The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-08-03
Balloting in the Sistine.

AL i.oHe mas peen watching for three
days the end of the pipe which protrudes
from the roof Of the historic Ststine
chapel for the traditional smoke which
arises from the little stove beneath where
In the voting papers of the cardinals are
destroyed after each fruitless scrutiny.
| The reported ballot Of Saturday gave lit
tie satisfaction, for it was, clouded with
dub1ety. The arrangements for ascertain-
Ing anything, made by the most astute
| reporter or correspondent, avail nothing
under the sedulous supervision of the mar
shall and the camerlengo. The figures OF
Saturday, if there was an element Of
truth in them, indicated possibility Of
compromise candidate. The late pope
left word that he would prefer as speedy
| election as was possible. He himself was
elected pope in less than two days and on
the third ballot. He was, equally with
Plus TX, determined sticlzler for MAX
Ing the conclave intangible to interference
| IN any form. Both ignored the claim Of
any right of any power to demand the ex-
clus1on of any candidate voted for or to
solicit votes for a favorite. It was mat
ter Of courtesy that the representative OF
Roman Catholic power was allowed to
notify cardinals that the election OF such
and such cardinal would be Objectionable
to the power he represented. There are
| several cases on record where the candi-
date objected to in this way before cleo
ton was chosen. and the election was con-
summated. A veto on a contaminated
election was never exercised.
Plus TX. took particular pains. in 1871,
to issue bull abolishing all intervention
by any power in the election. Later, in
+ 1874, and in 1873, he issued bulls aimed at
the italian government and in defense of
| the vatican against supposed aggressions
OF the house OF Savoy. Leo XIII. was then
camerlengo, and he devised further regu-
lations Of a stricter kind to guard the
| security Of the conclave which elected
| himself. During his reign, Leo is said to
have been most watchful Of intrigue and
| added more rigid rules to prevent the
conclave from being touched by the forces
of passion and interest. This is a natural
and laudable purpose. It is indeed one
of the advantages of the loss Of the tenn
poral power that the Roman popes are able
to manage their affairs for themselves and
not under the dictation Of secular power
! Public attention has been directed, since
the death of Leo XIII, to three strong
| men-Cardinals Rampolla, Seraf1no Van
| nutelli and Gotti, the last, born peasant
and a Genoese Carmelite monk Of plain
and simple habits, and sharing the views
Of the intransigents, the non-progressiv
and the last man in the world to play the
role of a thoroly modern and progressive
| pope, the only kind Of pope calculated to
build up and extend the influence Of the
Roman church. Vannutelli represents the
| element who would see safety and strength
for the church in getting out of the fog of
a, OBTAINING mediaevalism and. while main
| tanning dogma intact, draw inspiration
| from the rising sun. Rampolla started
with the field a little in advance, and is
credited with strong sympathy with the
policy Of his late master and calculated to
surprise the world with his modernity, and
is even spoken Of as a republican in ten
denotes. Probably a republican of the kind
Plus TX. was for a brief period. Cardinal
Oreglia, being advanced in years, may be
resorted Ito as a compromise candidate,
because he is too old to live to a very
great age and this would meet the views
of cardinals who have ambitions to wear
the tiara.