The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1878-10-16

gOSeFtiDS nim5tiis dub tuhteo tCpuo
Iican government is the very acme
and height Of national honor.
KyOw-NoTHINGIs
PENNSYLVANIA POLITICS.
Tne following article is COPIED
from the Philadelphia Catholic Stan
dard, of October ), 1878, the oificia
organ Of the Catholics of Pen1sylva
mia:
The Ca,hOlic Standard is not anc
never intends to become a partisan
Journal. As a general rule it ab
stains with deliberate aud determin
ate purpose and design, from the dis
cussion Of purely partisan topics. II
does this not because its proprietor
aud its editor have DO deinite politi-
cal principles. for they have: and
they claim aud exercise the right to
freely express their opinions in com
mon with other American citizens.
But 10 the conduct of the Standard
they have special and higher OBJ
ject ia view, the advocacy and de-
fense of the distinctive principles and
doctrines Of the Catholic church.
There are measures and move.
ments. however, which though con-
Bected in one way or another with
the action Of political parties, yet
have a deeper and broader meaning
than to il relations TO mere partisan
strife; movements which refer 10 the
gener i interests of the people Of the
Uni, d States, and to the fundamen.
tai principles Of free government
On The other hand, there are move.
ments which assail the rights Of per.
sons as citizens of our common ceun-
try When it becomes necessary
and proper to speak out, and to dis
cuss these and kindred movements,
the Catholic Standard does not pro.
pose TO remain silent Nor is this q
departure from the general purpose
of the Standard IL is perfectly con-
sislent with that purpose. For pa
triotism, deep aud intelligent con-
cern in the prosperity Of our country
and in all movements affecting il; a
6rm adherence to right, aud readi
ness to defend our own rights anG
the rights Of others, as free men in 9
free country, are sentiments and act:
which not only manhood, but relig
ious obligation, impels US to cherish
and to do. And this includes by ne
eessary implication the duty Of ex
posing persons VIII from the unfOr
tuna.e effects # early mis-education
from narrow minded bigotry, from
yielding to the promptings Of selfish
ard short-sighted ambition, or from
whatever other wrong motives or i'm
pulses, have evinced hostility TO the
exercise of their legitimate civil
rights by any class Of citizens, and
who, therefore, in this, prove them
selves unworthy of the positions Of
official trust and honor to which they
aspire.
We have often noticed, and witt
indignation which it was hard to re-
strain, the treatment which Catho.
lies received at the hands Of the two
great parties into which American
citizens are divided. Catholic voter:
are personally well enough treated
previous to nominating conventions
and on election days The prejudic.
es entertained against them are ther
measursbly kept in the background
for their votes count as fast for those
in whose support they are cast, and
who often badly need and want
them, as do the votes of non-Catho
lies. But on other occasions and in
other ways their rights are ignored,
their just claims contemptuously sci
aside, their feelings, wishes, prefer.
ences as coolly disregarded as though
they had no feelings and preferences
worthy of respect. If they are can
didates for petty Offices that no non.
Catholics desire, they are nominated
with the certainty, however, that
their names will be largely scratch.
ed'' at the polls But in regard to
every important position, Catholics,
no matter what may be their quali6.
cations and their claims on the score
Of competency, character and politi.
cal services, are summarilly thrust
aside, and the position is given TO
any other non- Catholic who NAV
happen to want it and is regarded as
an available candidate.
Nor is this all. Their votes are
considered as sure by and for the
party of which they are members,
however hostile to them, and justly
odious. may the man be whom that
party chooses TO nominate. We might
mention almost countless instances
of this in the past. Scarcely a State
or county convention has been held
since the rise of Know-Nothingism,
or as, in its own spirit of fslsehood.
it has miscslled itself Native Ameri-
canism, that this hsbitusl contempt
of Catholics has not shown itself.
The most es;imsble citizens, men OF
the most distinguished ability, of un-
spotted integrity, men who had rem
dered important and valuable sery-
ices to the country and TO their par
", have been coolly, eontemptuously
set aside, because they were Csiho-
lies, and other aspirants. far less wor-
thy. have been preferred to them,
simply because those other sspirants
were not Catholics
This has always, or with few and
marked exceptions, characterized the