Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-03-22
CATHOLICS AND THE Beers.
Philadelphia Times.

One OF the strangest displays of
public sentiment on any important
question is that recently given by
large portion of the Irish American
Catholics, who suddenly espoused the
cause of the Beers and evidently with
out knowledge of the fact that in the
Kruger government there is neither
civil nor religious liberty, and that
the heaviest hand of oppression falls
upon the Catholic.
A large portion of the Irish Americans
are naturally hostile to England be-
cause of the issue between England
and Ireland. They have little or no
knowledge Of the government Of the
Beers, and are certainly without the
knowledge that one of the cardinal
PRINCIPLES Of the Roer faith and gopgfn-
mert is the absolute humiliation Of
the Catholic and the Hebrew, both Of
whom are denied any voice in the
government and are perpetual strangers
to its honors.
Bishop A. Gaughran, the Catholic
Bishop OF Kimberley, South Africa, who
is not an Englisnman, and who states
that his sympathies have generally not
been with England, wrote q letter at
Kimberley sn the 18th OF September,
| 1899, in which he says that the only
hope of religious and civil liberty is in
the overthrow of the government of the
Beers He said: 1.-The state of things
| in the Transvaal is a scandal to the
nations. That handful of men, some
of whom were very illiterate and
all of whom were very preiudiced and
selfish, should expect to be allowed to
make laws forever for those who spend
their money in buying up property in
that country and developing its welfare,
is preposterous. ~
Speaking of the relentless pro-
scription Of Catholics by the Boer
government, the bishop says: His
(Kruger'si prejudice shows itself prin-
cipally as regards the Catholic Church,
and secondly as regards civilized habits
OF European nations. The church is
his bugbear. The Catholics are as
heathens to him. They worship snakes
and wooden images. -
In England, against which the pre-
judice of many Irish.Americans has
been aroused because Of the persecution
of their faith in Ireland, the Catholic
and the Hebrew have filled every posi-
tion of honor under the government,
and the Hebrew Premier mads one Of
the most lustrous of the English ad.
ministrations; but in the South Afri-
can Republic, the Catholic and the
Hebrew are heathens. Their Language
cannot be taught in school; their
religion makes them alien to every
position OF trust or honor, and yet it i!
this most monstrous OF all assaults upor
their faith that many Isish- A mer icsni
have been inconsidsfately defending.
II the Beers were battling for free
dom, for religious and civil liberty, WI
would heartily espouse their cause; blu
they are battling against civil rights
against religious freedom, against tn,
right Of representation with taxation
and against the right of the people o
the republic to make its laws.
President Kruger, with an entir
population of not more than one-fiftl
of the city CT Philadelphia, and with
: Boer population that earns little an,
,, pays next to nothing to the government
receives salary of $40, 600 year a
President, and has contiscated unde
color of law, millions of property Q
those who have gone there. unde
!, promises which have been recklessl
broken, TO develop the wealth of tn
republic. There is not single attri
butte of civil or religious liberty fo
! which the beers are fighting today
and the Catholic of this country. VIII
espouses their cause forgets his frs
duty. not only to mis- faith, but to th
5 religious liberty he enjoys everywher
5 outside of the South African Republic