New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-11
TUT pOLITICO- RELIGIOUS DISPUTE


been friction between high dign,ari"S If the
Roman Catholic Church in this country for
many months Though II may. ana doubtless
does. date much further back in lis origin II
BEGAN To- he noticed in the secular press soon
after the arrival here of Mon>ignor Saiolli bear
Ing "A commission from HE Vatican rs the
Papal Allocate. Very decided differences hav"
arisen between eminent prrlato~ ~ IN" Church.
not upon matters Of faith or doctrine, hut upon
questions Of Church poty. Thcs" differences
have widcncd rapidly. until now II * an open
secret that the Church il separated int" Nv"
opposing factions; one led 10y Archbishop cor
ricln of the Ncwlork diocese. ia" other 10y
Archbishop ireland. Of Minnesota primarily
and supcricially the question AT ISSUE between
In, Two factions i the old on" which has :"
long disturbed the Church and al times maj"
II, appearance in politics * T." ''h" support "i
parochial schools out II the public treasury. "r
the. taxation Of Roman Catholic citizens for ihr
support II non-scctarian public schools. IN"
agitation II This question could hardly u" ear
ricd on without lis entering more or lc>s I'M"
political discussion. and in the end becoming
factor In current politics The American
no,ui. have An instructive dread II anything
which has the appearance Of introducing r.
lirlous questions into their political contests for
two reasons ON" j. the sane and sober consld
oro,inn that the mixture II church and STAT"
is Incompatible with The fundamental principles
~ our Government: the other the morc selfish
view Of politicians that nobody could tell which
party would be- helped or hurt ly 1t.
Events of recent occurrence impart io The
conflict now going Oh In III" Roman 'hth"h'
Church a SIgnihcnnc" which cannot u" over
looked II j. not. ~ matters now stand,
merely personal quarrel between pria'"~ f"r
position or power. The action ~ Archbishop
Corriean In forbiddlns Father lmcry, or at
,cmpting 10 forbid hun. from attending III"
sessions 81 legislative c"mmittc" engaged III
the investigation OF abuses 81 power 10y party
win which the Archbishop J. believed {" u" III
sympathy. and the remarkable ui'"ranc" on
the subject recently made 10y Bishop Me
Ouaid of Rochester. ~ the Archhl-hop- friend
and slpporicr have given political and par
tjson coloring io The situation which cannot
cscape comment however much II may be- de
nlnrcJ The crazy Efforts Of Democratic poll
ticians I'm this and other States. notably In con
nccticut 10 drag IN" religious question into th'
late, election by making II appear that the Re
nuhlicon Marty was in antagonism 10 The Roman
Catholic Church while the Democrats were sole
champions Of religious liberty only emphasized
,hc fact that the existing differences In the
Church are if not essentially political, danger
ouslv near IT, In this political divergence Arch
bishop Corrlgan represents what may perhaps
be called the conservative element In tie
Church. while Archbishop ireland represents
progress and enlightened liberalism. 1t Is here
that their ways separate. and just here that
polltics necessarily and unavoidably comes In.
II is "A question. 80 far rs the Church Is CON
ccrncd. Of intellectual tendencies in the Church
That will be settled at Rome. The political
question must be- settled here.
II may be that the results OF forcing the re-
ligious questions into politics. IA WAS attempted
bv raising the absurd 4. l.. A. issue, have
oncnoI the ewes Of some Of those who thought
to profit by II. Al any rate. II Is Obvious that
these results Justify the position of Archbishop
Ireland rather than that Of Archbishop Cor
rigan The effect upon the more intelligent ana
clcarhcadcd leaders Of the Democratic party Is
well illustrated by a careful and wcll-con>idercd
article in THE Hartford Times" the leading
Democratic newspaper Of Connecticut. That
Ionrnal. while giving credit 10 Archbishop Cor
ri.an for perfect purity of motive. does not
hesitate to condemn his recent action in the
most unsparing terms II puts The whole qncs-
ton IN Il nutshell when il says: ireland stands
for a Catliocity that has n strong flavor of
"Amcrcanism about il. while COrrigans ideals
"cmit an odor Of the gravcclothc> Of mrdiac
"yal Europe" When IL is remembered that
"rhc Times" Is and always has been Demo
cratic 10 the backbone: that il has just emerged
from political campaign in which lis party
underworld 10 use Apaism for political cap
ital and that while Corrigan. whom II con
dennis is in political sympathy with H. Ire
land. whom it highly praises. is III en-
phailc opposition 10 il. 1t will he seen that
this language il significant we'll ~ forclblc
II means that in The conflict between modern
and medieval tendencies In the Church IL l.
not ONLY dangerous. but DISASTROUS for any po-
litical party 10 take sides and especially disas
trous for any party however conservative in
ils instincts and traditions, or however largely
the Church may he represented in lis ranks, 10
array itself against what THE Times properly
describes. "Amcricansm' and progress.
1t n the advice Of Il friend which THE Times"
gives when II says. speaking "f the Arch
bishop's letter 10 Father Duccy: IF Arch
'.hishrp Corrigan would occasionally drop into
the Investigating room himself and by his
''prcscncr encourage Grand Inqnlsiior GoiT in
'uncarhing In, villanics Of The Ncw-iork po
''licc, he would be- warmly thanked 10y every
lover of good government" This Is undoubtch
~ true. But even II the Archbishop should not
see iii 10 take prominent step as this
would be. he could AT least do the Church
service by refralpiny from interference with