New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-11-07
SECTARIANISM IN POLITICS.
ErTER FROM A CATHOLIC REPUBLICAN.

TKsr AGAINST TANAIICIsM IL POLITICS.
| To The Edttor Of The Tribune
SIR: am a Catholic and Republican. I voted
for General Garfield, and should have been glad
to vote the whole Republican ticket for local
officers but the course which certain portion OF
the Republican party chose 10 adopt toward the
church Of which | am a member. made it utterly
impossible for me to support Mr.. Dowd Cor Mayor.
do not know how many Catholics felt as / did in
this matter, but presume the number must have
been considerable, and so l ask you to give Inc a
| hear!as.
| We have no right to complain Of that frank and
decorous discussion of the school question to which
| TIE TRIBUNE confined itself. | dissent entirely
from your conclusion that the schools are
endangered by the choice Of Cath
Ole as Mayor. but ] recognize the
fairness with which you have upheld your own side
and the care with which you have refused 70 let a
legitimate argument upon M important public con-
Germ degenerate into abuse OF an adversary's re-
lgious creed. Others have not behaved 80 well.
As soon rs The Herald had started the crusade
against Mr. Grace account Of his faith, the whole
anti-popery faction, led usual by The A0c- ork
Times Joined in the cry. The Times bristled every
day with contemptuOus remarks about the priest
ridden" and "superstitious' Catholics and the
"insidious" and inscriptions designs Of the clergy;
borne that this american Protestant city" should
De ruled by "an IRISH CatholIc' Mayor Tho meet
ing held at Cooper Institute the 29th of October
to promote Mr.. D0Wds election not ostensihly a
partisan gathering but It was regarded by the public
and accepted by the pr s- ~ Republican demon
stration. In that nee ing The Rev. DIR. stephen H.
Tying ir, declared that It WAS necessary 20 defeat
Catholic candidates becau.c they were Subordinate
to a sect that is ustfu Of civil power and that Is
continually plotting 20 obtain control IN the Gov
eminent" The Rev. d.. Newman began an imp15-
stoned address by saying: I'VE desire 10 quarrel
with the Roman Catholics; we desire 20 live IN
peace ana harmony with them" and then-in the
spirit of peace and harmony, of course-he
won't on to say. in tho next breath, that
the request Of the Catholics for an allowance
Of the public money in and Of their free schools
was "A bold. brazcn. dcylish attempt on the part
Of certain scctarans to place the public schools IN
the hands of one religion whose ministers for year,
and years have had that f,ndsh scheme close to
their hearts" He asserted that Mr. Gucc's letter
was written to deceive aud plainly betrayed the
hand OF the Jesuit" Never before he exclaimed,
"has Rome raised her head so high i'm our midst.
She ha7 thrown down the gauntlet. add trusting 90
the God Of orr fathers, we VIII Nke it up And
he closed with q sensational aEocdota of " a Roman
Ccdohc Prclatc" who. it r. alleged, tried IN vain
TO force Mayor llvcmagcr 10 make certain appoint
lnent. on the Board 81 Education and after stormy
interview sho1I his fist IN the Mayors
face. with the threat lyon viii hear Fl IN ne FOR
thisw AS there is now. and was then. only one
Roman Catholic Prclatc' in New York. this
Soy clearly points 10 Cardinal McClos6cy: and
nobody. WHO hes the slightest acquaintance with
that gentle. re;iru- ana venerable man VIII hesitate
% regard it as fiction. An Address TO the voteIs'
adopted by tie nicotine went SO far as ID declare
that II Is now proposed that tie entire and ab-o-
Lutte control OF our City Government shall be de-
Hy.Icd to one sect TO the exclusion Of all others"
Ii wa, repeatedly urged during the campaign that
Catholics could not be good citizens and that the
Catholic religion was a curse to the countri.s IN
which it obtained a foo,hold. Doctrines were
attributed to the Church which she never
held and purposes which she never enter
tanned. Tie clauses of the Syllabus Of 1861,
on the subject Of education. were repeatedly
misQuOtcd IN the uossest manner and their
meaning totally perverted. The pulpit on Sunday
echoed tie fluaticism If the rostum, ana news
papers applalled both The Times even expressing a
fear that if Mr.. Grace were elected Mayor Catholics
might obtain appointments teachers in the
schoos According to the same raper, thc crowd
in front OF the Republican Committee rooms at the
Fifth Avenue Hotel on election night expressed its
olaton ly shouting " No Popcry"
believe that Mr. Dowd might have been elected
Il his friends had confined themselves to discus
sion Of the issues really AT stake and had ahstaiHcd
from revliug and disappearing Lis opponents
religion Nv object. however, 40 present is neither
to debate tins point, nor to answer any Of
the false statements of the campaign. but
to propose to Republicans n few reflections.
The steady adherence Of Catholic voters to the Dem
ocratlc party in TINS city has been bad thing all
arouud-bgd for the church, bad for the voters and
bad for the party II there had been a solid MethO
dist or PRESBYTERIAN or Jewish vote IT would have
been equally bad. We have seen IN National poll
tics how reckless and dangerous party becomes
when II has a great, solid lmmOvable vote behind
IT. Ii will do no harm for Republicans To remember
that there are a great many lrlNhncn In New
York, aud great many more Catholics than there
are Irishmen, and that considerable proportion OF
these citizens must be detached from lammany n /
;he party of order and good government Is 10 obtain
control OF the Metropolis. How are you going 10 |
break up this solid votel The Times and DR.. New |
man say, in effect: Whenever you meet
Catholic Ia politics. spu III ms face i t tins Is not
the way u make converts To il. pubIIcauIsm. Ii !
NAV fire the hearts of some OF the pcopc who are |
with The Times Already but 1t viii hardly cOncate |
hose whose votes must be gained before lam |
many can be beaten. There has rarely been bet |
ter opportunity than tins year presented FOR begin
nIug the split. 1t was reported month ago that |
great numbers of Irish voters were DESERVING tGc |
Democratic standard, some influenced by the tariff
question and the fear of disturbance OF the pros
porous times, many disguised by the faction NIGHTS
ton john Kelly was so dull rs 10 set up the most
objectionable ticket he had offered to his fol-.
lowers. Here was chance for wise political man
ageinent. But 10! up jump lot of Republican
fanatics with cries OF NO Catholics III officer
" Beware of the man OF sin y and Catholics who
were coming 10 the Republican side were
driven back agaIn. 1t Is 10y no means the first time
this dIotIc performance mas been enacted.
Catholics ave Just the same interest III good gov
eminent that other people haye End II the greater
part OF them give their votes 70 lammany cand-
daLes nd conline Their p0lsf1cil reading to Demo-
cratic new papers reason for their unfortunate
" sOlidity " IS undoHoted!y that Republicans have
Catholic who expected to get any help for his
schools or his church from Democratic Mayor;
and those who would like 10 cut loose from an al
Iauce which has been fruitful in dis
credit ask nothing from the Republicans
except that respectful treatment which is accorded
to other denominations They will not quarrel with
Il