Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-09-06
:
For Sunday Reading. !
All Sorts Of Opinions.
Catholics and Their Rights.

The Irish Catholic newspaper. the
Pilot, says: Archbishop Ireland is as
good an American as he is Catholic;
and America is the happy home of mii-
lions of Catholics: but all the same,
there is NO need of over praising a good
thing, as he does when he says: Let
justice be done to America: in no other
country is there a government so fair
minded, so impartial. so willing to treat
all classes of citizens With absolute JUS
tice as that with which we are pleased
lin America. The archbishop OF ST.
Paul need not travel more than half a
days journey from his home to find a
country where it would not be imposs-
bic for a Catholic to be the head OF the
government: where Catholic is actu-
ally at the head of the government to-
day: where Catholic cabinet officers of
high rank. governors, chief justices.
military and civil dignitaries OF all
kinds are as common as in Archbishop
1reland's country they are uncommon
and almost inpossible:wher justice in
the matter of religion in education rs a
thing of course. as 1T is not in the Unit
ed States. We are no particular adj
ltliTeI VI SeIidud. Dut we uo love JUS
tice; and the Catholics of the United
States have much to learn from their
brethren across the border. who did not
attain the justice which they enjoy by
folding their hands and holding their
tongues lest perchance some Orange
man might doubt their 'loyolity. .
The Memphis Commercial Appeal
quotes with approval the statement
made some years ago by Daniel Dough-
erty. that there is a prejudice in this
country against electing Catholic to
the presidency that is stronger than a
constitutional inhibition, but, the Com
nercia adds, 1.-The same may be said
of the southern man, whether democrat
or republican" The Chicago Inter
Ocean asserts that the dispute which
ernment's attitude toward the Philip
pine priests has become one between
the recognized authorities of the Cath
Ollie church, supported by prominent
laymen and opposed by other laymen.
1t is no longer Il matter in which the
American people as a whole can take
more than an academic interest. The
Catholic church is quite capable Of set
Ting controversies and of maintaining
discipline within its own body. As for
the national administration, its course
having been fully approved by the au-
thorities de facto of the church, 1t has
no need to concern itself about express
sons of discomfort from those who
criticize and oppose the recognized au-
thorities of their own communion. The
administration can recognize only de
facto governments, in churches as
among nations
The Memphis Scimitar strongly dep
recates the statements recently made
by the Catholic bishops McFaul and
Muldoon. The former closed a general
of the American admins
tration in the Philippines by saying:
THE introduction alone of the public
school system was just cause for
alarm" Bishop Muldoon said: I'VE
must educate our people not only to
know their rights, but to exact them.
Too long have we been asking for
favors when we should have demand
ed our rights. We should demand of
the United States government our pro
rata for the education of our children
in our parochial schools" OF these re-
marks the Ccimitar says: The charge
that Catholics are denied any rights in
this country that others possess is too
absurd for argument. And as for the
public school system, 1t would be most
for the Catholic church If
the McFauls and Muldoons should sue
coed in persuading the church to make
the system an issue in politics. The
vast majority of Americans regard the
secular public school as the keystone in
the arch of our free institutions. The
religious or secular, that
attacks it can only injure itself. 1t
should be remembered that the latter
lay outcroppings of the old-time
Know Nothing spirit have been
brought to naught by non-Catholics.
rhe church can not afford to lose the
support of this friendly element not
with it. as a result of attacks
made on the most cherished of Ameri- |
IAN institutions by leading Catholic |
sit