West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1898-12-22
FOR SUNDAY Rg,DINc.
Some trmments oA the Recent Con-
gressisnai Contest Aud the ReIig.
iOHs Side OF ~


C'm'nsutS pn meth is used in an
election, afer the election is over, are
usually taken with a grain o. allow ance
aai are likewise regarded a. poet
norton. but The more one knows 81
the recent Congress lion II contest Il, this
sistrict AMI the more he thinks over IL
the more he 10 apt To AK hi,Hscls the
Question. 4, Il worth while TO ho'h nm
election n; ali?" with a knowle,ls,. Of
the nrthoA> usel in the late campaign
we submit this question for candid con-
s'deration Not notwithstanding Aston
g. Dayton has INA jority Of iibout 500.
di am j,rity OF the voters in the dis
trict really want him returned for m
ether two years ?? The answer mn
INVARIABLY Oe they did not. Problbiy
ninetr-hve per cent. OF the voters who
wanted DAYTON returned got to the
poll, and c:tet their votes for him. but
hu iirsd, who did not want him re.
elected remained away from the polls.
for various reasons and in that way,
oHly, wa, hc elected. No less ,han $40
Of that number are in this county.
Why that stay at Tome vote?
M incon >iderlble number were in
finencei by the cry OF Catholic" In
the country districts. where thcr, are
no Catholic citizens the people were
told fearful stories aud led to believe
that Catholics were enemies of th.
country and orc R-pu blican orator we
know OF, in his frenzy and ignorance
or meanness yelled, "if you vote for IA
Catholic you vote for Spain and against
America" Instead of greeting that
remark with a shower of stale hen fruit
the Republicans cheered and the Demo
Gratis, some of them. be il said to their
everlasting disgrace, went home and
remained away from the polls. Yes,
the Republicans cheersd it, despite the
fact that Phil Sheridan, Gen. Vim. Il.
sherman, Gen. Thomas and a host of
others whom the Republicans delight
TO honor. were Catholics; despite the
fact that james q. Blaine was, in effect
Catholic; despite the fact that Presi-
dent Mckinley placed McKenna,
Catholic, in his Ca binet and later ele-
waited him To the Supreme Bench. Was
Mckinley condemned by these malic-
i"us partsans for that? lie ought not
to have been and ne was not.
Not only was this cry of Catholic
raised To brighten the timid, the imagi
native, but these Repu blican trick
sters, in the closing DAYS of the cam
paign, went to the Catholics ia the
towns and told them that McGraw, in
a speech made somewhere over in this
county, denied the Catholics and de-
nounced them, thus alternating from
him some of the Democrats of that
filth. 1t Inattered not that the state
ment was brutally. wocfully false. Il
served its purpose aud aidod in encun.
passing his defeat. Cam Il meaner or
more = dcspisaOle campaign tie imag-
ined? Surely the men who allowed
themselves To be influenced Lv either
the one statement or the other, should
bur: their faces ia thu dirt AMI ciothe
them.rlv' : in acS-cioth aud ashes
Religious freedom, or thirst for
that blessed heritage led to the Sc, tie
ment of this countrs an is the cSrucr
stone Of this governmental fabric. I'll
brought the Puritans To- New England.
the Catholics 10 Chesapeake Bay aud
Che lIugenots tn the Carroll ,as. lie
that would strike at that right. guaran.
teed ~ the Constitution of the United
States, by withholding his support OF
candidate ON religious grounds. or
using mans creed or lack of creek is
Il political weapon. is striking blow
at the very root of all freedom and IN
Willingly aims death blow at popular
government.
The editor OF this PER as is we'll
knOwu TO its readers. is not a Catholic.
Neither is he an "iDfilel," as was base
lesSly and maliciously advertised Ly
professionally pious political crooks
during the late campaign lie knows
little OF the Catholic creed and cares
less. But he knows, as does every
other man who is not w0efully igno-
rant, that the Catholic church OF
America has within it's mem bership
thousands OF the most brainy, honest
upright and patriotic men in the
country. That old church sent into
the late war with Spain double as
many Of her creed. on the American
side, according TO the number Of Catho-
lies in the country, as did any other
one religious sect, despite the predic-
ton OF some ignorant bigots ut the out.
break Of the war that the Catholics
would side with Spain. The Cstho-
lies make NO effort TO gobble up OH :es
for their people and the so-calIod a. =.
A. which takes into It's order mep aud
pledges them under secret. sAcrei
oath TO combat Catholics in business
ana ~ politics, deserves not TO toe coun-
tenanced by "A free people The Catho.
lies OF this country constitute fifteen
per cent. OF the population yet they
hold but two per cert Of the political
offices. Bot they puY their taxes, az.
send 10 their own business and do not
spend their time in deupuncing other
sects When their country is in neeI
Of their services they freely offer their
lives in IT'S defense. Tut when one OF
their number is nominated Tor an Office
biQotry and prcjndicci are bro ught i'm.
~ giay to secure his defeat
II United states Senators we're elect