The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1901-12-07

m SYSTEM ne lnflux OF the AnRlO-SaX
: on element has been so great in lat
. years that there can be no well found
:. ed fears of turning the state. if i
should obtain statehood, over to al
r order that has bad reputation. Tn
claims made TO recognition are good
, and they will, no doubt, be CAREFUL!
considered. More than half a centur!
of schooling for the duties of statehood
D should be sufficient, and New Mexico
r has been an integral part of the coun
. try for that length of time"
In the history of the Church il
America there never was time wher
the Catholic people were dominated by
clerical influence" and this applies
to New Mexico as well as to all other
parts of the republic. There never was
a time when the Catholic citizen could
not exercise his free will and right and
be at peace with his conscience; never
time that he did not exercise that
right, unadvised by priest or bishop;
and never time that he could not re-
sent any interference from cleric on
that score by simply telling him to
mind his own business.
Can the Mormon say as much?
In the history of the Catholic
Church in America there is no instance
recorded where Catholic clergymen
were banded together in political So
cieties with a church name for the
purpose of casting their anchor to
windward in political campaigns; never
an instance of d Catholic clergyman
running for office or leading his parish
toner's to the polls.
Can the Mormon priesthood say as
much?
What does the Deseret News mean
by abiding to bill incorporating the
Jesuits and comforting on them extra
ordinary powers? Religious societies
like the Jesuit order are not incorpor-
! ated by the state. nor can the state
confer on them any power, except the
! title to property, and this is the effect
of statute everywhere. If in 1879 the
! people of New Mexico, through their
| legislators, recognizing the benefits
I conferred upon their children through
education, enacted a bill absolving the
Jesuit schools from taxation, could
such act be regarded less equitable
thar it's effect upon public property
and public schools elsewhere in the
states?
Who are these Jesuits, this order with
a reputation so bad" that congress
refused any overtures from New Mex
leo until the demand came from Anglo
Saxons? They belong to the order that
sent Father Marquette and a Father
De Smet to explore the wilderness of
the Far West and teach Christ and |
Him crucified long before the Anglo
Saxon demoralized the Indian, long |
before even the Catholic Pathfinder"
General Fremont, crossed the plains, |
or Brigham Young set foot in Zion. !
The memories of these Jesuits are en-
shrined in the hearts of all Americans |
where tolerance supplies the place of |
bigotry and true history defies sec
tartan inaccuracy.
This Jesuit influence" which has
wrought so many failures in the past
for recognition of New Mexico's claims
to statehood, must have been as po-
tent as that of the Mormon priesthood
OF Utah, albeit the endeavor lay in a
contrary display of American patriot
ism to that melted by the hierarchy
of this state. At the time when de-
fance to law and government in Utah
(and for some time thereafter) was
so grave that the presence of a fed
eral army and garrison were necessary
to enforce obedience and protect loyal
clerical influence" in New
Mexico was aroused to the peril of
the nation through civil war. Early
in 1862 a Confederate army from Texas
invaded the territory and occupied
Santa Fe, but at length was defeated
bv the volunteers of New Mexico at
GIorieta and driven from the country.
The record of New Mexico. dominated
by Jesuitical Influences is one of the
brightest of that period, for in a popu-
lation of not more than 10000 at this
time, 5000 New Mexicans took up arms
in defense of the Union of states.
How many Mormons were enrolled in {
the Union army at this time?
1t will be found upon investigation {
that the real reason for rejecting New I
Mexico's claims for statehood was not '
based upon the idea that its people c
we're dominated by clerical influence, t
1r through any alarm of Jesuits, or c
through any other reason given by the 1
editor of the Deseret News. The real 4
'eason was a political one and took g
Use because of the silver sentiment !
prevailing at the time and which the i
dominant party in congress feared :
would disturb its control of the senate.
n fact, it was coldly given out that
10 more silver states would be admit J
t will not be because of the presence i,
e the Anglo Saxon. 1t will be because i,
f the recent decision of the United q
states supreme court fixing the status Is
f the territories. 1t will be because s
Sew Mexico spends more money per D
apita for education, has more news c.
apers per capita, and more churches b
ccording to population than any
tate. ii
No wonder that this Deseret News c.
lander of Catholics of New Mexico II
rouses the ire of liberal nom Catholics N
Utah. Our correspondent in another II
art of this page drives his statements IL
nd arguments home with caustic Wig u
r. They cover a part of Utah life a
18th which the writer is familiar. He :"
nows what he is talking about and r, 70
ne editor of whom he speaks Read =.