The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1894-05-12

where religion is completely separated from
the state. There is no such separation i,
any country whose government makes ap
propriations of money for religious pur
poses. When the government makes sucl
appropriations, it compels the people I.
support religion, and also determines VIVA
that religion shall be. Our federal govern
ment, and some of our state government.
make appropriation for religious purposes
In doing this, they compel their taxi yns
subjects to support religion, and all such
compulsion is a violation of conscience
| No country can have religious liberty
while a large element Of its people declare
that men who profess a certain religious
faith should not be allowed to hold Office,
| and participate in the administration Of
government. Has that man religious liberty
who is branded by his fellow-countrymen
| as unfit for Office because he will not re-
| nouncc his. religioua faith? No! Such op-
position is unr.;tigated persecution, and
Where there is persecution for conscience's
sake, religion is myth.
ga recent issue of The Courier Journal
says: SIN Kansas City yesterday there was
| a municipal election, in which the republican
candidate was supported by the American
Protective Associations, and the democratic
candidate by the Roman Catholics. A
riot occurred, in which some lost their lives,
and many were injured
s'What is the American Protective Asso-
citation? 1t is the secret, oath DO und organi-
cation whose purpose is to prevent Roman
Catholics from holding POLITICAL Office in
this country. 1t is founded on the assumr-
ton that this country is falling under paral
supremacy; that the purpose of the pope
is to get possession of our government, to
stamp out Protestants with the heel of gov
Ornamental power, and to have only the re-
ligion of Catholics on American territory.
81 agree with The Courier Journal, when
it says: Such an idea could en1anate only
from the brain of who are entirely
ignorent of the trend of our social condi-
tiolis. There is as mich danger that the
United States will come under the. sway of
the pope as there is that the moon will as
sumo the Office of the sun, and will heat the
carth.'
If the pope harloors any such purpose as
getting control Of this government, and
stamping out Protcstants, he has less COM
mon sense than the world gives him credit |
for. He has no such purpose. And, in |
charg ing him with it, the American Protcc- |
live Association makes itself Ridiculous, if |
40, coutcrptible, in the eyes of all sober
thinking men.
''Ihis country is overwhelmingly Protest
mt, and it will remain until 'timcs last
hunser shakes the worll,' unless Protest.
lnts allow themselves to be led by such
mad caps as bclon. to the american Pro-
ective Association The policy adopted
~ these crazy fanatics will do more than
ny scheme of Roman ropasan ;Ism, to
promote the growth of Eonanisn. 1t wiz,
lake many Catholic, but no Protcstants.
t will, if continued, bring religious
iar, and then every man who believes in
clisious freedom will draw his sword in
cfcnsc of the people who prosecuted.
81 admit that the contact OF Roin..l,
'athoiics, in coun:ric; which they ,lonl-
rcssivc. In Spain, Portugal, SCOUT, Amer
"a, A1cxico and other countries, they have
p;oscl rclis,io liberty; they have allied
with the state, and treated
rotestauts with cruel severity. In our own
ountry, i'll some localities, they have at =
cmptcd to use the civil power, ard tho
loney or The State, to promote their i
rowth. But shall meet error with !
lror, injustice will, in; Justice, and wrong !;
18th wrongs Shall we prosecute them be- ;
suse they have prosecuted us? Is that a
Instantly? Is that the spirit of Him who I
,usht to return good for evil? No! +
he policy of retaliation in religion is anti
hristian, wickcds dcvilish and selfilcstcuc-