Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-11-17

that the Catholic Church teaches that
civil governments have rights which no
citizen can conspire against without SIM
Is il likely that she shall set the example
TO her own members Of disregarding that
teaching, by engaging herself in u con-
spiracy to overthrow this RepublicP we
repeat conspiracy, for that is what the
brot means when he talks about her
q strong hand. The history OF the
Church. shows that she has lived
on terms OF peace and amity with govern
ments of every kind and form, and
uniformly rendered to Caesar "the things
that are Caesars" whether the authority
was represented by king, emperor, sultan,
car, director or president, and has never
asked from the State aught but the liberty
of rendering to God "the things that are
Gods" We are far from being prepared
TO concede that the Church ever sought
to place her "strong hand" on the secur-
ity and peace of any government save IN
the practice of injustice or in the unlustl-
fable exercise of power. When did this
editor learn that she had 'strong hand, "
in the sense he uses it? In the Middle
Ages, when her prelates exercised any
jurisdiction in civil or political matters,
as some Of them did, the power was so
VIGOROUSLY used in beneicent way
that it became a proverb: Better lear
the weight of u bishops thigh than OF n
baron's little finger" Better live under
the shadow of monastery than in Tor
tilted castle" Is this to be forgotten that
room may be made for belief of n volun-
tary and malicious falsehood? The writer
adds:
"They understand that the door is open to
the poorest of them to obtain the highest
honors in the land"
Perfectly true. But what have the
Catholic citizens OF this country, as Cath
olics, to expect from any party? If a
Catholic occasionally obtains an office, it
is not because he is Catholic, but rather
in spite OF it. When has any political
organization in the United States ever
dared to make even show OF doing
scant justice to the civil rights of Catholic
citizens, or as party to lift a voice in
their favor? Let the Tribune sage an
swer. He has more to say:
"There are bigots in the Church who hold
that the Pope is their temporal King"
The ignorance Of that statement is
equalled only by its falsity. There is not
q Catholic in this wide country goose
enough to believe anything of the kind.
The Catholic Church never claimed, as a
divine organization, to have authority in
purely temporal matters, anywhere or at
any time. And the Pope claims for him
self temporal authority no where on the
face of the globe, except in Rome and the
adjacent country known as the Estates
OF the Church." now wrested from him.
Catholics, therefore, the world over, do
not believe that the Pope has any author
ity over them. Nor has claim of uni
versal sovereignty ever been made by
any one of the Pontiffs who have occu-
pied the chair of st. Peter. The editor
continues:
"And they would, if they could, break up
our free school system"
We deny that Catholics would destroy
the school system in the manner he
would have his readers believe they
would. That Catholics have protested
against the present system, is true of
course; but they were not the only ones
who protested; nor was their protest in
tended to shelter the rights of Catholicity
alone, but those also of all other Christian
families in the country. They know that
the State cannot adopt a system of Catho-
lie education any more than OF Methodist,
Jewish, or Mormon education. The
Catholic theory only maintains that the
public schools must not be goddess Let
them be UNCONVENTIONAL, and no one will
urge their destruction on the ground of
violated parental rights. II is reasonable
to infsr that this editor is so shallow, on
the school question, as to believe that the
perpetuity of this Government depends
on our present free school system. This
being so, it is Il pity that he is not an ar
| at oil nj l.. Ill
circumstances. 1t is surprising that he
was such an enthusiast on the nomination
OF Mr.. Blaine, since he tried to "break
up our present school system" by his
proposed alteration of the Federal Con-
stitution. He continues
and they would vote blindly for the mer
of their creed when ordered to do SOL
Here is the stale, senseless cry O
"priestly coercion" again. 1t is still occa
slonally raised by some demagogue OF
second-rate newspaper. 1t requires either
a heartless soul, full Of venom and hy.
pocrisy, or a stolid ignorance TO utter sucl
a charge OF duplicity against Catholic citi
zens. While Protestant ministers do moi
scruple to introduce partisan politics into
their religion, Catholic prelates rigidly
abstain from it. Valuing as highly as
| ''Sh 'hSi CltlItIlb, UlpYt
with lew exceptions, from regard for thcil
sacred duties and functions, take no part
whatever in political affairs. These facts
are well known to the intelligent portion
OF the American people.
To quiet the fears Of this editor, We will
tell him that the people OF this country
are in no danger Of having any of their
civil institutions destroyed by Catholics.
The danger will come from another quar-
ter. The danger is in the spread of Lib
eralism rs taught by this great journalist,
which is but another name for infiGei
revolution, and is always despotic in the
end, however fair it may seem in its first
aspects.
In conclusion, we advise him never to
write any more Know Nothing editorials,
lest his readers may think he Is a bigoted
Know-Nothing. CATHOLIC.
SALT LAKE CITY, November TO.
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