Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1875-09-23

uOlidfS, WIS given W tile hOillstil
Church by the Democratic Common
Council of New York. Again,
large amount of funds are distributed
topublic charities, pretendedly among
different sects. but as the Catholics
get up great number of apparent
charitiesEwhile the Protestants, are
worthy of a public or secular charac-
ter-this result is, and probably was
intended to be, that they get the
great bulk of the funds. Now, let us
turn to Ohio, which has only recent
" become the scene of such transac-
tions. The late Legislature of Ohio
Zone which neither your nor l, Mr..
Democrat, are proud of, was threat
ened openly and publicly that if they
did not pass the Geghan law they
would lose the Catholic vote, and if
they did they should have it solidly.
The Democrats did not resist. They
passed the Geghan law. No matter
what the law was, it was passed un-
der the threat of losing the Roman
Catholic vote. Nobody will have the
assurance TO deny that. These in
stances are enough, and they might
be multiplied to show the influence of
the Roman Catholic Church on the
Democratic party. / make no argu-
ment upon the principle set up by the
Roman Catholic Church, nor upon
the wisdom of the Democratic party.
The enc thing l would, if possible,
carry to every voter in the State is
this simple fact-a fact not to be de-
nied-that the Democratic party in
New York and Ohio has legislated
under the influence of the Roman
Catholic Church. Now, if there be
legislation specially for the Roman
Cath aslics can you avoid legislating
for Methodists and Presbyterians?
Or are the Roman Catholics the only
ones to have special legislation? Well,
then, legislate for sectarian purposes,
divide the school funds, make grants
for sectarian charities, tax the people
for special institutions, and where are
you? Where is the equality of leg
islatian? How can the State chari
ties, the public institutions, be main
tanned with contending factions fight
ing for their share of the public
funds? Now, to apply this. to public
schools, what is the actual position?
l. The Roman Catholics, through
their public organs, attack the schools
in the severest language. They call
them goddess" and 'heathen" insti-
tutions. They attack the Bible in
schools because the bible apparently
gives the schools strength. The Bi-
BILE is neither goddess nor heather.
What did they want to get rid of it
for? At any rate, the hostility of the
Roman Catholic priests to the public
schools is manifested on all sides. 1t
is a part of the necessary conse-
ouences of the revival, we may call
it, of the despotic theory, and special
ly manifested in the infallibility of
the Pope aud the Vatican DEGREES.
1t is the reassertion of Papal des-
potism so pompously exhibited in the
Middle Ages. 1t is Rome or moth
ing. We do not dispute anybody's
right to set up that doctrine. But
we do deny the right of any Pope or
Bishop to interfere with our public
schools. Gladstone did not begin his
hattie one day too soon. The people
of Ohio can not begin to think of
this matter too soon. The battle is
upon us. 1t is the battle Of ideas,
but that Is the greatest of all battles.
2. The Roman Catholics have not
only set up their ideas as the stan
dard for us all to adopt, and the Pa
pal DEGREES as the law we are to obey,
but they have imperatively demanded
of the Democratic party that it should
carry out their ideas, and when Rome
wants law it should enact it. Did
the Democratic party resist that de-
mand? No. Then we see how des-
pqtic and how dangerous it is to the
future,
8. But the Democratic politicians
will tell the people that they passed
resolution (!) against meddling
with the school funds. What is this
resolution worth when it suits the
leaders to change their position? Did
not the Democratic conventions pass
anti-slavery and pro-slavery resolu-
tions; hard money and paper money
resolutions; tariff and anti-tariff res
olutions? and did they stick to any
one? To make the Democratic res
olution at Columbus good for any
thing, you must vote square against
the Democratic Roman Catholic al
lance. Then you will have the mat
ter in your own hands. The Roman
lists don't ask the Republicans to leg
islate for them. They know their
chances for that are mighty small.
The danger is in the simple fact that
the question Is forced apon "s. We
have the almost irresistible influence
of the Roman Catholic threat on the
Democratic organization. Human
nature is rather q weak thing at any
rate, and when it is threatened, even
against its own views, by party, and
church, and society, it usually ends
by backing down. This is the dan
ger. No doubt Mr.. Thurman, Mr..
Allen, and even Cary himself would
deny being influenced by the Roman
Catholic hierarchy, but do they not
uphold the party, and fight for it,
when that party, as represented in
the Legislature, yields to the Papal
threats? We can not expect much
moral courage from the leaders of a
party; but may we not hope that the
| Intelligent people on their farms and
in their workshops, opposed as they
conscientiously are to despotism, to
ignorance, and to Papal DEGREES, will
think, and thinking, vote against
party which has even the appearance
of nm alliance with Rome? We have