The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1895-09-06
NO. 80
The Pope of Rome.

Yesterdays Ledger, under the cap
tion "take warning" compared the
present condition of this country, un-
der the dominating influence of the
Cleveland plutocrats to France at the
time of Louis Napoleon's usurpation
of power in tnat country.
The man who reads history and notes
conditions and events, will not hesi-
tate to connect the same intriguing in
fluences in this country on the part OF
the pope of Rome at the present time
with those exercised then in turbulent
France. Disturbed and driven from
the Vatican by members of his own
church, he appealed to the fidelity of
the French people to the faith, and at
one time held up to them the hope that
he, "the vicegerent of Christ" and
head of their church, would take up
his abode among them, and no doubt
combine his "holy" influence and tenn
poral power in ameliorating the condi-
tion of the uneducated and Ignorant
masses of French people. The pope did
not GO to France, but France went to
the assistance of the pope, and the
pope's influence, through the whole
reign of debauchery under Napoleon
Ill, was to perpetuate the ignorance
and superstitions of the masses, and
cater to royalty and usurped power.
In this country the Roman Catholic
church would not be unlike other Or
thodox churches, were it not for the
"infallible" governing power at Rome.
Innocently enough, at first. Catholic
churches are started, but no sooner is
foothold gained than our common
school system is attacked. Insidiously
and persistent]y every institution not
directly under the influence of the
church is mathematical, and all good
Catholics, no matter how reluctantly,
are compelled to deny themselves OF
participation therein, or be forever for
hidden the rites of the church. The
Catholics of America are not at heart
in sympathy with these attacks upon
our common schools, or other institu-
tions whose aims are for the elevation
| of mankind to higher and better
moral plane There have been, of late,
many evidences of resentment to the
iron hand of Rome, which justifies the
above conclusions. Yet none have
been able to carry single point tend
| ing to relax the absolute control by
the pope of the church and its people
in temporal, as we'll as spiritual affairs,
in this country. There is little doubt
that these manifestations of disapprev-
al, which were becoming more avowed
and more numerous, were the real
cause of the presence of a vice pope
in this country in the person OF Mgr.
Satolli.
This added insult to the people of
this country, as we'll as to the Amer
lean church of Rome, has been ac-
cepted by the latter, and its laity and
priests bow in humble submission.
The former, however, are not willing
to sit idly by and see the institutions
of this country nullified, or the mo-
tives of time-honored societies i'm
pugned, by any foreigner, whether he
be the accredited agent On earth of
the Almighty or an humble member
of the "Mafia" of Italy. Yet many
of our most conspicuous leaders, in
their efforts at plutocracy, have sought
an audience with the pope of Rome,
not for inspiration, but more probably
in the hope of hoodwinking the
Ca tholics of this country into belief
in their friendship, that they can the
more easily carry out their nefarious
schemes which all tend to concentrate
the power of government into the
hands of the few, regardless of the
rights of the many.-Tacoma Ledger.