The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-08-03
AGAINST REYNOLDS NEWSPAPER.

.Hoillc VI tuc DIlcStS vi LlIieEich are
up in arms against Reynolds News
paper. We are exceedingly sorry, for
w. w. Thompson. the guiding spirit
of that radical organ of democracy,
is q patriotic Irshman who has al
ways advocated the cause of his corln-
try with remarkable ability. His
brother, who represents an Ulster con-
stitucncy in parliament. is also a
sterling Irishman who has the welfare
of his country at heart.
Why the Limerick clergy are OPP
posed to this London paper is conun.
drum to us. Mr.. Thompson says it
is due 10 the publication of an esca-
pade of an Irish priest and to the
structures on Cardinal Vaughan for
his obscquiousncss to the king after
the latter had sworn that the Catholic
religion is idolatrous. We think the
clerical opposition is due to something
else. Reynolds paper devotes consid-
cradle space to criminal news, and
the court reports are sometimes of
such prurient character rs to be unfit
for perusal in Irish Catholic homes.
The priests of Limerick are justified
In protecting the young men of their
city from the communicating influence
of London publications.. Ireland has
been inundated for years with the
filthy literature of the modern Baby,
Ion. The London papers are impure
and anti-religious. Editorially, Rcy-
nolds' Newspaper is all right, but it's
news columns are not absolutely clean
English readers "laugh and grow fat
on obscene reports of all kinds of
wickedness, but the Irish, thank God,
have not yet come down to their low
level, and never will while the GOOD
priests Of Ireland are the guardians of
their morals.
We regret that w. w. Thompson
has not adopted mllder tone in writ
ing OF priestly opposition to his paper.
Being n Protestant he says many
things in good faith on which he should
have kept silent if he desires the SYM
pathy of the Irish laity. In compli-
ment to him we reproduce the follow
ing passages without endorsing them
in their entirety:
The Limerick priests by their fanht-
1cal intolerance have placed in the
hands of the anti-Irish party most
formidable weapon. seeing that the sole
organ of the English democracy that
favored their cause has come under
the ban Of their malice.
1--WE call upon Catholic friends in
Ireland to resist this attempted tyr
amy.
La Clericalismc VOLTA rennemi,
said Gambetta. The Limerick priests
are cndeavoring to prove his words
true. We could have quoted many ex-
amples of priestly despotism at home
and abroad, but we had no desire to
harass a religion whose professors, at
any rate in this country, lead n useful,
and, on the whole, a blameless life,
and who are still under the ban of
English law. But we shall tolerate no
priestly dictation.
"The argument that will be drawn
from this ill-advised act Of the Liner.
lex priests is that the advance of Cath.
olicism in this country would mean a
return to the days when Rome ruled
the world with fire and prison. 1t will
be used as a justification of the attitude
Of Orangeism in Belfast, which we
have all along denounced and opposed
do priests think they can block the
avenues of the intellect by such dis.
graceful acts of ungrateful intimida.
ton? Then they may come out of the
clouds in which some Of them dwell
for free inquiry and free speech are
today the heritage of mankind, won
through blood and tears against church
and state.
'The Irish members themselves have
had to fight against priestly intimida,
ton. Daniel O'Connell, the great Lib
orator, told them that he took his
religion, but not his politics, from
Rome. Mr.. Healy advised the Pope's