Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-04-14
RELIGION AND POLITICS.

| RELlGlUN AND fULlIlCS.
In the Dewey Family They Constitute a
| Curious Mixture.
Washington Dispatch.
"Do you want to see confessional
in the White House ?" A circular
headed with the words quoted made
its appearance at Chicago in July, 1896.
1t was scattered by thousands in the
hotels and parts of the city where
delegates to the Democratic national
convention would be reached. The
circular made its appearance almost
simultaneously with the arrival of the
Ohio delegation and John R. Mclean
as the Ohio candidate. 1t was direc-
ted against the nomination of Richard
P. Bland on the sole ground that Mrs.
Bland was a Catholic. Missouri
friends of Mr.. Bland, in charge of his
interests, attributed the failure of his
candidacy largely to the insidious ap-
peal to religious prejudice against him.
The Ohio delegation, more than any
other, made use of it.
This reminiscence Of the religious
issue at Chicago in 1896 for the benefit
of John R. Mclean is recalled by the
announcement that Mr.. McLean's sis
Ter, Mrs. Admiral Dewey, has given up
her pew in a Catholic church and has
declared her intention to attend the
Episcopal church with the admiral.
The members of the admiral's family
refused today to discuss the report /;
but it is generally believed. The Nc
Leans were not Catholics. In Cincin-
natl they were considered Covenanters,
attending the church of their Scotch
ancestry.
Mrs. Dewey has had rather pecu-
liar spiritual experience. After settling
in Washington she became interested
with number of other ladies in the
osophy. She was understood to be
believer in the doctrines Of the adopts.
Some years ago she gave up theosophy
and took pew in the Catholic church.
After the marriage last fall it was an
niounced that the admiral, who had
been an Episcopalian, would give up
his pew and attend services at the
Catholic church where Mrs. Dewey
belonged. This was promptly denied,
and it was officially stated that the
Deweys would continue to hold three
different church connections. Now,
with the admiral's political debut
comes the withdrawal of Mrs. Dewey
from the Catholic church.
Admiral Dewey refuses to affirm or
deny the report that his wife has left
the Roman Catholic church and joined
the Episcopalians. He declines TO let
any one interview Mrs. Dewey on the
subject. The admiral declares that il
is nobody's business what religion
Mrs. Dewey chooses to embrace, and
be claims for himself and wife the
right to worship as they please. The
admiral. says he has no prejudice
against any one on account OF their
religion or curiosity as to their church
affiliations, and he asks for his family
relief from a curiosity which he deems
|impertinent.
The subject of Mrs. Dewey's conver-
sion or remuneration, has created an
immense amount of talk everywhere
in the national capital. The rumor
was not started in the idleness of gos-
Sip but came from sources known TO
be entirely friendly with the Deweys.
There are many who believe that the
story was put out deliberately to re-
lieve the admiral's candidacy Of what
was considered handicap. The re-
suit is entirely different from that ex-
pected. 1t has not pleased the MEM
bers of the Protestant churches, and 1t
certainly has produced no satisfaction
among the Romanists. Mrs. Dewey
has not attended the church of the
pastor of which married her, since that
Interesting event. She had pew in
St. Paul's Roman Catholic church, but
it has not been rented BY Mrs. Dewey
since January, the beginning of the
quarter year, which is the time for
pew rentals. 1t is said that the ad-
mirals wife has been attending the
Episcopal pro-cathedral occasionally.
Admiral Dewey is an Episcopalian,
and his parish is the fashionable one
of St. Johns which has been attended
by presidents and distinguished people
for nearly 100 years. TO 60 to ST.
Johns church would have attracted
Immediate attention to Mrs. Dewey,
80 she has visited the church of her
husbands faith out of the center Of
fashion.