The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-03

| Boughten Bulletin has dragged the
name Of Archbishop Riordan into this
controversy. 1t publishes a telegram
in which His Grace says Father
Yorke is alone responsible for his utter
ances." What else would the Boughten
Bulletin have the Archbishop say?
What other reply could I have made
were the inquiry directed to myself?
OF course, Father Yorke and Father
Yorke alone is responsible for his utter
ances. Behind the argument of the
Boughten Bulletin lies the A P. A con-
tention that the members of the Cath
Ole church are dumb, driven cattle,
whose ideas are expressed only in the
crack Of the drivers whip. The Catholic
church has her own methods and her
own organs Of expressing her opinions.
She does not speak to her children in
the orations at church fairs or in the
columns of shameless and a subsi-
died press. Her head speaks through
his 'encyclicals, his briefs, his bulls:
her officers deal with their people
through the DEGREES of councils and
the pastorals Of her Bishops. The idea
| that at the mere utterance of every
clergyman, be he priest or Bishop, the
Catholic people are bound to bow down
to the ground, is entertained only by
the bigots and the ignoramuses who
infiict the Bulletin on a long-suffering
public.
Let me again and again protest in
the name of the Catholic people against
this shameless insinuation that the
Catholics are the slaves of their priests
or their Bishops. No matter what may
be the position of the priest or prelate
that talks to them. Catholics are as
free In their political opinions as any
other men on American soil. There are
good Catholicism this
town who speak harshly of me because
Of my late action. 1 am glad of it.
can endure the discomfort of their
personal animosity because they clear
the name of the church, whose honor
is the chiefest concern of my life, and
BECAUSE they stop the lying mouths of
Crothers and his bigoted fellows who
believe that Catholics are the members
of political machine driven by blind
fanaticism and controlled by a des-
potic power.
/ and 1 alone am responsible for the
opinions expressed in my Oakland
speech and in my subsequent letters
l and l alone am responsible for every
word l have spoken from every plat
form, for every word I have written
over my own name, for every editorial
utterance in the Monitor of the past
five years When in 1896 the crowd of
bigots that Snarled about me charged
me with being the mere mouthpiece Of
a coterie of learned Jesuits, / replied
u.
Yorke were prepared by Peter G. Yorke
alone, were written by Peter G. Yorke
alone, and that for them Peter G. Yorke
alone was responsible. What I said
then I repeat now. have not stood
over the people with the bludgeon of
to their passions or their baser
thoughts. l have appealed to their
reason, and in appealing to their rea-
son I have recognized no difference of
race or sect. Before Catholic and Prot
estant, before Jew and Gentle I have
stated my case. That case stood on its
own merits, not on the authority Of the
Catholic church, not on the name Of
Peter c. Yorke. When to-day I stand
before the people I am content to take
the same ground. Hear me for my
cause, and judge me by the facts.
And now James D. Phelan, come out
from behind that rag. That Boughten
hiding there long enough, kissing with
your forked tongue and befouling my
name with your tainted breath. Who
gave you or your Boughten Bulletin the
right to speak of my priestIy charac-
ter? Who gave you and your hireling
gang authority over my position In the
church? If this discussion is to descend
to personalities, James D. Phelan, dis
tasteful though 1t may be to me, am
not afraid of you or Of any man when
duty Is to be done. I trust it shall not
be so. I trust that this discussion has
seen the end of personal attacks /
have no desire to complicate the issues
in the minds of the people by extrane-
GUS matters. James D. Phelan, 1 have
accused you specifically and by name
Of indorsing injustice. l have accused
you of treachery to those who thought
themselves your friends 1 have ac-
cused you of lying to the people from
whom you seek support. Stand out
from behind that rag. That boughten
Bulletin is no longer a cover to your
shame. Meet my arguments, meet my
facts. The people of this city are not |
swayed by hireling abuse, by personal |
vflidcation. They are reasonable men, |
and reason shall be their guide
PETER C. YORKE.
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