The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1875-10-28
NO WAR OF CREEDs.

NO WAR OF CREEDs.
The ImprobabIIitx of any Armed Conflict
Reiisious Bodies itAmerica.
Nrs T. W. HiggiEson ~rites as fol-
10 es to the eSIndependent: ''The pre-
didtioh is c1nstantly made that we are
on the verge of religious conflict,
4 which threatensathe very existence OF
the Republic. FOR one, I do not SYM
pathize with this foreboding. No
doubt any organization that becomes
very large and powerful brings with
it dangers that will bear watching,
whether it be the Romsn Catholic
Church or the Methodist, the Pacific
Railway or the Masonic Order. But
do not see how any one who lived
through the anti Masonic or the Know
| Nothing excitement can help admit
ting that the power of any such asso-
| citation in the United States is,s after
all, very limited, aud is liable at any
moment, through any excess, to, rouse
the overwhelming force Of public SEN
timent against it. Certainly can re-
member several periods W hen the dan
ger of Roman Catholic usurpation, or
of aleollisiop between Roman Catho-
lies and Protestants, saemed far more
imminent than, now. remember
when tie Chief j nstice of the United
States Supreme Court was q Roman
GathoticHJudgs Taney holding that
Epositiennfsr more than q: quarter ef a
century-yet no harm came; !, re-
grafton seelned likely to- deiuge the
whole land;g butiit did no real harm,
and now its progress is checked-as
the inexerable csnius showatTand va no
body but General Butler seriously
supposes that it isIgoiug any further"
|9s This nation is s1herOughly and per
bmanantly lnon-Reman Catholic. Every
intelligent priest knows this in his
heart apd knows that, whatever boasts
he or his newspaper organs may make
claims, lest fhs ghosf,sOf /" Native
.-Amsricanisn" or..,, Known Nothingisn"
be raised again. New Jersey is not
counted the most enlightened State in
the American U nien, but the mere ef-
fort Of two Il or three priests OF that
State, to urge their ,parishionsrs toIyote
q certain way in the late election sent
a sweeping majority over. to the side
these priests wished to defeat. There
is not q Northern Eer Western State
where the same result W ould not have
followed. The Roman Catholic
Church everywhere knows that it is
watched, that the popular prejudice
is against it, that the enormous Irish
immigration had iwaned,s ana the pre-
dominant increase from that source is
now Protestant. Ii it had the desire
it has not the folly to expect to be the
ruling element in the Nation, unless
it be that vague and remote way in
which Jews stiil convince themselves
that they expect Messiah ,s....
We must remember that much of
what has heretofore been called ag-
gression in the, - Roman Catholic
Church has been simply AN honorable !
struggle for the just rights which
refused to accede to it.
So long as we have not seculariZed
our Government, the Roman Catholics |
like ttieiJsws, have really fOund1their |
cause to be that of religious liberty.
While New Hampshire declares them |
Ineligible to office, they have no choica |
ont to resist by all honorable. means,
such exclusion. When Vermont ex-
Dels Irish children from school for a |
single days absence on Church fes-
ivai, the 'RofnauCathof clergy would
10 wrong to submit. 81 aw .'naI
"HIsToRY, furnishes no parallel to
he financial achievements of New
Z ork." So said Win. III. Seward,
when. in 1889, he was called upon to
ssume the duties Of Governor He
lluded to the building, of the State
annals, and to the small debt incurred
Or them. Before his decease Mr..
seward saw the mistake he had made.
Al the ca lals save the Erie would be
,ladly soll by the State, since none of
hem pay expenses. But the remark
# Nj. Seward We have quoted only
o cito exactly the reverse. History
hows no parallel to the financial ras-
ality of the last decade of the Repub-
ican party. 1t implies these points:
L. The withdrawal of large debt
Which was bearing no interest, and
he substituting of an interest-bearing
ebt in its place. - -.tis..as 93ui t.
2. An agreement that the owners of
he debt should not be taxed for it. 4!
8. That the circulating medium
hould be half in legal-tenders and
alf in National Bank notes. when to
;sue the latter costs the Federal Gov
rnment ,$2O.OOOOOO annually. Why |.
hould individuals reap the profit
vhich was designed for aIl2 This is
that we have done: Debts payable
4 legal-tenders we have agreed to
ay in gold. Debts payable at our
leasure we have put forward at least
wenty years before they can be called
!, which in the meantime bear! large ,
l;erest. g IA --fftL ro~f II
4. The, debt of the people at the ,
onclusiOn Of the war was almost en- g
rely at home, in the United States.
has been changed. By an outrage .
US enactment one third OF the debt
as been transferred to Europe debt &
18th gold interest and gold prin- i
pal.
Our Legislators have been guilty of ,
lesc things: Faa ar f. I4f
l. They have set 10 work to pay
ebt that ,bsre no interest, like the {
gal -tenders, by adding to the bonded |
ebt that bore interest, which took its !,
lace. In private life the individual
tho would manage an estate in such
manner would be sent to the Iunatic Z
syium for fully or TO the States pris {
n for crime. i5 ." ''' /;
g Everybody is satisfied with the
gal tenders. They have performed
4 the functions which have been re- a
uired of them. There is no occasion
} change them. There is every rea- 4
IN why they should be retained as a
Iedium for the measure of values.
hey are the medium to prevent the
,pudiation of contracts between the
ebtor and the creditor, to the disad- a.
antage of the former.-EnQuirer. ;
a.E