The Irish standard., 1896-07-11


! object to and if Hill had maintained that
position he would have been peerless in
power and popularity in the convention.
"A QUESTION OF RELIGION
It IS pity that national campaign
could not be carried through in this corln-
try without the question of religion adding
to its other disturbing elements And this
IN country, too, whose constitution does
not permit the question Of religion to be a
bar to any ones advancement. Unfortun--
ately it is an element among the members
of our relig.ously dissenting brethren that
always brings the question of religion to
the front. A Catholic in this country never
does so. He is never heard to object to a
mans candidacy because of his opinion of
the best modes of fixing ones thoughts on
God while on earth or Of what disposition
may be made Of him when he enters the
other world. It may be said that he raises
no objection on the religious ground be-
cause this is Protestant country, or at
least that all other denominations, Jew or
gentle, exceed, when combined, the num-
Der of Catholics here. But such is far from
the truth. In Catholic Ireland, even in the
most Catholic provinces of Munster and
Connaught, when Protestant is a candi-
date for office his religion is never men
toned. Catholics vote for him, if he is
otherwise worthy, and do not trouble
themselves as to what his religious bias
may be.
But here, even before the opening of the
Democratic convention, when the name of
Bland was spoken of as a presidential pos
s.b.lity, some started the idea that he was
Objectionable because his wife was Cath
Ole! Perhaps those religious bigots and
busybodies could by extensive research
find some other relative Of BANDS more
or less distant who was also a Catholic,
and If SO Bland himself could not be ac-
cepted. However, the story was started
that Allen w. Thurman, son Of the Old
Roman Of Ohio, raised an objection to
! IL,
of course. Mr.. Thurman Indignantly re-
PEELED the accusation. He said he was
m,srepresented in an interview.
II was asked" said he, whether l.
thought the fact that Mr.. BANDS wife and
son were Catholics would in any degree
weaken him as candidate. replied that
it was an outrage that mans religious
connections should be talked about said
highest regard and that no one appreciated
mere than his work in behalf of the silver
cause. No one has denounced the A. p.
A. organization more openly on the stump
than I. ! have no religious prejudices."
The words are worthy of the Old Roman
himself
| But that did not allay the disgraceful
agitation. Inquiries were sent to Mr..
Missouri, as to the truth of the matter-as
to whether his wife was a Catholicism
awful accusation-and Mr.. Band. manfullN
sends the following answer by wire: !,
Religion is not the issue. am a Meth
od!st. Have always been one. Always
will be. If was half as good as my Cath
Ollie wife I would not worry about getting
into heaven. This is the sentiment ex-
pressed in a previous emergency when her
religion was criticised. stand by it now
After. which Mr.. Thurman telegraphed
Mr.. Bland as follows:
''The reports that started an attack
upon you on account Of your wifes relig-
ion is absolutely untrue. What said was
in reply to a question by others and many
things are now put into my mouth which
never thought Of, much less said. Your
letter, when candidate for congress, on
the subject, expresses precisely, word for
word, my sentiments and convictions"
A son OF Mr.. BANDS, youth Of about
20, was interviewed in Chicago during the
week, and he said that while both his
mother and himself were Catholics they
had no apologies to make to any one con-
corning 1t. His father, he said, never both
cred himself about the religion Of his wife
nor his children, who were Catholics. He
had always been leading Methodist at
their home, although he sometimes ae-
companied his family to the Catholic
church. He had no prejudices, no con-
temptible narrow -nindedness The young
man further said that IL It was a question
with his father as to accepting the occu-
IA rev ~ sthe White House and an insult I'd
his wife on account Of her religion that the
White House could 90. :.:
"a BRAINLEss YOUTH.
! On last Sunday il this city ct the union
Christian Endsayor meeting ct the First
Baptist church one Fred a. White read
| d paper Oh hat We Owe Our Colntrs'
and tbs most strik rs portion Of theses--s
SAY was it's attack upon the Catholic;
church. It stated that people were not.