The Dickinson press., 1896-10-24
UNION is MENACED
ARCHBISHOP IRELAND DENOUNCES
BRYANISM AS SECESSION.

vA8OFOuS Aff0l&nme1t OF tine New
Democracy-Free Coinage Would
Result In Unprecedented Com
mercial Depresaion-Attack Upon
the Supreme Court Means An
archy.-An Grave q Crisis as In
1861.
st. Paul. Mimi, Special, Archbishop Ire
land, In response to the written request
Of twenty-seven business men Of this state.
who are Of all political parties. to-day made
the following statement:
! am not unwilling, In the crisis through
which the country is now passing. to speak
for the integrity Of the nation. for social
order. for the prosperity Of the people, Tor
the honor Of America. and the permanency
of free inst!t1tiors. l am citizen OF the
concerned in all the interests OF
Of citizenship. To be silent. when words
Of mine may be of some profit to the people,
would be cowardicc. would be crime.
am not unmindful of the objection made
against the church,nen, speaking at any
time on matters which have entered the
arena Of politics, lest his influence as
teacher OF religion seem to be used to pro-
mote the Interests Of political party. l
might reply that there are occasions when
II political platform means disaster to the
country, when politics are closely connect
cd with morals. or religion, and that on
those occasions the churchman must be the
patriot, without allowing moments
thought to considerations OF expediency,
and must take In hand the moral or re-
lig!ous issue, even IL 1t be vested In the gar
ment OF politics.
But In the present instance ! seek no ex-
cuse of this Kind. l speak entirely as the
citizen, without warrant from, my ecclesi-
asticol position. Deep as my convictions
are, l hold in all Que respect my fellow cit
izens who hold conventions at variance with
my own. l impeach neither their good faith
nor their honor. ! nm dealing not with men,
but with principles and movements. This
Justice which l render 10 those whose Ideas
l am ready to combat, am sure they Will
render to me.
stand by the platform and the presiden-
tial candidate Of the Republican conven-
tion Of St. Louis. am opposed to the plat
form OF the presidential candidate Of the
Democratic convention at Chicago.
Ihe days Of the civil war excepted, at no
time did SO great peril threaten the country
as that which Is involved In the political
campaign Of to-day.
age Of silver Is put In the foreground. This
question has its Importance; but 1t Is OF
minor Importance In presence Of other ques-
tions which are brought into issue.
The movement which had its expression
In the Chicago convention and which now
seeks, by means Of popular suffrage, to en-
throne Itself In the capital of the nation, Is
in Its logical effect against the United
States; 1t is secession; the secession Of 1851
which our soldiers believed they had con-
signed to eternal death Mt AppomattOx, but
which demands again recognition from the
American people. The declaration in the
Chicago platform has, and can have, no
other meaning. I'VE denounce arbitrary In.
reference by federal authorities In local
affairs as a violation of the constitution Of
the United States and Il crime against free
institutions
The words point to the act of Grover
Cleveland, sending United States troops to
protect national property and enforce ma
tional laws during the Chicago riots In
1894 In those words there Is the old seoes-
sion doctrine that states are independent
of the national government at Washing
ton; there is the annumcnt Of the Union;
there Is notice served upon the flag OF
America that outside the District of Co.
iumbia it Is without power of self-assertion
or self-defense. The president Of the United
States IL told that to enforce national laws
and protect national property he can not
march his troops into any state without
the authorization Of the governor of that
state. One of the chief speakers at the
convention Mt Chicago understood the Sig
nihcance Of the convention and voiced its
spirit.
Of secession said Senator Tillman of
South Carolina. II say" he continued, ''it
Is u sectional issue, and 1t will prevail"
And fitting was it that the speaker, voic-
ing the spirit Of the Chicago convention,
should be the representative Of South Caro-.
lima. Thrice now has South Carolina spok-
en- for secession-when 1t passed in 1892 the
notification ordinance; when in 1861 it fired
on Fort Sumter; when in 1896 1t cries out,
"a sectional issue, and 1t will prevail
The platform Of the Chicago convention
threatens the country with destruction Of
social order, with lawlessness and anarchy.
The personiicatlon Of law and of social or
der in America is our courts and the prom
isc Of safety to our free institutions Is the
prompt obedience Of the people to those
courts. And now, the courts are to be
shorn of their power, and shorn Of 1t In fa-
vor of mobs, bent on rioting and the de-
struction Of property.
I'VE especially object" says the Chicago
platform, ito government by injunction, as
a new and highly dangerous form Of Op-
preston"
Here reference Is made to the action of
the courts during the Chicago riots-with-
out which action there is no calculating
how much ruin would have come to the
city. The palladium of American liberty Is
the supreme court at Washington, the
counterpart Of which, in majesty and In
power 10 enforce absolute justice, does not
exist among the nations of Christendom.
But, as far as it Is possible to human
ingenuity, outside of partisan politics, In
dependent Of all political influences,
through their life tenure Of office. the
judges Of this cout rule congress and pres
ident, states and nation, and expound the
law In all Its fexibility, no matter who or
what must yield to 1t.
And now convention speaks Of the
supreme court ''as 1t may be hereafter
constituted" intimating Enthusiastically the
intention, If the party represented In that
convention comes to power. to so consti-
tute the courts. by the popular election Of
the judges, by the shortening of their II
term Of Office and otherwise, to make 1t
insenslble to the stern voice of the law
and responsive to the passing whims of
political parties.
Worse than all this to my mind is the
spirit Of socialism which permeates the
whole movement which has issued from
the convention ut Chicago. The war of
class against class is upon us. the war
of the proletarlat against the property
holder. No other meaning than this can
be given to the appeals to the common
people," to the laborer," ITO the poor and
down-trodden" and to the denunciations
against "plutocrats." and Corporations
and ''money grabbers' and "banEers." "
Many adherents Of the movement do not
perceive Its full meaning; but let them
beware; they are lighting torches which.
borne In hands Of reckless men, may light
up in the country the lurid fires of u
Commune"
America heretofore has been free from
socialistic hatred and warfare; it has been
country of opportunities for all men, and
1t has given to the laborer q livelihood
higher and better than is afforded him In
any other country In the world. Is this
all to be changed? Is social chaos, gloat
ing over ruins, to be the method of socia
| elevation Of the masses? There may bt
room In some things for peaceful ameliora
tion through well Informed public opin
ion and orderly legislation. but class hatred
| and angry passion never lead to aught bu
I! general misery and suffering. The peopl,
Of America must to-day look warily around
guard against catch words and misleading
war cries, avoid giving any countenance t.
sociallstic and anarchistic tendencies ant
know that the first condition Of prosperit!
to any and all classes of the people Is
peaceful commonwealth and assured socia
order.
The monetary question is, indeed. sec