The San Francisco call., 1896-04-21
Editor James H. Barry Presides
at the Metropolitan
Hall Meeting.
CATHOLICISM IN HISTORY.
The Church of Rome Declared to Be
at All Times the Nursing
Mother of Republics.

III metropolitan Temple was FdCduC Wnen
James H. Barry, editor of the Star, called
the assemblage to order.
Miss Georgiana rendered several patri-
otto airs on the piano and then Chairman
Barry addressed the audience:
Ladies and Gentlemen: On behalf of
the American Women's Liberal League l
bid you welcome. We have just listened
to patriotic airs and we shall now listen to
some patriotic remarks and some patriotic
resolutions prepared by the American
W omen's Liberal League"
The resolutions were then read. They
denounced religious intolerance, spoke for
civil and religious liberty and pronounced
strongly against the religious strife which
they claimed certain elements were seek
ing to bring about. They were unani-
mously adopted.
Chairman Barry then:
''This shows that this audience is an
audience of sense and patriotism. If the
ayes had not had it | should not have be-
lieved that L was talking to an American
audience. l am glad to see that the women
have realized that there is an enemy in
their midst and are prepared to fight it.
Women are great power when they
choose to exert their influence, and | am
glad to say that they are now engaged in a
good work.
1--WE are here, and we are here to stay
L say we. meaning those who believe
in equal rights, are here to stay. l
say that anybody who takes such a pledge
as the A. ?. A. mem bers take is unfit to be
an American citizen. l do not say that the
A. 7. A. mem bers are the basest of men.
But L do say their leaders, the reverend
blackguards and reverend mountebanks, are
to be blamed for their course. [ do not
blame the men who are being led by these
men-these reverend biackguards who do
not even hesitate to make war on the best
Of our womankind-these women who go
upon the battlefield, into scenes of pesti-
lence, and who do not ask any one what
their creed is. They tend alike ali who
need their services.
"Some of these fellows in the A. P. A.
have gone almost crazy. Not the rascals.
There is method in their madness. They
sent resolutions to Congress asking that
the Secretary OF the Navy be asked 10 re-
sign unless he desisted from his intention
ofpainting the new warships green" TGreat
laughter.
The speaker then read what purported
to he A. P. A. resolutions, protesting
against the greener hue of the grass this
spring and attributing it to some sinister
influence of the Catholic church.
He then related how he received the first
knowledge of the A. p A He was known to
II.
and was therefore believed TO be opposed
to the Catholic church in general. He
was approached by a man in his office
one day and asked to join the American
Protective Association, after he had de-
clared he was in favor of the public
schools and believed in the Republic. The
objects OF the organization were explained
to him in detail, and, he added, no man
ever before or since reached the bottom of
the three flights of stairs leading to his
office quicker than did this solicitor of the
American Protective Association This
man, he said, had since become known as
Whisky Bilp' Trainor, and he declared
him to be Canadian adventurer and a
traitorous Orangeman. Continuing, Mr.
Barry said:
''The moment l learned what that insti-
tuition was | determined to fight it, ard
have done so ever since. And the man
who will not stand out boldly against such
methods as this institution is working
under is unworthy of our suffrage. This
organization has been devised to keep the
people divided against themselves. The
rich have created this religious strife in
order that they may continue to grow
richer at the expense of the laborer. 1t is
a device of the plutocracy to retain their
power, so that they may the better be
able to say like Vanderbilt of old, The
public be damned >"
he COHCluuSu as 1OllOWS:
II have now the honor to present to
you that patriotic priest, that noble man,
Peter G. Yorke.
Great and long continued applause fol-
lowed this announcement, and before il
had subsidized Father Yorke had taken his
position at the rostrum. He spoke as fol-
lows:
Ladies and gentlemen: In beginning
this lecture under the auspices of the
WnnQnic 4 T
me add my welcome so warmly given you
already by Mr.. Barry. do not think you
will imagine that | am given to the dis
ease of mutual admiration when l saw
what deep obligations we are under to this
same Mr.. Barry.
"Oniy two years ago, when this platform
rang with denunciations of defenseiess
women by the base men who call them.
selves preachers of the gospel he was the
only man not publishing Catholic paper
who dared to take up the fight against
these reverend blackguards. II for moth
ing else than for this alone we owe Elm
gratitude, not as Catholics, but as right
American citizens, whatever our
creed may be''
The speaker explained that the Ameri-
can Women's Liberal League was not a
woman suffrage organization, but that
It's object was to help conserve the consti-
tutional liberties of those who fought for
them more than century ago. He added
We see throughout the United States
to-day a vast conspiracy organized in the
destructive work of breaking down these
privileges Even the news
papers have been bribed with bone and
a bit of meat. / say that in the face of
such facts as these it is necessary to begin
at the very beginning to educate our peo-
pie in the constitution of the United
States. But made a mistake. should
not have said our people, for the people
are as true to the constitution as the
needle to the pole. / should have said we
need to educate our politicians. The
American Women's Liberal League is an
educational institution, and it will labor
in this direction
There has never yet been a nation of
free men who did not reverence women
and who were not spurred on to great and
noble deeds by their women"
Here the speaker reviewed incidents
from ancient history to illustrate his
point, and then went on:
Il believe that there are women right