The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-13
FATHER YORKE
TO THE PEOPLE,
The Chancellor Defends Him
self Against His
Critics.
ORIGIN OF THE A. P. A.
Some of the Causes That Led
Up to the Great Con-
troVerSy.
WHOM THE PRIEST BLAMEs.
Rev. Charles w. Wendte Writes of
the Catholic Church and Civil
Government.
ORIGIN OF THE A. P. A.
WHOM THE PRIEST BLAMEs.

The Rev. Father Yorke, chancellor of
the Archdiocese of San Francisco, ad-
dresses the following card to the public:
To the People of San Francisco: BY an act IN
precedented in journalism am arraigned be-
fore you by John P. Young OF the San Fran
cisco Chronicle as an instigaJor of riot and
violence. Through four columns OF editorial"
l am described as promoting controversy
which is arousing i'll feeling in the community
and provoking collisions between citizens
who ought 10 live IN peace and harmony. The
accusation is so grave that cannot afford to
pass il over in silence. owe ii to my fellow
citizens and to myself 20 meet the charge. IN
one way and in one way only can the charge
be met. must set forth without malice and
without fear the facts in the case. Let them
who are responsible bear the blame.
The present controversy is the outcome OF an
agitation which now for five years has been
carried on against the Catholic church. Nari-
GUS secret societies of divers origins and OF
divers applications have spread through the
country-aA for the purpose OF antagonlzlng
Catholics. To the outside world these societies
are known under the generic title of the A. p
\. Their main If not their sole object is 10
drive the members OF the Catholic church from
business, from social and from political life.
This organization has existed in san Fran
cisco some three years. In the spring OF 1894
1t was considered advisable by It's managers TO
stir IL into new lie in anticipation OF the ap-
preaching elections Accordingly a man who
mad been cast out of the Catholic church for
this City. Accompanied by female like unto
himself he came upon US.
The walls of the town were covered by post
ers, every line OF which was an insult againsS
all that Catholics hold dear. The sidewalk
were Uttered with pamphlets crammed with
unspeakable insinuations against Catholic
mothers, Catholic daughters and Catholic
wives.
Slattery came and went, but his work was
done. The sensational preachers of the city,
sunday after Sunday, shrilled the war-cry
against Rome. In Metropolitan Temple J. @.
y. Henry tore patriotism TO tatterS in his fury
against the Pope. The lodges were holding
crowded meetings and were initiating mem
berS al the rate OF sixty to seventy in night.
II there were 81 time when II was necessary
TO raise the voice OF reason and denounce this
recrudeSence OF intolerance that time was
then. The facts, | have set them forth,
were well known. They were discussed in
clubroOms, they were argued on the sidewalks
Are we 10 believe that they were unknown
only in the editorial rooms of the san Fran
cisco Chronicle? If-JOhn P. Young is sincere
in his depreciation OF theological controversy
and theological acrimOny, then WAS the time
Tor him 10 lit up his voice. But John Z.
Young was not sincere. When l write these
words l know l am making a grave charge
and I make it with thorough realization OF
its gravity. l believe that he, more than any
mau in san Francisco, is responsible for the
present condition OF affairs, and on his
shoulders, and not on mine, let the response
bility lie.
The first campaign OF the A. P. A. against
Catholics extended from the March of 1894
until the elections. That campaign was
marked by Two periOds-the period OF pulpit
agitation and the period OF political work.
The pulpit agitation extended from March
until August. 1t was opened by J. Q. A.
Henry. then pastor OF the First Baptist Church.
was taken up by c. o. Brown OF the First Con-
greg9tlonal Church, and was carried on by
Hiirst, Ollie, Foster, Case and others.
The newspaper which did more than any
other 10 advertise this campaign was the
Chronicle. For five months every Monday
morning its columns were filled with the false
accusations and with the obscene ISLANDERS
which characterize the utterances of the ora
tors OF the A. P. A. l have made careful
measurement of the space devoted by John P
Young during this period to reproducing the
pulpit attacks on Catholics, and l find that it
amounts TO nearly ten columns of solid print l
hsve confined my measurement to the Mon
day edition. II had time 10 search the other
editions carefully this large total would be
very much increased.
During all this time, when the town re-
sounded to denunciations OF Catholic priests,
Catholic nuns, Catholic citizens John P. Young
steadfastly refused to allow Catholic to speak
in defense OF his creed or OF his people. When
in the month of April the Rev. C. o. Brown
was printing his manuscript in the Chronicle,
and thus spreading all over the coast the most
serious charges against the loyalty and patriot
ism of Catholics, l called on Mr. John P
Young with letter. l considered it hard
ship that week after week these charges should
60 unrefuted. knew that they were utterly
unfounded and I set forth the reasons for nv
belief in writing. l offered it TO Mr.. John p
Young and he absolutely and peremptorily re-
fused to publish it.
AT that time I did not take any further
means 10 secure publication for my letter.
was aVerse to appearing in a public contro-
versy. only conscientious conviction of
duty urged me to write at all. When had
satisfied my conscience by making an honest
attempt TO contradict falsehood and misrepre-
sentation, and when that attempt was frus-
trated, conceived that l had done all that
duty demanded and took no further steps.
Still the crusade against Rome went on On
August Is the Chronicle published q sermon
by Dr. Brown, which took up nearly a column.
In that sermon occurred statements about
priests and nuns which Protestant historians
have branded as "hlthy and disgusting
calumnies."
Dr. Brown described the "monestarias os
scenes of becehanalian revels," and declared
that "what had happened in the nunneries is
without the pale OF description before an audi
ence IKE TINS. inns was more than could
stand. A second time l wrote refutation OF
these ISLANDERS, and a second time the refuta-
zion was refused insertion by Mr.. John P.
Young.
When in the month of August of this year
the A. p. a. began its campaign for 1896 the
Sar Francisco Chronicle proceeded again ia
adYertse ITS dolngs; During the month OF
August II published the speeches at the Metro
politan Temple TO the extent of 81 inches in
small print. In September it published 93IS
inches, in October il published IO4/ inches.
in November it published 90 inches and in De-
Cember % inches.
In all, during the past five months, it has
printed over twenty columns of the yilest and
talsest and filthiest accusations against the
Catholics OF this country, and at the end OF il
all, John p. Young has the unparalleled effrolI-
terry TO come before you, the public OF San
francisco, and declare the Chronicle has
thus far honestly sIriyen TO do its duty 10 the
community from which it derives is support.
b. placing as many obstacles in the way of q
fecrudescenee OF religious intolerance in the
United States as possible" If it be honesty IN
give one side OF an argument and SUPPRESS
he other, then John ?. Young is honest If il
be duty 10 gather up infamous charges against
Large ana law-abiding portion OF the COM
nunity, and to commit them to cold type and
@ send them out to do their work OF defame.
bon, then John P. Young performed his duty.