The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1898-01-22
THE FIGHT ON NIKE MIA.


The appointment of Attorney General
McNenna for associate justice of the
supreme court by President Mckinley is
opposed by members of the A. p. A.
because he happens to be a Catholic.
The United States senate will nav but
H''le attention to the protests of the
b!gots, but there is another matter
Which may keep him from occupyine
a seat on the bench, and that is his in
competency. The othey day when the
question OF his nomination was discuss
ed in the senate, Mr.. Hoar, of Massa-
chusetts, declared that so far as the
remonstrances of the A. P. A. were con-
cerned, the committee on Judiciary of
"h1ch ne Is chairman, had not deemed
them worthy Of serious consideration.
and he excoriated any class of mon
who would attempt to inject a question
Of religion into a controversy over q
clt2en's fitness for office. He said such
opposition was un-American and I'M
patriotic and deserved no consideration
from fair-minded men, Senator White.
OF California, agreed with Mr., Hoar and
declared that the opposition of the A
+. A. did not influence him in the least.
But there are other charges which are
10 my mind, far more serious" said Mr.
WHITE and then he read letters and
newspapers attacking Mr.. McKenna IS
an attorney and jurist on the ground
OF want Of legal attachments. The bar
or the Pacific coast had attacked him
1or lncompetency. and Mr. White addad
that he understood that large cornora-
ions had been instrumental in securing
Mckenna's nomination. Senator Allen.
OF Nebraska, opposed the confirmation
OF MIR. Mckenna on the same grounds
ana every one who knows that broad
minded senator does not doubt for mo-
ment that he was actuated by religious
bigotry
Rather. Yorke, in the San Francisco
Monitor, says that the bar of California
which opposes the election of Mr.. Nc
kenna to the supreme bench of the
United States, is free from religious bias
IN the matter. There is sufficient
ground to suspect Mr.. McKenna's incon-
potency without invoking bigotry," he
says, and he certainly ought to know.
The Irish Standard has no admira-
ton for Mckenna and does not care a
snap OF the fingers about his religion.
Mckinley's cabinet because of his re-
ligious faith, but solely because of his
afhliation with the Republican partv.
When made Attorney General it was ru
mored that 1T was at the request of
Catholic ecclesiastics who had helped to
elect Mckinley. Whether that is 80 or
not We do not know. We know. how
ever, that after McKenna's decision in
the West Point chapel case. there was
no rejoicing among McKenna's co-reli-
gionists. and the Irish Standard said at
the time that If McKenna had been a
Protestant instead of Catholic ha
would have decided the question DIFF
ferently We have not yet changed our
opinion in that regard. At the same
time. in view Of the fact that he Is
bitterly opposed by intolerant crea-
lures on account of his faith and that
in the event Of his defeat for the bench.
they would crow over it as victory.
we hope that proof will be produced to
convince the senators that Mr., Nc
kenna possesses the requisite oualifica-
tons to fill the exalted position II he
does not, his nomination by Mckinley
should not be confirmed and il it Is
shown that his name was proposed by
railroad corporations he does not de-
serve such promotion. What the peo-
pie want is an upright, consideration and
competent jurist who will render his
decisions according to the merits of
the case submitted to him, without be-
ing influenced by individuals or corpor-
ations who may be instrumental in Sc
curing the seat for him.
We are not aware that any Catholics
have asked the senate to confirm Nc
Kenna's nomination. If any Catholics
have done so because McKenna is a
Catholic they are as bad as the A. P. A.,
who are fighting him because he is not
Protestant. Let McKenna be weighed
in the judicial balance, and If found ca
pable and uninfuenced by corporations,
let him be confirmed by the senate. AS
for his religion 1t should cut no figure
with true Americans.
According to dispatch published