St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-11-03
THAT LYING CIRCULAR.

We gave Gov. MERRIAM credit for
icing better politician than to adopt
| such stupid tactics, not to say infamous,
| rs TO issue that irish Catholic circular
| IN the expectation that it would benefit
| aim. We charge the responsibility for
this infamy to him because the circular
| was printed in the Dispatch office, and
the bill for the printing was entered up
against the governor. The circular was
handled and sent out by the Republican
state committee to various parties
throughout the state, to be distributed
and used according to the Instructions
of the committee, and with the inten-
ton OF concealing the issuing of that
circular from the people of these two
cities until after the election. So that
we make no mistake in shouldering the
responsibility for it upon Gov. MER-
RAM.
II was not only piece of political
stupidity on the part of the governors
friends, but 1t was a most dastardly
outrage. In his interview with the
GLOBE this morning Archbishop IRE
LAND voices the sentiments of Irish Cath
olics when he says religion is too holy
thing TO he made football for the poll
ticianS. No man has right to drag the
church into politics. A mans politics
is one thing, and his religion is another.
1t is an insult to the Irishman, or to the
Catholic, of whatever nationality he
may be, to suppose that he is possessed
of SD much religions bigotry that his
political opinions can be warped by
an appeal to his religious preiudices.
The governor and his Republican COM
mitteemen proceeded upon the assump-
ton that the Irish Catholics in Mime
sofa were bigoted people who cou Id
be persuaded from the line OF conviction
by Senseless appeal to their preju-
tliceS. This was an insult to the intel
ligence and the manhood of every Irish
man in the state, and will be resented
by them as it deserves to be. But that
was not the worst feature of this cir
euiar business. Their performance
Was an actual case OF stealing
the livery Of heaven to serve
devil in. They forged the name of the
holy church to their Infamous libel
upon the Democratic candidate, and
| sought to create the impression in the
| circular itself that the document was
| issued under dictation of the church au-
th0ritieS. This was sacrilege in the
wickedeSt form; yet it was in keeping
with the performances of that same Re-
publican committee who had their hire
lings at the door of Catholic church
in this city yesterday morning. diStrib-
utiHg dirty campaign literature to the
congregation as they came from wor-
ship.
There is line Of deeency in politics
Of which the Republican managers
have no knowledge. The line should
certainly be dawn at sacred things.
But in the desperation of the hour, with
defeat staring them squarely in the
face from every direction. they have
broken down all the barriers of de-
cency and veneration, and have entered
upon a campaign that would be dis
grace to pagans.
We are mistaken in the manhood of
our Catholic citizens and in their VEN
Grafton for the mother church if they
do not rebuke these Republican bosses
at the polls tomorrow. Judge WILL
sON's religious opinions ueed no defense
at our hands. He is a man without
stain and without reproach, and is will
ing to accord to every other man the
same liberty of conscience that he en-
joys himself. He is uoue the less an
American for being all Irishman. but
every throb of his manly heart beats in
tender sympathy for the dear old isle
of his birth. And there are none who
know his devotion to the cause of Ire
land better than the Irish Catholics of
Minnesota. All the lying circulars that
the Republican committee can put
atiOat will not shake the confidence of
Irishmen in honest old Tom WILSON.