The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1894-04-05
THE STRUGGLE BEGUN.

The first struggle of the great coming
war betweenRoman catholicism and the
American idea, has taken place at Kan"
sas City, Mo-, on Tuesday last. When
and where will be fought the closing
battle and who the victor will be is yet
In doubt. The Catholic church has
never yet succeeded fully in divorcing
itself from temporal rule, and it is the
dread in the public mind of what is to
follow the planting OF an agent of that
church here with powers of an extra
ordinary nature which gave birth to
the sentiments upon which the A. ?. "A.
is founded. There are few real Ameri-
can men who can contemplate the up.
building of a Romish power in the
United States which, while it saves our
souls, yet assumes to direct our tenn
poral affairs. There are many good
citizens who belong to that faith who
deprecste the presence in this country
of Mons. .Sattoi because of the jealousy
of the people on this head. There are
men who, while they are devoted
catholics, are still patriotic citizens of
the great republic. The best they hope
for is toleration for their religious faith.
They do not claim unusual favOrs from
the government for their church, do
not believe in church and state or the
presence of the church in the govern
ment in any way. But it is equally
true that with the great majority OF
catholics the state is the lesser con-
sideration, the church is everything.
Americans place but little importance
upon the church. All they ask is that
there be no interference with, or
fsYoritism for any religion. They
place the government above all other
things and will tolerate no semblance
of church ascendancy.
The recent effort of the catholic
hierarchy to interfere with the public
free school system, or rather, to defect
8 share of the school tax to church
schools, in which Archbishop Ireland
and other catholic potentates lead lis un-
questionably.c y.chargeable with being the
cause of the founding. of the A. P. A.
societies. The church works in secret
and keeps its own councils. All under
stand the power of secrecy in such
matters and the American sentiment
opposed to the catholic views in this
matter have banded into secret societies
to meet the cohorts of the church.
OF course in country like this
these elements are favorable to
tumults, conflicts, riots and dis
orders. The discordant elements
cannot be kept apart. They will meet,
and when they do bood will be shed as
at Kansas City on Tuesday. There |
is, in the present infamed and un-
healthy conditions caused by the hard
times prevailing, the very condi-
tions favorable to disorder and when
the least provocation is had the
resultant blood is too apt too flow.
Our people and government are
standing in the immediate presence
of stupendous struggle and too much
care and forbearance cannot be exer-
cised, because such war as this would
be, would test more seriously than did
the late rebellion the staying qualities
of our system of government. The
country would be put back couple of
centuries; misery, beggary and dis
tress of all kinds would be the sure re-
suit.
There is one thing, however. which
is sure; no foreign power, king or po-
tentate will be permitted 10 interfere {
in the slightest with the conduct of {
this government either in a moral, re-
ligous or economic way. Hands off is
the slogan. You are welcome to the pro-
lection afforded by eur laws but you
must not and shall not attempt to con
troll, A fair show you shall have but +
no control. We will all deprecate this t
trouble but we are all fully prepared to :
meet all of its dreadful consequences if q
We must. 8