St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-10-07
VOICE OF THE PEOPLE.
The Catholic Vote.

To the Editor of the Globe.
o A Catholic who mixes much among certain
class of people must have his very soul tried
by the assertions made almost continually by
Republicans that ''McGill is sure of
the Catholic vote, since Bishop Ireland has
announced himself i'll his favor With all
due respect for the wide influence of the
reverend gentleman in his own party, and for
his high standing among Catholics as head of
the church in this state, to any one at all con-
versant with the facts, such a statement is
the veriest nonsense. If the sun ever shone
on a day when they of the Roman faith were
vassals at the beck and call of their spiritual
directors in matters temporal, I want to
emphatically assert that that day is of by
gone age. And l do not doubt but that
the man making the above assertion
in hearing of the distinguished prelate,
would find hin; the first to condemn it.
If Catholics as body are ANYTHING, they are
of the people and for the people. That is a
fundamental principle of their faith; and
that fact alone would put them outside of the
Republican party, if not at all times, then
certainly when the KnOw-Nothing from Maine
leads the Republican hosts. l have Travelled
over this Union for half a score of years
among the common people (and in some Sec
tiOns that is the epithet applied exclusively
to Romanists), and as firmly as I believe
in God, just so surely do say that where l
found any number of Republican Catholics
there has been an object in their professions
as much worthy of respect as is the informer
in Ireland. do not assert that all are so, be-
cause know different, but here in Minnesota
we have had instances that will bear me out
in this genel al statement of fact. If Catholic
means universal, and the faith is so in the
broadest sense of the term, then the Repub-
ican party is too narrow to hold many of our
faith. In theory, and for those who care not
to go deeper, the statement that lit is the
party of law and ORDER sounds well, but tell
it not to unprejudiced men over the grave of
an American patriot from whom the party of
law and order (God save the mark outrage
ously stole the highest civic Office to be at
tanned by mortal man. AS a relative of one
of the men who suffered for his opinions in
Klmainhams dark jail, would say, go ask
those men what party proved itself truly
American and the real advocate of liberty S
rights when English arrogance denied the
birthright of man. proprietor of paper
in this city remarked in my hearing
that Lots of old Micks will follow
the bishop because they don't know any
better, and because he is so prominent
Well. Darwin was prominent man, and had
many believers in his theory; but show me q
man who ever read his deductions and then
went home and stripped to look for the stump
of a lost tail. The ''old Micks who knew no
better are getting more scarce every day.
These assertions and claims of the Republic
cans have about as much sense or reason in
them as the speech of Republican speaker
in Pfefers hall, when he said, as a brilliant
climax to frothy speech, land l thank God
that those in our armies were more Repubi-
cans than Democratsl'' What sentiment
for MANNED veteran 20 give utterance tol
How bad cause must be that needs such
arguments to sustain it, and how barren of
truth and simple justice. If our soldiers
were not all Union men, they were nothing at
all but hirelings. and if Catholics are claimed
for party because of a leaders preference
the polls will prove the fallacy of the claim.
1.-The greatest good to the greatest number
has been Catholic doctrine since Peter the
Hermit first preached the Crusades, and on
that ground DR.. Ames stands as far above
McGill as the angels above Satan, since his
charity is universal. JJR.