The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1894-03-17

cast shadow on it's loyalty.
In regard to the second charge, 1t is
not true that Catholics are banded TO-
zether for the destruction OF our common
school system. Perhaps the large ma
iority of them think that in strict Justice
there either ought to be some DIVISION OF
the school fund, or some arrangement
made between the paroc ial school and
the common school. But 1t is very gen
orally decided among them that they will
no longer agitate for ouch division. 4
lew weeks ago the New York lndepend-
Dnt published interviews with thl1ty OF
the leading Catholic prelates in this
country. Two questions we're asked.
FIRST, "Are you opposed to the public
school systemy" second, "Does the Gath
olic Church desire division OF the
school funds?'' To the first OF these
the unanimous answer was
'.No, We are not opposed to the pubic.
school system" To the second few
'.Yes," but the great majority
said that while they thought something
ought to be conceded on that score, they
proposed to acquiesoe in the will OF the
majority Of the American people. Ihe
fact is, there is constantly lessening op-
position to the public schools and grow
ing use of them among Catholics. MY |
own opinion is that the greatess dauger
to our common school system is from
those Proteetants VINO insist upon nav
ing their version OF the Bible read in the
schools and their religious. exercises con-
Quoted there. The pubic schooi, sup
ported by the state, can be nothing mer
nor less than secular. The religious in
.struotion that children need must be
otherwise provided.
The third charge is that the Catholics
propose to have political ascend ndency
even at the cost OF evil war; that Msy
are arrnipg themselves and drilling night
after NIGHT il their churches. The fact
is there has never bsen shred OF re-
spectacle evidence adduoed to prove the
assertion that Catholic priests are K Ee. !.
celyinR consignments CT arms and tslrn.
,uR their churches into drill-hails. On
the other hand, it has been proved, Ill a
recent trial III the city Of Toledo, that
one of the societies opposed to the Gath
olics received consignment of arms and
failed to pay for all of them, hence the
lawsuit.
Again, nobody for moment lmaglnes
that the leaders of the Catholic Cnurch
! in this country are fools, but they Ger.
tainly would deserve that title it they
were stirring up ten millions of people
against sixty n1,lllons. Then, too, in ali
our cities there are business lnen among
the Catholics whose business interests
are bound up with those Of Protestants.
They certainly would countenance no
step that would inevitably imperll their
property and their prospects. The idea
that the Catholics are organizing civil
war in this country is the widest fancy
that ever danced through the brain OF
4 fanatic.
/ I must say something about the meth
ods sot this anti Catholic crusade-the
weapons that are being used against the
Catholic Church. One weapon is whole
ea}e abuse. The organs of this crusade
simply reek with 6ltn. The writers have
crawled through all the sewers OF the
past. They have dug up oerrion from al
the charnel houses of history, They
lgloat over the fall Of aprlest. The!
,Ireyel in tainted regulations. It such
j warfare as this were carried on against
any other denomination under the sun
}, public sentiment would brand it Will
disgrace and smite it into oblivion. u
II such warfare any less disgracetul whel
carried on against the Catholic? An
other Of those weapons consists OF forge'
) documents purporting to be issed BY tn
Pope and signed by eminent preiates Q
] this country. One Of these is SO ld1otl
. | in it's character that It bears the trace Q
: shameless forgery upon its very face
: The other is pretended order from th
r Vatican to exterminate all heretics IN thi
d country. These documents have bee
D circulated far and wide. They hav
q thrown entire communities into panic
d They have created suspicious most crue
d and unjust. No censure can be too 81
, we're for those who produced thes
!. wretched and cruel forgeries. Anotht
& weapon is the boycott. Another u To
n coercion Of political parties. They bio
r themselves to oppose the nomina atio1
j election Of appointment Of Roma
!. Catholic 10 any political Office. The
,fl propose 10 act with no political party th'
q refuses 10 take the same position. The
j boast through their papers that in ma! q Y
al places they have things their OWL wa W
y For example, thsy claim that N Che!
3 emo, Wyoming, The Republican par
& d amply 4 tai to The kite of the AZ a 4
pa t makes Z Who med 4 I
II Tor