The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-13
.PALMER'S CAUST|C WORDS
American Protective Association
Orator Pays His Respects
to Catholicism.
METROPOLITAN TEMPLE PACKED
Brewer Scores the Y. M. 1.-Two
Thousand People Listen to the
Speeches.

Over 1000 persons were present at the
Good Citizenship m Getting held in Metro
politan Temple yesterday afternoon under
the auspices of the A. P. A societies.
Before O'Clock the seating room in the
auditorium was all taken, and those who
found a place to stand in the galleries
counted themselves fortunate.
The large audience was nearly equally
composed OF members of both sexes,
though the men may have slightly out
numbered.
Several prominent member of the A. P.
A. of both sexes occupied seats on the
stage. H. ". Outflow acted as chairman.
The formal opening of the meeting was
preceded by long organ voluntary, rem
! dered by Professor E. Werner.
! When the last note had lost itself among
the echoes Chairman Outflow stepped for
ward, and in a few short sentences for
mally opened the session. Stating the
purposes of the meeting, and referring in
! plimentary terms to the speaker of the
| day, the Rev. Ray Palmer, he concluded
| by saying that since the last A. P. A. meet
| ing the walls of the building had been
| purified by the singing of America" and
! that the grand old patriotic anthem would
be sung again.
His reference was sarcasm on the Y
NJ. l. rendition of the patriotic anthem at
! a meeting recently held by that organza-
| ton in the Temple. Regardless of the ap-
! plication or other considerations, the re-
mark elected the applause of the audi
ence.
! The old song was sung and with great
spirit.
The Rev. Waugh, "Old Father Waugh"
| as lie has been known to his many friends
| on the coast for the last forty years, offered
a short and eloquent prayer, after which
Miss Ada Schmied sang with good effect
song written by Clifford entitled,
There's Tramp OF 'Romish Legions."
| A few Introductory remarks were made
| by Mr.. W. t. Brewer, during the course of
| which he INDUCED in q sarcastic eulogy Of
| Father Yorke and the Y. NJ. l.
He had no doubt" he said, that the
reverend gentleman of Catholic faith re-
ferred to would discuss the principal ques-
tons at issue in an honest and candid and
unprei udiced way over a beefsteak. I'm
| fortunately the opportunity for such dis
| cussion mad not been offered" He made
| ironical illusion to the patriotic spirit in
fusing the meeting of the Y. NJ l., and
scored those Catholics from which had
| emlnated certain criticisms of the public
! school system, and in this connection re-
| ferred TO the fact that in the schools of
| Santa Barbara are employed, among 9TH
| ers, fourteen teachers from Catholic
| parochial schools Those teachers &C
knowledged that they had never attended
! the public schools.
! Mr.. Brewer said he was not so bigoted
! that he would deny the right Of a Catholic
| to teach in our schools, but he thought
| that under such circumstances as these,
| the Catholic criticism of our school system
| is little less than intolerant.
! The Cotton children, small bows and
girls In patriotic dress, sang a musical A.
| p. A. song, the American sentiment of
which, in connection with the anti Catholic
| subtleties, excited an ebullition of applause.
! Each rendering of the chorus was accom-
panied by the waving of the American
| flags held in each youthful hand
| The usual collection was then taken up
and tie remark of Chairman Outflow that
] the sinews of war were needed ''to carry
on the good work" did not fall on deaf
ears, If one might Judge from the merry
| jingle of the small coin as 1t was dropped
into the japanese wicker-baskets of the
ushers.
The Rev. Ray Palmer was then intro
| duced, and the large audience settled itself
comfortably in the 2000 or more seats
preparatory to listening to the address of
| the day. In part, he said:
In the Bible we read of the prophet who went
| out and viewed the Valley of Dry Bones. And,
| 10 and behold, while he gazed, wind blew
| upon them and they came together until at
| DrODhet
| they stood up a mighty army.
! For many years the Catholic ecclesiaticism
| OF this country has been like valley of dry
| bones but now they have come together and
| stand forth great army ready to defend the
| American flag Laughter
| The greatest compliment paid TO the A. P. A.
! is found in the numerous meetings and the
grand oratory in which the Catholics are in
dulging all over the country. If we 1.-THE
A. P Al are what they say we are, it must be
great waste of time to pay SO much attention
| to such a low class of people. tLaughter.l
! We are not warning against the Catholics on
account OF their religion; we are not making
| fight against the Catholic Women-the mothers
sisters ana daughters of the church; many OF
the Catholics are Christians, and honest and
earnest Christians. We make the distinction
between the great body of the Catholics and
the church hierarchy. We do not deny the
right of any man to worship God as he will,
but desire to combat the interference of the
Catholic hierarchy with the political and civil
affairs of our country. Therefore, our fight
with the Catholics is political and not relig-
iouS.
He then quoted at some length Black
stone, Gladstone, Macaulay, Henry Clay,
Robert Montague and others to show that
thinkers IN the last two centuries have
predicted the aggressiyeness of the church
in political and social affairs.
One thing that amuses me more than any
thing else is the great patriotism that is being
developed by the Catholic hierarchy few
days ago Cardinal Gibbons addressed large
eoncourse of Catholics at the raising of the
American flag over st. Peters parochial school
in Baltimore, and during that eloquent dis
course he said that lone of the great modern
features of the Catholic church is its love for
education and for country"
At the close of Cardinal Gibbons address the
vast audience joined in singing "America"
and "The Star-spangled Banner" How long
since the Catholics have learned to sing those
grand old patriotic songs? [Applausel 1t is
only within the last few weeks that they have
learned the melody of those songs. Before that
doubt if the majority OF Catholics would rec
ogniZe either OF them.
Now they are beginning to tell us that they
are not in favor of the union of church and
state. How long since have they suffered this
change OF heart? But is it true? BY no
means. The latest encyclical of the Pope shows
that the leopard has not changed his spots and
the present protestation Of the American Cath
olics through the Y. NJ. /. is due to the wide
spreading sentiment against their interference
with our political and civil and educational
affairs.
The church is losing power in some of the
countries of Europe The time is coming when
there will be disunion in France between
church and state, and IL is the purpose of the
A 2. A. TO dispute every step of the Catholic
hierarchy in its effort to subject America to the