The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-05-16

there were no other schools of equal
merit, and prudent distinctions were
made in the matter of the secret So
cieties. And tacit support was given
to the Archbishop of st. PauIs opinion
that a compromise between the re-
ligious formation of mind and charac
ter of the young, which every Catholic
devoutly accepts, and the local public
school systems might be made. Such
compromises had been made in vari-
Gus parts of the country without much
disturbance, though McMaster, in his
time foremost of the supporters of
parochial schools, had found fault, in
The Freeman's Journal" with it as
practiced at Poughkeepsie, in the
archdiocese of New York. 1t was as
serted that the admission of the the
DRY of this compromise, which was
merely tolerated as an accepted prin-
ciple of Rome, would ruin the work of
years and destroy the great parochial
systems, the result of so much labor
and expense. Handwriting priests
who had built schools and we're strug-
Cling to improve them, who had plead
ed for them, in season and out of sea-
son, protested as if their life blood
was being drawn. The arguments with
which it was asserted the Archbishop
had softened Rome, were eX parte. He
had hypnotized the pope, it is said
and no greater tribute has ever been
paid to the forceful character of this
prelate than the readiness with which
his opponents agreed that even the
venerable successor of st. Peter could
not resist him-even when he was
wrong.
FOREIGN BISHOPS.
In country less free than the
United States, the question of the ap-
pointment of foreign bishops, speak
ing foreign language to peoples who
had become Americn citizens, would
have been a matter for state con-
sideration. With US, any interference
on the part of the state would have
occasioned indignation and resent
ment. And, now the question has been
quietly settled, it seems strange that
| Archbishop Ireland should have been
so misunderstood. Who will not agree
with him when he says:
No encouragement must be given
to social and political organizations or
methods which perpeUuate in this
country foreign ideas or customs. An
Irish-American, German-American
or a French-American vote is an in
tolerable anomaly. We receive from
America the right to vote as Ameri-
cans, for Americas veal, and, if we
cannot use our privilege as Ameri-
cans, we should surrender it. Efforts
to concentrate immigrants in social
groups and to retard their American
iZatiOn should be steadily frowned
down. There are in America self-con-
stituted leaders Of foreign-born citi-
zens who speak of Americanization as
a term Of reproach; with such men
public opinion should deal severely
FREE SCHOOLS.
Archbishop Ireland protested most
earnestly against the charge that
Catholics are opposed to the system of
free schools. Not one stone of the
wondrous edifice which Americans
have reared in their devotion to educa-
ton would Catholics remove or permit
to be removed. They would fain add
to its splendor and majesty by putting
side by side religious and secular in
stitution, neither influencing with the
other, each of them borrowing from
the other aid and dignity
1--WE know how violently the COM
promise was opposed by some Catho-
lies. The plan of giving religious in
struction at certain hours had long
been in force in Ireland; and, as we
have said, in certain parts of the
United States, but it was an expedient
and Temporary adjustment. When it
was proposed as a general plan, Arch
bishop Ireland though received with
extraordinary kindness by the Holy
Father, discerned that there were too
many difficulties in the way; and he,
the most splendid and persistent op,
timist of the century, was obliged to
admit sadly that st must be con-
fessed that the American people view
with but little favor any measure to
impart religious instruction in con
nection with state schools, and the
problem of the moral and religious in.
struction of the masses of the people
still remains to be faced"
THE PHILIPPINES.
Zone of the most courageous acts OF
President Roosevelt has been the at
tempt to deal, in broad spirit, with
conditions in the Philippines. 1t must
be admitted that President Mckinley
commissioners had made a mess OF
matters in the Philippines because
they tried to apply American methods
very good, in their way, for peoples
capable of receiving them, but out Of
the question under the circumstances
Secretary Roots first letter concern
ing the status of the friars in the Phil
ippines would have been regarded as q
very stupid performance if Secretary
Root had never done stupid thing be
fore. AS it was, President Roosevelt
and Archbishop Ireland quiely saved
the situation. The insular and loca
sectarians-ignorant rather than ma
lignant-might fancy that the Scarlet
Lady could be driven out of the Phil
ippines by the Bible, the flag and the
: chicken-pie social. The lands of tbs
friars might be confiscated and they
driven from the country they had cul