The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-10-17

his answer might be shown as that of a
high dignitary Of the Catholic Church
and that Catholics would be influenced
thereby And these gentlemen who APP
preached the archbishop ON this mission
thoroughly understood what would be
the effect Of his answer-that the doubt
full ones would follow his opinion and
feel perfectly justified in doing so. The
newspapers and others do not disguise
the fact that the archbishop's letter has
its greatest influence from a prtestly
standpoint. The Times of this city says:
AS for the Roman Catholic clergy, what
ever may have been their inclinations
heretofore, they will probably be pretty
unanimous for the gold standard since
Archbishop Ireland's recent arbitrary
interference" in the shape Of single
gold standard pronunciamento."
The statement is not true. The priests
listen with respectful attention to what the
archbishop may have to say on matters
political but they nevertheless follow their
own judgment in such matters. They are
not ens.aved by the uttemnces of su-
perior in the church upon questions pertain
ing to the state, and Archbishop Ireland lie
the last man who would ever think Of using
undue Influence IN recting the political ac-
tions of the clergy. He himself says N his
letter that he speaks entirely as citizen,
without warrant from his ecclesiastical po-
sition. He has too much respect for the
character and ability Of the clergy to har-
Dor the thought Of controlling in any man
ner their political preferences.
Among the laity there may be those who
will be swerved from their support of the
bimetallic standard because of the arch
bishops letter, but it is perhaps reasonable
to suppose that their ranks will be filled
by newly made converts to the other side.
Nor in this will the archbishop complain.
No matter what his opinions may be upon
economic or political questions he Is too
broad minded and too sincere an American
to use his influence in coercing the actions
of his fellow citizens
The principal points touched upon in the
archb:shop's letter are interference of the
federal authority in local affairs Of the
different states, the free coinage of silver
with its alleged dishonesty, and the power
and sanctity of the supreme court Of the
United States.
Regarding the first the archbishop for
the moment forgot, seemingly, the plank Of
the Republican party in 1860 which said:
t'rhat the maintenance inviolate of the
right of the state and especially the right
of each state to order and control its own
domestic institutions according to its own
judgment, exclusively, Is essential to that
balance of power upon which the operation
and endurance of our political fabric de-
pends and we denounce the law.ess inva-
sion by armed force of the soil Of any state
or territory, no matter under what pre-
text, as among the greatest of crimes"
Upon the Platoon containing that plank
was Abraham Lincoln elected and it was no
doubt supported by Archbishop Ireland, but
his grace now characterizes much milder
plank upon the same question, in the Chi
cago platform. as secession!
In discussing free coinage the archbish-
ops ideas disclose the fact that his mani
fold duties in connection with the church
and other matters have prevented him
from giving the question the close atten-
ton It deserves. But In abiding to the dis
honesty Of the proposition he completely
ignores the facts in connection with it. He
asks, "Is it honest to pay debts with half
the money we received when contracting
them" Certainly not, and there IS no in
tention on the part Of free silver men to
defraud their creditors. But there is an
other side, to the question which the oppo-
nents of free silver find it convenient to
pass over in silence, or when confronted
with it face to face endeavor to evade it
by every possible subterfuge. It is this:
Is it honest for the creditor to exact from
the debtor double the amount Of money
which the latter received? The debtor
under the gold standard, 1t is true, is not
obliged to pay his creditor greater num-
Der of dollars than he received, but the dol
lars that are demanded Of him and which
he must pay are worth twice as much
as when he borrowed them, taking twice as
much of his labor or produce to obtain
them. because Of the appreciation Of gold.
Is such a transaction honest on the part Of
the creditor, honest on the part OF the gold
standard men?
In relation to the supreme court the OBJ
lection Is touched upon in another column
in this issue, but to 1t may be added this:
If one Of the judges had not changed his
mind during short vacation the income
tax law would now be constitutional. The
vote OF that one judge did not, however,
destroy the inherent constitutionality of
the proposed law. At future sitting of
the court other members may view the
question In a different light and give their
opinions accordingly. However, the law,
as it now stands, is against the taxing Of
incomes, and that court of highest resort
says the. taxing of incomes would be I'M
constitutional, but the nconstitutionahty
Of it will only remain until another sit
ting Of the members reverse the present
opinion.
fiARplNd ON nExlco.
~ y3Ey III E5 ts a.s: Es---le--.s ~ 81 RI