New-York tribune., 1902-03-04
COMPARES POPEAND LINCOLN
W. BoURKE COCHRAN AT CATHOLIC
CLUB SAYS THEY RESEMBLE
EACH OTHER.

The resemblance in structure and spirit Of the
Roman Catholic Church and the American Repub-
lie and the debt Of the trainers Of the American
constitution to the Roman Catholic Church was
the chief theme OF W. Bourke Cochran at the
Catholic Club last night. The club observed the
beginning of the silver jubilee year of Pope Leo
XIII by a special meeting at which several hun
dred prominent Catholics present. Justice
Morgan j. O'Brien presided A white marble bust
Of the Pope, surrounded by palms and decorated
with white lilies. in the hall in which the
exercises took place The walls of the
decorated with American flags, and on the plat
form hung a banner bearing the pontifcal arms
In opening the meeting Justice O'Brien made
short speech. in which he announced that cable
gram of congratuation had been sent to Pope Leo
He said IN part:
Leo XIII presents the most striking figure in
the social political and religious world Of his age
AS saint scholar and statesman he is equally note
worthy. To him belongs the glory of raising the
power Of the Papacy. When he found it 1t was
stripped of its power He has made it more glori-
Gus. more accepted among Christians than ever be
fore. May he live to the restoration of the
temporal power of the Pope not to worldwide
power. but to the absolute freedom of the Holy See
which all Catholics believe TO be indispensable to
the freedom of the Church"
W. Bourke Cochran was the next speaker. He
said in part:
This is not merely a religious festival. It is
patriotic Well Here We find the explanation
for our republic the PROOF or OF he ITS Se6bc K
uraly and inevitably the fruit of the Catholic
Church. The flag Is much the emblem OF
Christianity the cross above the altar is or
/ the CTucihXon.
The only basis on which autocratic government
be defenGed Is that people are too corrupt
When one looks over the world and sees that most
governments autocratic arstocratic 1t shows
that men have not yet reached the development
that makes republics possible. What makes a
republic is the moral law not OF human framing.
When all men become Catholic then republics VIII
become universal In the triumph of the Catholc
faith will come the triumph Of democracy.
The United States in its underlying principles
IS modelled the faith. organization and discipline
OF the Catholic Church. Its vital essence Is an
Church the only source from which It's trainers
could obtain It.
Mr. Cochran then traced the resemblances of the
American Constitution tho Roman Catholic
Church in detail. comparing its divisions and its
organization. He declared that the reason the
American republic had endured while every other
republic had fallen because II was founded
on the model of the Catholic Church. That the
authority invested in the Supreme Court 10 IN
terpret the Constitution resembled that OF tho
Pope to interpret the Will OF God in the Church
He drew a parallel between the attempts at Sc
cession in this country and the dissent from the
Roman Church. Finally he compared Lincoln and
Pope Leo as types resembling each other in their
purpose and work. .-
Among those present eX-Dlstrict Attorney
Eugene A. Philbin. Monsignors Barrett, Mooney
and Edwards Charles V. FOrnes, Herman Ridder,
John D. Crimmins, Robert J. Hoguet and Robert
B. Roosevelt