The Irish standard., 1896-10-24
JOHN IRELAND.

There is nothing harder than being re-
quired to re.inquish our idols. It is hard
enough when they are torn from us, or
when the hand of the iconoclast ruthless
ly destroys them in our presence. But
there is something infinitely harder, and
that is to have the idol deliberately de-
scend from the pedestal upon which we
have placed it, and force us to recognize
that its feet are of clay, and that the love
and reverence We have accorded it have
been misplaced. This is the sentiment
which filled the hearts of thousands of
citizens of this country last Monday,
when they heard that Archbishop Ireland
had come out for the gold standard.
Protestant and Catholic alike felt that
they had lost something. His name had
meant so much to all that was liberal,
and made for the higher things Of this
world. There was so little of the bigot,
and so much of the broad minded, whole
souled Christian in him; his years in ac-
the esteem in which he was held by his
"boys in blue;" this and thousand other
things served to endear him to the people
without regard to creed. Even now we
think of these things more in sorrow than
III anger. We want the old idol back in
it's niche, above the mire Of partisan poll
tics, beyond the plaudits of such notoriety
seeking preachers as the Henrys and Hill
1;1so ~ xYaA
from the same. platform with that arch
enemy Of all that stands for religion,
Robert G.. Ingersoll. We are not angry
nor indignant, but hurt and Inundated
The arraignment OF the Chicago plat
form written by the archbishop, induces
only feeling of the greatest sadness. It
sounds like frantic attempt to f'deliver
the goods" We can zee between the lines
the archbishop, but nowhere is the be-
loved Father Ireland visible. It is the
specious reasoning of the special pleader,
all sound-sound and fury-without the
ring of truth.
No one knows better than Father Ire
land how dark and terrible were the days
of war. No one realizes better how much
the war for the Union meant. No one
should be able to realize more fully what
! the crime of slavery meant to a free ma
ton, when it was only the question Of the
eIslavement of a race In certain section
of our territory; and, knowing all this, he
should be able to realize that q danger
which menaces the whole people, that a
class slavery that is engulfng thousands
and thousands all over the country, and
bringing about an Industrial slavery be-
fore which the race slavery of the South
was minor evil, is a greater danger than
ever before confronted the people Of this
country. When he accuses the advocates
of the Chicago platform Of secession he
speaks ignorantly and hastily. They are
seeking to preserve the Union which the
forces he upholds have done SO much to
destroy. It is, the Lauterbachs OF this
campaign who are talking secession, and
an appeal to the musket in case they do
not win in this election.
Regarding the archbishop's remarks
concerning the supreme court, the article
continues:
This speaks better for the loyalty Of
Citizen Ireland than for the accuracy Of
his information. theoretically the err
mine of the supreme court, and Of all
other courts is spotlees. Sumner did not
find it so in his time, nor Will the earnest
seeker after truth find that august tribunal
altogether beyond reproach at the pres
ent time. Does the archbishop know any
thing of the antecedents Of the men who
go to make up our federal judiciary?
Does he know, for instance, that Of the 67
life judges in the lowest branch, having
life tenure in Office at SALARY of $4,000
year, So were originally railroad attor-
les? Does he know that of the 20 judges
in the circuit court, 16 we're formerly rail-
road attorneys? Does he know that the
gentleman who changed his mind,'' thus
making the income tax unconstitutional,
had spent yeeus in the employ OF the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company, the
Philadelphia & Reading Railway and the
Baltimore & Ohio? Does he know that
there is not an iota Of law anywhere au-
thorizing the supreme court to pass upon
the actions Of congress, and that the open
ling words Of the constitution vest FALL leg
islative powers III congress, withopt any
proviso that the supreme court shall ap-
prove Of the acts Of congress?: The Chica-
go platform Is not responsible II the SUI
preme court is not like Caesars wife.
The most OF the letter of the Archbishop
is confined to narrow and puerile attack
upon the free coinage of silver at the ratio
of s16 to j. and those. individuals who favor
1t.
The article produces the more striking
utteranc@ Of the archbishop upon free
coinage and says:
The good archbishop apparently forgets
that these dire predictions were made In
1878. He has entirely dismissed the fact
nom his mind that lsfr.. Sherman at that
time said that the Coinage q go, oO0, 200
II silver would d11iy away ~ our sold,
bring about errible pa ics, and destroy the
III the hes tor.
tAat