting
government aid 10 churches OF any de
nomination or creed, either by way of
direct appropriation OF money, or by the
exemption OF their property from taxa
ton. The Church and the State are,
and must remain, separate and distinct
organizations, not conflicting and antago-
nistic, but sympathetic and cooperative;
each laboring, in its proper sphere, to
accomplish the same beneiicent end-ie.
the present and future happiness and
welfare Of the human race. Upon all
matters relating to the government OF the
State, the Church, as an organization,
has nothing to DO. Every citizen owes
an allegiance to the State that is supreme
over any and every obligation he may be
under TO any Church or party. This
principle is not in accordance with the
pretensions OF the Pope-the head OF the
Catholic Church He has declared him
self infallible, and claims his Church to
be above the State, and that his follow
ers owe to him an allegiance above that
which they are underto any human gov
ernment.
The Gcghan law, as Interpreted by the
Catholics themselves, is an attempt to
make the State Government OF Ohio an
agency to promote the success of the
Church and the spread Of the Catholic
faith. They We're enabled to accomplish
the enactment of this law through and
by the agency of the Democratic party,
now, as always, ready to abase itself to
purchase votes. Geghan, the author of
the law, is Il Catholic. While the bill
was under consideration in the Legisla-
ture he wrote TO a friend in Cincinnati as
follows:
we have a prior claim upon the Dem
ocratic party. The clements composing
the Democratic party in Ohio to-day
fully two-thirds CT said party-are made
up of Irish and German Catholics, and
they have been always loyal and faithful
to the interests OF the party. Hence the
party is under obligations TO us, and we
have a perfect right to demand oi them,
as a party, inasmuch as they are in con
troll of the State Legislature and State
government, and we, by both our means
and votes, placed them where they are
to-day, they should, rs n party, redress
our grievances,
Soon after this the Catholic Telegraph,
the leading organ OF that denomination
in the West, in an article upon this ques-
ton, among other things, expressed the
following sentiment:
''The political party with which nine
tcntIs OF the Catholic voters affiliate. on
account Of past services that they will
never forget, now controls the State.
Withdraw the support which Catholics
have given to it, and it will fall in this
city, county, and State, as speedily as it
has risen to lis long lost position and
power. That party is now upon trial 4;
Mr. Gegiian's bill will test the sincerity
of its professions.
Here is, then, the opinion Of the au.
thor of tie Law, that the Catholic Church
had ''giievances 70 redress, and calling
upon the Democratic party to redress
them. Here is, also, threat, from the
organ OF that Church, uttered 10y an Arch
bishop, high in authority, that the Cath
Ollie votes would be withdrawn from the
Democratic party unless the Gegllan bill
became "A law. "Mr. GAghan's bill will
test the sincerity OF its (the Democratic
party's) professions" says Archbishop
Purcell and he was right. 1t did test
them. 1t also tested the trustworthiness
of that party as a power, into the hands
of which the welfare Of the great people
can be placed. Under these threats the
representative OF that party bowed then
heads ia submission, and put upon theil
necks tie Cati..iic yoke. The bill be
came a law, not because it was right, not
because the good OF the people demand
ed it, hut becariSa, by it, enactment, the
whole Catholic vote could be purchased
1t was a regular bargain and sale-sC
much legislation in the interest OF tile
Pope for so many votes for the Demo
cratic party. Immediately after the en-
aetment of the law Archbishop Purcell
issued his order a follows:
''The unbroken aEd solid vote OF th'
Catholic citizens of this State will b'
given to the Democracy at the fall elec
ton. Catholic Teleyraph, AprH 1.
Those orders will be obeyed. Ever!
Catholic vote will be given according t'
directions; that IS already settled. Th
only open question is whether tie i'll
teIligent portion OF those voters, wh'
have heretofore acted wish the Demo
cratic party will also consent to be hitch
ed to tic Fope's triumphal car, and chan
halleluialIs to the Catholic faith.