The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-07-07
CATHOLICS AND AMERICAN POL
ITICS.

ITICS.
The matter of the federation of Cath
Ole societies, suggested by the Righ
Rev. Bishop of Trenton, seems to hav
been misunderstood by some of on
esteemed contemporaries, says Churcl
News of Washington, D. c. The tex
of the Bishops speech shows that h,
did not intend to suggest the forma
ton of a Catholic party. Catholic
parties have their value on the Con
tinent of Europe-though the present
position of the various Catholic polit'
ical groups in Spain might well make
one doubt it-but here a Catholic party
would not be a misfortune only because
it is an impossibility.
Catholics as Catholics have no special
rights here. Occasionally some blatant
alien, with an inherited and acquired
power of misunderstanding the situa-
ton, talks about the rights of Cath
olics," forgetting that no man here has
any rights, because of the religion he
processes.
He has rights as an American cit
| izen, secured to him by the Constitu-
ton of the United States, and when
! those rights are infringed upon it is
his duty to protest with all possible
force. No fairminded American be-
lieves that Hebrew should be ap-
pointed to office because of his creed,
or that a Methodist should be added to
a commission because he is d Metho-
dist. There is too much of this done,
but it is a vicious practice, which will
always accompany the practice of gen
eral suffrage. Where the continuance
of party in power is dependent on
the votes of the intelligent and unin
telligent alike. this abuse must exist
unless the executive should be able to
rise beyond it.
When it comes to the putting of a
Catholic in office because he is Cath
Ole or a Protest because he is a Prot
estant, we arrive at condition never
contemplated by George Washington
or Thomas Jefferson. But, if discrim-
ination should be made against man
because of his religion, the very foun-
dations of liberty are touched.
To say that Catholic no matter
how meritorious he might be, could
not be president of the United States,
is to confess that the Declaration of
independence has failed. To admit that
any worthy American citizen is barred
because of his religious convictions
from any office he is capable of filling
is to show a condition of unreason |
which is certainly not American. This, |
if anything could, would justify the |
of Catholic party
The students of the working of our
institutions tell us that everything with |
US depends on the ballot; the cynical
observer of the working of these same
Institutions declares that all depends on
the manipulation of votes. The cynic
s wrong. The people can and must be
rusted, and, if bigotry exists, it can
De removed only by educating the peo-
Die. But the people will not be edu-
lated by display of the numerical
strength of the Catholics, though the
politician may be Impress
d by it. No federation of Catholic So
ieties. arranged merely for the pur-
,ose of recommending ''favorite sons
O good official places is advised by
Bishop McFaul; but he does advise
f the newspaper reports of his speech
e correet-that when Catholics of force
nd character, requirements and exper-
ance, are named for office, religious
igotry must be prevented from inter-
ering with their filling it.
Some of our contemporaries assume !
hat all Catholics belong to the Demo-
ratio party. But this is a mere sup {
osition. There never was a time, since !
'laine's candidacy, when Catholics 9
ere so divided as to politics as they 3
re now. And religious issues have r
othing to do with this division. There T
nothing in the Apostles creed that c
mans opinions on the gold r
r silver question. The footing" of the Z
nurches in the Philippines has not
roved half so important for campaign Y
urposes as the ice trust. That Cath +
lies should divide in politics merely +
make both parties tributary to n
lem at times of crisis is a fond, fool +
h dream. The vision of Catholic
arty is not only foolish. but evil; and 4
lly men impressed by foreign tradi-
ons can be misled by this mirage.
he progress of the Catholic church in &
lis country is dependent on no polit-
al party, and we trust that day will
ever come when Catholics will take of ;
ee as Catholics and not as American
.;- - -. ii, &