The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-05-02

America until we know whether America
is going to be ruled by the pope, or whether
still the constitution of liberty is going to
l>be maintained and the institutions, as they
now exist, continued
(Hcre the speakers % minutes expired)
THE REPLY OF THE SAGE
Mr.. Donnelly was then introduced and
said:
Ladies and Gentlemen-I am gratifed to
see large audience here, and | am
gratified to meet so courteous and able an
| advocate. We have met before and there
| is nothing but kindly feeling between us.
We differ widely the poles are apart
upon this question, and yet perhaps, in
some sense it is a sort of lop-sided debate
that we have here tonight Oaughter), for
| the reason that the professor is an open
and avowed opponent of Catholicism and
ought to be met here in all fairness by
some distinguished clergyman of that
church. / am not member and have never
been member of any denomination; but
am here in this controversy, as L have
been in great many other controversies
| in my lifetime Qaughter), simply because l
thought it was right. l am something in
the position of the boy in the story. A
gentleman living in town met a boy of
his acquaintance; found him with his eyes
blacked and his nose bleeding why
said he. Tom what is the matter?" Tom
said: Il have been licking a fellow" G4augh-
teri what for?' well, he said my sister
was a cross-eyed freckle-faced, ugly old
thing We'll" said the gentleman, what
dlfference did that make to you? You have
got no sister, 1T makes no difference"
said the boy. 81 licked him on general
principles" Uaughter) L have always
been on the side of the under dog in the
nsnt Q1ausnter.9 Thirty years ago, when
the question of human slavery was being
agitated, l took the part of the poor black
man and helped to liberate him. My vote
is recorded in that great magma charta Of
our countrys history, the vote in congress
Tor the amendment of the constitution for
ever abolishing slavery upon this CONT
nent. Applause) Then. when 1 found and
believed that our farmers were oppressed
by the corpora tions l took the side of the
farmers; and when 7 found that the work.
ingmen were oppressed by the great forces
or society, forcing them downward to terri
bic depths, l took their side, and tonight |
am here as non-partsan upon this ques-
| ton, to defend Catholicism. Not to defend
| the creed but to defend it from the charges
or political nature that made against
It. In doing so l shall have no abuse for
anybody. L believe that those who have
gone into this American Protective Associ-
ation are good, honest men; they mean to
40 right. They think they are serving their
country by so doing. I think they are mis-
taken, and in kindly and courteous spirit
L snail try to show them that fact.
Now, what is the issue? The census of
the United States, taken in $780, shows that
o.
bers of the Catholic church. The total
population is over 64OOO,OOO. So that the
Cathoncs, according to the census, number
about one in ten. Now. the professor will
tell you that the Catholics have claimed as
high as 100000 or 120OOOOO. All the
churches seek to make it appear that thew
are strong; but even if we put it at TO- 600 =
VoV' tnere are then, with the increase in
population by the natural ratio of growth
over I000O,0O0 of people in the United States
today so that still the same proportion
exists of one in ten. Now, then
WHAT is ALL THIS HUBBJ7R AROJTT?
Why, it is a terror working upon the souls
Of the people, that this one-tenth is going
to swallow up the other nine-tenths
daughter and applause) They tell the
story of two colored gentlemen who were
discussing the miracles of the New Tesla
ment. One of them got his Biblical record
somewhat wrong, and he said to the other
w by, there were seven men and five
women, and Christ fed them with five thou
sand loaves and fishes" Gaughter0
Well says the other colored gentleman
where was the miracle in that?" why"
said he, the miracle WAS that they didn't
bust daughter, Now, my friends, if
you can take 100000 of non-Ca catholics in
this country and force them down the
threats of 100OO,000, it will be miracle if
they don't bust (Renewed laughter
Why, my friends, it is nothng-the pro-
fessor will pardon me, for 1 do not use the
term as to hint is nothing but a fad a
fad to get into office. Gaughter) There
is nothing else to it. Now. the professor
tells you that the Catholic religion is
wrong that it has many bad traits and
points that can be urged against it, If the
subject of discussion here tonight was the
question whether this audience should or
should not turn Catholic, that would be
perfectly legitimate, but it is not The
question is whether a great party should
hn nod
try run upon the basis of opposition to the
Catholics. That is the question GAP
plause, and cries of THAT is it,
l see correspondent of one of the even
ing papers tonight addresses some questions
to me- some very sensible questions. He
signs his name Sims Hole" 1 propose to
put the professor there tonight before l get
through with him Q4aughterD The last
question is a very significant one. 1 do not
give the language of it, but the idea is
Are not all churches intolerant?' 1 think
they are, to a greater or less extent. (Ap-
plause) And naturally enough. If a set of
men think they have got the only key tina t
will unlock the paddock of heaven, why.
they naturally insist that all men should 60
in by that gate, and with their key and if
men believe that this world is nothing and
the next world everything, why it is very
natural for them to insist that the lives of
men should be so directed that they should
get in to heaven by their patent contriy-
ance. daughter)
Now, my friend says this is a. Christian
country. Numerically that is true There
are more Protestants-well, 1 was going to
say there more Protestants than there
are any others in this country, but 1 have
seen some recent statistics that claim that
the men in this country that
DO NOT BELONG TO ANY CHURCH
outnumber the members of all the churches
(Applause) But 1 take issue with that
Governmentally this is not a Protestant
country, nor is it even Christian country.
The Jew has just as much right here as
the follower of Christ. The pagan has lust
as much right here the Christian The
founders of this government refused upon
discussion, to put the word God into the
constitution because they said some creed
would climb upon it and dominate the
whole country. (Applause) No, 1 take is
sue upon that The essence of this govern.
rnent is the total and absolute separation
of church and state. Great applause, and
cries of Rightly 1t was a new creed horn
into the world, and there is a. terrible
record of the past in the struggles of the
different churches to control the nations in
which they dwelt, and the Protestants were
just as bad, as my friend we'll knows, as
the Catholics were. When the Catholics
had the power they burned the Professionals
and when the Protestants got the power
they burned the Catholics and not satisfied
with that they burned each other. 1augh
ter.) John Calvin sent Michael Seryetus a
Protestant, to the stake; the Episcopalians
burned Brouchiat. They burned the Puri-
tans. and the Puritans under Oliver Crorn-
veil burned the Episcopalians. And when
he Puritans crossed the ocean, they had
hardly got to work in the new land before