The San Francisco call., 1896-02-15
HudelSon Says Father Yorke
Approves of Many A. P. A.
Principles.
FINANCES CAUSE HOSTILITY.
Says the A. P. A..Catholic Quarrel Is
Matter of Dollars and Cents,
Not of Religion.

b. f. Hudelson, State president of the
American Protective Association, dis
cusses Father Yorke's position in the fol-
lowing letter:
OFFICE OF THE
STATE COUNCIL OF CALIFORNIA
Room 40, Academy of Sciences Building,
Sl9 Market Street.
SAN Francisco, CAL, Feb. 13, 1896.
10 the Editor Of the San Francisco Cdll-SiR: In
Gorke, OF the Catholic faith, occupied three
columns OF valuable space in answering ques-
lions which propounded. Thirty-one words
would have done as well. The questions were
SO simply framed that an unqualified YES" or
1,osa o., enpnaue mo- would nave answered them
more satisfactorily to your readers and would
have cost him the expenditure OF correspond
lngiy less amount OF time and labor.
Ihose, however, who have troubled them
selves to wade through the superabundsnt
supply of words which the learned gentleman
mas seen nj to 1nfiict upon you during the last
lew months have realized that he has 10 g large
degree the gift of talking for long time with
out saying anything. They have, too, dis
eerned e the purpose of his useless multiplica-
OF frame OF mind in which, after perusing one
OF his articles, they will be compelled TO ask,
Where is he at. anyway?' To answer that
question requires a study of his effusiens and
an analysis OF his statements which few of
your readers have time to make, the only lucid
Ideas TO be acquired without such study being
that he is roasting ofnebody and that he is
"fornlnst" the A. P A.
RUBBISH HEAP.
In his controversy with DR.. Wendte, Rev.
forke tablished what he was pleased to term
his rubbish heap" Following his example,
with your permission, shall establish rub
bish heap. And TO this 1 shall relegate all
matters which, though found in Rev. Yorke's
letters, not relevant to the issues. Such
matters must, perforce, include all personali-
ueS, all impertinent assumptions as to the
principles or practice of the American Protec-
tive Association, and Gll unofficial interpreta-
tlons OF the orders position objects, even
Including the interpretations OF the Very
Learned and Very Reverend the Chancellor OF
the Archdiocese OF San Francisco. That I am
right in so rejecting his interpretations is
manifest from the words OF the Chancellor
himself, spoken on the occasion of his lecture
at Metropolitan Temple on the evening of Feb
rusry 3, 1896:
No one has right to Judge of the teachings of
the Catholic church by the Interpretation Of its
enemies.
Paraphrasing his remarks, we say 'No one
has right to judge of the teachings of the
American Protective Association by the inter-
pretations of its enemies"
TRADES AGAINST THE A. p. A.
In glaneing over Mr.. Yorke's article I find
that he has added TO his alleged answers TO my
thirty-one questions twenty-nine separate and
distinct TRADES OF unexampled bitterness
against the A. P. A., which occupy 200 lines of
type or nearly a column of solid matter. These
TRADES are made up OF impertinent assumption
and unsupported statements concerning the
A p. A. and as such shall relegate them to
the rubbish heap, for they contain the thing
L
value OF newspaper space, shall, when quot
ing Mr.. Yorke's replies, omit these vitupera-
tive attacks, merely indicating them by q
phrase in parenthesis ''Tirade Against the
A. P. A." But TO our mutton.
The first half column of Father Yorke's letter
contains little, If anything, OF value. may
have "paraded with a chip on my shoulder
II so, the chip is there no longer, since the
Irish-American chancellor has not been able to
resist the temptation peculiar to his blood but
has knocked it off. Father Yorke may not have
sympathiZed. with my "impatience for q re-
ply DR.. Wendte may or may not have given
the chancellor the marble heart" and the
"stony STARE and the priests reply that en-
gage in controversy with him is equally
irrelevant, and all these 1 mist "relegate to
the rubbish heap"
Coming, then, to the more serious portion OF
his communication, Father Yorke says:
The Rev. Mr.. Hudelson opens bis communica-
individual largely, if not wholly. determine his
character" This statement Is very true, if we are
dealing with an honest and consistent individual.
Very true. Mr.. Yorke continues:
1t is very false If we are dealing with hypocrite
or fraud.
This statement is a sophism, and is not true
The principles of an honest man are honest
Those OF fraud, whatever may be his preten-
ment THE principles OF any individu al largely
if not wholly, determine his character Is true
whether one is dealing with an honest man or
with a fraud.
The sophistry which l have just made clear
Is of a subtle, plausible kind which has always
characterized the polemists and and the apollo.
gists of the Roman church, and il is not sur
prising to find it thus early in that organiza-
tons latest champion. Ana because the
sophistry is OF so plausible character 1t is the
more dangerous.
Mr.. Yorke continues:
The advertised principles of Uriah Heap were
far different from the principles which he acted
far different from those which animate its mem
bers.
A saving ''nay" which keeps the statement
within the bounds of truth Yes Mr. Yorke
the principles of the A P A. as an organiza,
ton may be far different from those which
animate its individual members. So. also, the
principles of the Roman church may be very
different from those which animate its indivi-
dual priests or which caused them to enter the
priesthood in the first place. A man may join
the A. p. A. for political reasons He may join
the Catholic church thinking 10 increase his
business. One may join the A. P. A. from
motives OF the purest patriotism and another
enter its fold for the sole reason that the
Roman church opposes it. Thomas Aquinas,
whom Father Yorke is so fond of quoting may
have entered the priesthood for reasons far
different from th ose which NAV have actuated
the present chancellor of San Francisco.
Father Yorke continues:
When man comes before us with set OF
M maxims and with the claim that he lives up to
them, we test mis- claim by his deeds.
We do in the A. P. A, at least. Father Yorke
continues:
When society appears before the public and
asks for support because 1t processes certain prin
cples it is the first duty OF the public consider
how far these principles put in practice by the
society.
This is false. Father Yorke has, as usual,
put the cart before the horse. 1t is the first
duty of the public not to 'sconsider how far
these principles are put in practices" but to
consider first the principles whether they be
good or bad. And do not think that Mr.
Yorke's misplacement OF his wagon is other
than purposed, for the one thing of all others
which he does not wish TO discnss is whether
the principles of the A. P. A. are good or bad"
This, too, because he knows those principles
are unimpeachebie, and he does not wish to be
forced 70 admit that "any good thing can come
ont of Nazareth"
Father Yorke continues:
Hence it is that the a. p. A. platform cuts but
little figure in such discussion as this. The as
sertions in the declarations of principle are
loosely constructed that they may mean anything or
nothing AS they lie there is very little TO distin
Rush them from the platforms Of the two parties
10 which the great bulk of the citizens OF this
country, Protestants and Catholics, give their ad
hesion
If the principles ''are so loosely constructed
that they may mean anything or nothing" is
it not little odd that Father Yorke is enabled
state that "there is very little TO distinguish
them from the platforms 20 which the great