The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-05-02
Conversations 81
Our Club = By ye Sssstss H.

naturalized in the United States, usual
ly support the Democratic party
| 1t is not necessary to seek an eX-
pianatlon of that fact" replied Father
John. THE Democratic party, as to its
| doctrines, is of European rather than
I OF American, of continental rather than
OF English, origin, and is the counter
part of the absolute monarchy which
prevailed in Europe during the six
| teenth and seventeenth centuries Near
| ~ all the political people of the United
States are of European origin or de-
scent; but some emgrate ted from Eu-
rope at an earlier and others at d later
day. As a general rule the more recent
arrivals brought with them the demo-
cratic or JacobiniCal doctrines which
We're in fashion in Europe throughout
the later half of the eighteenth CEN
fury and these. whom We may call neo-
Americans, constituted the main body
of the Democratic party Nothing was
more natural than that the Immigrants
! In our own day should associate them
selves with this party, with whom they,
J in their capacity of citizens of foreign
birth, the more readily sympathize. Add
TO this that the political and -ocial doc
trines, put in vogue by the French revo-
luton, are still held and deeol cher
ished in the bosom of those classes of
the European population that emigrate.
! Catholic Ireland SympathizeS with the
continent far more than with England,
and in it's political and social doctrines
is chiefly Influenced by France. Being
in a state of chronic rebellion against
the government. and suffering innumer-
able wrongs, it has, like the continental
liberals, looked to democracy as the
source of deliverance and regeneration.
hn IoT Loo n Of
are liberals, and being obliged to draw
their force from the people, are at least
virtually democrats. The Irish popu-
lar mind has been turned to democrat
lc ideas and hopes before leaving home;
the Irish have felt, they as we'll as
others, the workings of the spirit of the
age; and on coming here, they find their
natural association with the Democrat
ic party. They are not led to the sup
port of that party, either by their cler-
gy or their religion, but by their po-
itical sentiments and tendencies. That
they entertain notions and do many
things incompatible with true under
standing of their religion, it We're fool
ish to deny; but they do not see the
incompatibility, and with few excep-
lions, intend to subordinate their poll
tics to their religion, not their religion
to their politics. Make them see that
a certain doctrine or policy is opposed
to their Catholicity and the great body
of them will abandon it, for they have,
even in these times, a political con-
science. After all, 1 see not that they
owe any apology for supporting the
Democratic party, which is probably as
little Objectionable as any party in
the country What l wish is that Cath
olics, as Catholics, would stand aloof
from all parties, and hold themselves
free as citizens to vote for such candi-
dates as they prefer. What l ask of
them is to study not to commit their re-
lfgion or their church to any party,
Wing or Democrat. Catholic citizens,
as others, may be partisans, but the
church is not and cannot be a partisan,
and they must be aware of attempting
to make her so, and of doing or saying
anything that will embarrass the free
dom and independence of her clergy in
relation to the interests of religion.
do not want the Democratic or any
other party to feel that it has a special
right to count on the votes of Catho-
lies