The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1890-08-02

IerS dodge 10 scare pcopic lHot'eH lHcS
may not even be members, by intimat-
ing that they are ION the list" What
makes the Dem Press especially indlg-
nant is that this game was tried on
George A.. Wilson, business man OF
La Sale, vouched for as "a man Of
most liberal and progressive views"
and who publishes a card denounclng
his alleged membership as a base SLAM
der and offers $1,000 reward for the
proof. Mr.. Wilson need have no fear
that the proof will be Forthcoming.
The proof sought in his case is wheth-
cr he will scare" to the amount of s.
or $50.
Whether, however, there really is
such an order as alleged in existence
here or anywhere we, Of course, have
no means Of knowing. If so, our
blackmailer no doubt judges correctly
that the organization would be severe
~ reprehended by at least nine
tenths Of the community and that 1t
would be ruinous to a business man
to be known as belonging to it. Doubt
less nearly every community has a few
religious cranks who stand in holy ter
rOr of an imaginary "rawhead and
bloody bones" they see in the Pope Of
Rome. These people don't realize that
they are ten times more the devotees
of pope themselves than the most de-
voted Roman Catholics. Dean Swift
says that except among true Roman
Catholics, every man carries a pope
in his belly" Certainly there can be
no religious denomination without its
pope. There must he some ultimate
tribunal of appeal on points of faith
and doctrlne-some pope whose decls-
ion is final. Among the Congrega-
tionalists and Baptists the pope is the
majority Of one or more at church
meeting: among the MethOdists he is
the majority Of one in the General
conference: among the Presbyteridns
the majority OF one in the General
Assembly: among the Cnitarians
W. believe each member Is his
own pope. or carries his pope in his
belly" and among Roman Catholics
points of dispute are discussed in the
college OF cardinals or an Ecumen-
ical Council and the tnal decision an
nounced by the Bishop or Pope of
J Rome. AS to the binding authority
of such a decision, all base it on the
same scripture, Matthew xviii, IS:
Whatsoever We shall bind on earth
shall be bound in heaven: and whatso-
: ever We shall loose on earth shall he
loOsed in heaven" Whether the de-
cision be made by a congregational
church meeting or an ecumeDical coun-
Gil, in the estimation Of those who
make it, it has the same binding force
and dignity.
1t is alleged. however, by anti-Cath-
Ollie cranks, that in matters of state
civil government-the Catholic church
assumes powers to which no other re-
ligious denomination make preten-
tons. This may in some measure be
true in countries where the Catholic
is the state religion, and is equally
true of the Protestant church where 1T
is the state religion, as in England, Swe-
den, &c. But in this country any pre-
tension to such authority by the Ro-
man Catholic church or any other re-
ligiOus order or denomination would
be hooted at and laughed to scorn.
There are certainly given points OF re-
', ligious duty On which all are agreed
that God is to be obeyed rather than
man, and your Congregationalist as
well as Catholic Is ready to go the
stake on such points. Peter and
John answered, whether it be right in
the sight of God to hearken unto you
rather than unto God, judge ye." But
happily in this county no such Ques-
ton between church and state can
ever arise.
1t is true that in this country the
, Catholics do not like the system of
Goddess public schools" neither do
the Lutherans, most Episcopalians or
some other religious denominations;
and such ease their conscience by es-
, tablishing private or parochial schools.
But that the Catholics, or any other
religionlsts, would destroy our public
schools and have none for the masses
rather than the present system, is
sheer falsehood. Said Bishop Ireland,
to the assembled teachers at st. Paul,
1--WE must have education for the peo'
pie above all things, and Catholic pre-
late as am, | would rather have Pro-
: testantism taught in thepublic schools
> than no religion taught there 1t is
folly-it is an outrage To pretend that
the Catholic church In all its doctrines,
, institutions, or practices, is less Loyal
to our free institutions and obedient