The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1898-01-29
A VICTORY OVER B,GorRY.

Inc irish Standard is conscious OF
having done a laudable work in Danish
Ing from the Minneapolis public library
THE Story of Liberty"--a beck reekinr
with the spirit OF religious intolerance
and dedicated to the boys and girls of
America to influence their tender minds
against the Church OF Rome. The OK
tracts already given from the lying vol
ume indicate the character of the au
thor as a writer of history, and vet there
arc to be found in this city few
men who are trying hard to get the
dirertcrs OF the library to retain it as a
LOOK of reference. Mrs. Jennie c.
Crays is reported to have said that
there are Catholic books in the library
just as bigoted as Collins producton
and therefore she favors the retention
OF tn" book for the information of III,
public!
Now. we have no hesitation in sayin.
That Mrs. Crays is lab&ring under a do
l'sinl. There are no Catholic writers
SO uhprlncip!ed as to indite such bare
laced falsehocds as THE Story of Lib
erty and il Mrs. Crays finds in the
public library the works of Catholic
authors containing ISLANDERS and caum,
mes OF Prctestants and their various
creeds they ought to be cast out, and tho
IRISH Standard will assist her in getting
rid of them. A public library MAIN
talhed by general taxation is no place
for seetarian books which hold I'm To
contempt and scorn the religious ba
llefs OF the American people.
We have no knowledge of the Catho1;c
books in the public library, but if there
are any that approach in bgotry the
ostracized book in question, let them be
fired out instarter. The object of \
public library is not to SOW prejudice
ana disseminate bigctry among Ameri-
can citizens. Rank publications like
Tho Story OF Liberty" may do very we'll
in religious libraries supported by the
churches. but it is entirely out of place
in public institution.
Tho work accomplished by the Irish
Standard in the election of this unsay-
DRY book from the shelves of the public
library has attracted attention outside
OF this city. AS far away as H,ton nc
decd has been commended. as the fol-
lowing from THE Republic" of that
city viii! show:
We congratulate Our energetic con-
temporary. the Irish Standard, upOn it's
victory over bsotry and intolerance in
minneapolis. 1t has succeeded in drjy
ing out Of the public library Conin's
STORY of l,iberty."'~ This work we have
repeatedly condemned as NEST vicious
publication. 1t was written by Charles
Carleton Coffin Of this city. Mr.. Coffin
was fine specimen Of the New England
bigot. He was narrow, vindictive, bru-
tally Indifferent 10 the truths of history
or the feelings of his fellow-men who
did not believe as he believed. He was
a correspondent of the Boston Journal
during the civil war. During his later
life he devoted himself to writing and
lecturng on war topics. Before he died
he wrote The Story OF Liberty" which
was story Of religious intolerance and
hate. All the thread-bare scandals and
libels against the Catholic church we're
rehashed in this volume and served II,
In as attractive 4 manner as possible
1t was intended for the perusal of the
young, ana an effort was made to make
1t a standard work for schools.
The Irish Standard called the atten-
tion Of the public library trustees Of
Minneapolis to the book, and pointed
out its errors Of statement and its utter
unfairness In dealing with the facts Of
history. after consultation and after a
study Of the charges the trustees not
only took 1t off the circulating list but
withdrew 1t wholly from the library
shelves. 1t will not longer remain