Arizona republican., 1902-08-06
PHOENIX, ARIZONA. AUG. 6, 1902.
Arch bis hop Ire1and's Patriot. jam


 Had Archbishop Ireland chosen po- litical career instead of the service or the church, the country would have gained a statesman. More than once in the past his wisdom and patrlotlsm nave put the people of the Unlted States under obligation On Sunday last. in a sermon at St. Paul, he gave another proof of the sturdy independ- ence, breadth of mind, and far-seeing mental vision for which he is noted, and never did his sober counsel to the Catholics of America come at more timely hour. He rebuked with telling force those Catholics who, with more zeal than knowledge, have rushed to accuse the national administration Of hostility to the church. It was to be expected that the negotiations with the vatican for the withdrawal of the friars from the Philippines, and the presi- dents firm insistence upon their with drawal, would lead many honest but misiiiformed Catholics to assume that the policy of the United States govern ment was conceived in spirit of hos tiiity to the church itself. and it is for tunate that so high and trusted an au- thority as Archbishop Ireland should so quickly perceive the necessity of correcting the error.
 Patriotic citizens of all shades of re- ligious belief deprecate any tendency to inject religious questions into poli- tics, and only ignorance would lead anybody to suppose that the friar ques- ton can properly have political phase. The administration is dealing with controversy between Catholics the Catholic Filipinos on the one side, and the religious orders on the other. In undertaking to assure the natives that hereafter they shall be free from the domination of the friars in civil affairs, and shall be served by priests who are unobjectionable, and in dis coura ging interference by Protestant organizations, the president is looking of course. only to the peace and happi- ness of the Philippine people. In com- mon with the vast majority of liberal minded Americans, President Roose- welt and Secretary Root doubtless have pinos choose to be Catholics or Protes- tarts. They recognize that in this country citizen is no better. no: worse, for being q Protestant or d Catholic the "a ga may he and as it happens, some of our best citi- zensf1ip is Catholic. The sane and wig orous words of the great archbishop appeal to the good sense and civic spirit of every American:
 'The interests of the church, it is said, are made to suffer at the hand: of the government in it's new-acquiret dependency, and the call to arms is sounded from the rostrums of Cath olic societies and through the columns Of Catholic papers to the perturba tio1 of the whole Catholic body, and, in. deed, of the whole country. The mo nent has come to say to Catholics, b, wise, be jealous unto sobriety and ac cording as God hath divided to every one to measure faith-and such coun
 
 CTS.
 Who are they who complain an, protest and call upon Catholics to b up and doing? Are they those wh might claim to represent the churcl in its general or even local interests Has the Sovereign Pontiff spoken Certainly, he has not complained rather, he has been heard from in yer |; cal authorities in the dependencies in voked our aid? In no instance hay they so acted where they have bee heard from as in the case of Port Rico and of Cuba it was to tell us il plainest words that they had no griev ance, although from irresponsibl sources it had been on several previou occasions dinned into our ears that tin church was robbed and persecuted i both those islands. Whatever com plaints have been heard come from in dividual Catholics or from societies c Catholics; in neither case is ther warrant to represent others than tn men themselves, or the societies them selves, who do speak.
 Nothing is to be more dreaded i America than hatred and warrin among citizens of the popula tion wh should do their utmost to nur ture and maintain peace and hal mony; it behooves Catholics eve more than others to be models ( prudence and good will in this It gard The simplest approach anon them to form a political party on tn basis of religious interests would L fatal to those interested and fatal { public peace. It is quite easy for fe - to kindle a fire which will threate Iavage to a whole community, an which whole community will find