The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1875-12-19
ST. Louis Waterman.

SNs AONhS " AeNAAAAAe-~Ns fsst
We happened, some time ago, to COM
ment on the fact that all the prominent
officials OF the Kentucky State Govern
ment are Free Masons, intimatiug that the
election of Catholics in their places would
have been utterly impossible while the
election of 80 many Methodists to the came
offices would have been 40 much unnoticed
as that of the Free Mssons. In that con-
nection we referred to the liberality Of the
st. Louis WatchmaR in not being able to
perceive any traces Of persecution in this
country. That paper replies in crushing
style with ponderouS facts. 1t says there
are three Catholics in the Senate Of the
United dStates-Bogy, Of Missouri, johnson,
Of Virginia, and Kiernan, Of New York.
Then too, it says, Casserly, of Cslifornis,
was also q Catholic Senator, and Gov. Car
roll, of Maryland, is Of the same faith.
Well! Three Catholics against about
seventy non-Catholice, while the proper
ton of the two parties in general
population is about three against twelve !!
Wonderful coudescension, the Watehnan
thinks. 1t is quite charmed at being per-
mitted to have three, when its proper pro-
portion would be about fifteen. So much
charmed is that journal that it can see no
persecution" not Bit" And yet, when
did we ever have three Catholics in the
Senate before How surprising was it con-
sidered when we found one there in the
person of Mr.. Casserly! just now, it is
true, there happen to be three. OF these
MI johnson is from State renowned for
its liberality-Old Virginia-which can by
no means be instanced as sample of the
States generally. Mr.. Kiernan is poor
Illustration of no persecution, for two
reasons: FIST, he was badly beaten as
candidate for Governor of New York just
before his election to the Senate, simply
because he was a Catholic. This the
Watchman must know perfectly we'll. Sec
ondly, Mr.. Kiernan is Catholic-if one at
all-of whom the Church cannot be very
proud. He is a time. server, a peace at-auy
price man, q liberal. He cannot agree with
the Pope in certain points of Catholic doc
trine. The Infallibility of the Supreme
Pontiff is limited in his opinion to those
things wherein he does not disagree with
Mr.. Kiernan. Thus, he is an open advo-
cate of the public school system and, if We
are not misinformed, practical patron OF
it in the education of his own children.
As to the election of Gov. Carroll, does
not the Watchman remember the excite
ment created in Maryland by the fact Of
his candidacy Is the WGtchman satisfied
that one Governor ont Of thirty-seven is 6
fair proportion for our Catholic population
if no religious element is allowed to weigt
in the nomination of high officials. How
many judges of the Supreme Court of the
United States have been Catholicsf How
many ministers to foreign Courts 7 How
many members of Presidential cabinets
4 How many candidates for the Presidency
Not one, we believe, in all these liste e1
cept Judge Tsney and probably one mem
ber of Buchauan's cabinet.
And yet the Watchnsan is satisfied tha
this is all accidental, that there is no pur
pose manifest in it, that if Catholics hav'
not gotten their fair proportion of repre-
sentatives in the matter of Office, it was NO
through Intentional discrimination agains
them. "We do not feel prosecuted one bit
says the Waterman.
In our opinion the St. Louis WGtchma
is either very amiable or very badly whip
ped.