Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-10-01
Editor of the Democrat.

| ciple "the more the merrier" the re- l publicans seem to be increasing the l advocates for the Catholic vote. It
 would be interesting to know how many of those who are now so solici- l tous about the Catholic vote would l give their vote to relieve the Catholic 1 citizen of the double burden of school
 taxation. The number would scarcely
 be in proportion to the over one mil lion children whom the Catholic
 church is educating to become future citizens of the country. The Catholic 1 is a fine fellow about election time,
 but let him ask for the rights of con l science and these ardent admirers will
 drift away into, not innocuous desue- i tude, but very pronounced antagon- | ism. TT
 The latest accession to the ranks of l ''getters'' of the Catholic vote is Rev T. A. Dwyer. Ills contribution to the campaign literature Composing that he intended it to be such) is not very weighty. He pays a glowing and well deserved tribute to President Roose- !. welt as man of purity, uprightness, l patriotism and courage-all of which , could be said of Theodore Roosevelt before he became president or if he never ran for this high office. Is he so superior in all these Qual'+ies to others who have prece> ed hi, or to the honorable gentleman who is his present opponent? Just why these qualities should be particularly recom- mendable to Catholics now is not par ticularly clear, presenting of course their value as vote-getters. All the fa- vorable things he has said of Catholics are ancient history to some extent, yet until within few weeks there was no special furore created by them. The conclusion to be drawn from their present appearance Gin the minds of some politicians) is, vote for Roosevelt. The Catholic church, however, says to her children, vote as your consciences dictate.
 The Rev Dwyer quotes from Gar dinal Satolli's address to President Roosevelt concerning his telegrai of condolence on the death of Leo X I. A weighty argument, indeed, Wy Catholics should vote for Roosevelt! A Roman cardinal acknowledges an act of courtegy-an act shown by every existing ruler in civilfzed countries of our president, therefore all ye Cath olics vote for Roosevelt. The pamphlet containing the Rev Dwyer's address goes on to quote President Roosevelt's reply in which he said: 1t gives me pleasure to welcome you." It might be pertinently asked here to how many of Roosevelt's party was the cardinals coming a source of displeasure? The air was charged with rumors that a nunciatore was to he established at Washington and immediately polite fans of certain stripe were bristling with indignation. Rome was to get little stronger foothold here, and of course the pope at the head of his val liant cohorts would come and spread the pestilential fever of Romanism of the brave" And after the moun- fa i'm had been in labor the fahbed Ti-s dicuious mouse came forth. As events proved. Cardinal Satoln came on peaceful errand.
 Tn the pamphlet above mentioned there is a long quotation from speech made by President Roosevelt to the Brooklyn union of the Holy Name so- ciety. It was an admirable address and the pity Is that the pamphlet did not quote it in its entirety. But it, too, raises 8 few questions. First, how many of the alleged Catholic vote getters are actuated by the spirit of the Holy Name society? How many of them live up to its high standard of Christian morality? Tn too many cases they are the Catholics for whom the church has to blush, whom St Panl would call ''the scandal of the cross of Christ" Secondly, the members of the Holy Name union are of many na- tionaIities. American, Irish. German, Pole. Lithuanian and Italian. How would Senator Lodge and other anti immigrationists view this cosmopoli- tan aggre9ation? 1t is not transcend ing the bounds of truth to say that most of them hardly share the senti- ments of President Roosevelt. In the light Of the oft expressed opinion of many of Roosevelt's party the selec- ton of that particular speech as cam paign material was a fa-v nas, Con- cerning the getting of Catholic votes there seems to be a vaulting ambition that is o'erleaping itself. More Cath olic votes would come to republican ballot boxes if they would be less in- sistent in insulting Catholic intelli- gence.
 The Rev Dwyer seems to feel that he has transgressed the laws of pro- priety by writing the article quoted for ''The Sentinel of the Blessed Sacra- ment." He makes shalf-hearted apology for it and then tells the reason why and quotes President Roosevelt's words of annrohation.. Now, whoever knows President Roosevelt's sincerity will not call In doubt that he meant what he said But would not any honest man have encoura God a society whose object. to use President Roose- velt's own words, is ito make young men uprieht and brave and gentle, never fiinchinp from the strong, never wronginp the weak" But what partic- ular claim does this give him to the Catholic vote. simply because he ex- pressed an opinion that no honest man could gainsay?
 Apain we have rehearsed for us President Roosevelt's policy in the Philippines Rut the men who are now parading this are eloquently silent about the churches that were footed. whose spoils were brought home here to America and never an offender brought to justice. They say nothing of the murdered priest, whose murder CT is known, and who, if now alive breathes the adr of freedom. There were many colossal hIunders made in