Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-10-19
To the Public.


through various sources, Of 3 state OF
anxiety, amounting almost to panic,
many Of the communities of this re-
VIon, over an apprenended uprising Of
the Roman Catholics to ravage the
land. The following extracts from q
letter, written by a. reputable physi-
clan living near the center Of Ohio,
will give some idea Of the state Of feel
ing existing in many places:
1--WE have been, and still are, hav-
ing an excitement in our usually quiet
town, in regard to the Catholic ques-
ton. There is not Catholic In the
entire township; but large number
of our people are intensely stirred up,
some almost prostrated with fear,
afraid that the Catholics are about
making a wholesale attack upon
Protestestans, killing and plundering
and destroying our schools and
churches. OF course 1t obtains the
strongest foothold among the ignorant
and unthinking, yet seems to cause
great uneasiness and fear among many
of the more intelligent. Copies OF the
Columbus Record have been distribu-
ted here, with its alleged letter osPope
Leo, of 1891, and with the other state
ments, with which, Of course, you are
acquainted. In what
way can this feeling be allayed? VIII
you kindly aid me? Is not that alleged
letter of Pope Leo's, which is continu-
ally paraded in the Columbus Record,
bare-faced Forgery? Is it true that
every teacher In the Columbus schools
was a Catholic, year ago, until the
A. P. A. took 1t In hand? In your
opinion are the Catholics arming and
contemplating a war with Protes-
tants?"
Thus appealed to, we should be false
to every impulse of justice and manll-
ness If we did not promptly and une-
quivocally respond. We are not in
sympathy with Roman Catholicism, as
system. Doctrinally and ecclesiasti-
cally, we are Protestants in our deepest
convictions; it is because we are Prot
estants that we are ashamed and
humiliated by the kind of warfare de-
scribed in this letter. In reply to its
questions, and to many similar inquir-
les, we wish therefore explicitly to say:
/. The alleged letter of the Pope, to
which reference is made, which calls
upon the faithful to rise and exter-
inmate the Protestants, and which has
been kept standing in many newspa-
pers, and scattered broadcast through
the community by means of leaflets
and hand-bills, is forgery.
2. The document entitled "Instruc-
tions to Catholics" also widely pub
lished and disseminated, is another
stupid forgery.
8. From the clerk of the Columbus
Board of Education we have the infor-
nation that at present there are In the
schools of Columbus $40 teachers; that
of these 10 are Catholics; that not one
Catholic has been removed during the
past year; that there may be one or
| two more now than there were year
ago.
4. It has also been currently re-
ported that 95 per cent. of the Column
bus policemen were Roman Catholics.
A year ago, when this report was first
put In circulation, there were liz men
on the force, of whom 45 were Roman
Catholics. We have this information
from the former clerk of the Police
Commission who is Protestan. There
are now, probably, few more Protes-
tants on the force than there were a
year ago.
s. The statement has been freely
made that all county officers of Frank
lin county have long been Roman
Catholics. The truth is, that of the
twenty county officials whose names
are in our city directory, three are Ro-
man Catholics. One year ago there
were five. The statement that the
school and the offices have been over
run by Roman Catholics does not seem
based upon facts.
6. The stories everywhere current
about warlike preparations of the Ro-
man Catholic are also baseless fabrica-
tions. Everywhere the most alarming
tales are told about consignments OF
rifles to priests; about the storage Of
arms In churches; about the drilling Of
troops In the Easements of churches
For all these stories there is not soil.
tary fact to show. We can not find o
particle of evidence that any such
preparations for war have been made
or even thought of by Roman Catho
lies. If any evidence existed tt would
surely be produced. Several churches
thus suspected, in other places, have
been searched, with the hearty coop
Grafton of the priests in charge, ant
not sign of a warlike implement hal
been found. Our Raman Catholic
neighbors, though suffering grievously
under these wicked ISLANDERS, are quiet
| Iy going about their daily work, wait
ing for this epidemic Of prejudice ant
passion to abate. 1t is not likely tina
their love for Protestants will be In
creased by the experience through
which they are now passing; but thei
patience under this trial has been ex
emplary.