The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1904-10-22
THE PRIEST IN POLITICS.

Some time ago the mail from Washington
brought letter to the editor of this paper from
professor ex-professor of law at the Catho-
lie university. Accompanying the personal letter
was yet another that, if printed. would fiji a
column of space. 1t showed the hand of master
OF composition. There were few paragraphs of
! general Catholic information gathered at the
capital. The rest clever brief in support of
a straw assumption that Catholic interests in the
Philippines could be promoted only through the
reelection of President Roosevelt and a calamity
would overtake the church in the islands if the
Democratic candidate succeeded. In the personal
letter to the editor the writer was good enough to
bestow some barney anent the merits and influence
of the Intermountain Catholic, adding that he
acted upon information" regarding our political
choice to make bold in sending "the enclosed"
The enclosed" along with the barney was con-
signed to the waste basket.
The name of the professor of law. even the Incl
dent itself lapsed in memory until revived the
other day by printed leaflet bearing this title:
'''One of the Nobest of Presidents so Rev. T. a.
Dryer says in the Sentinel of the Blessed Sacra-
ment" The leafet did not come through the mail
to this Office. Perhaps the Republican circulating
bureau got "a bunch" as to the true character of
this non-partisan and Catholic newspaper The
copy at hand was directed to Catholic whose
business and associations belong to corporations
and he had goodly bunch of the leaflets sent to
him to distribute The bureau of circulation. with
a keen perception of corporation influence I'M
doubtedly thought they were safe in taking
chances upon this gentleman, who is also mem
Der of the Knights of Columbus. But this time
they were mistaken. The whole bunch was laid
upon our table, and all but the one before US like
the almost forgotten lawyers letter. was tumbled
into the waste basket
About this eulogy to Zone of the Noblest of
Presidents" not much need be said. When the
priest started out by saying that ''Whatever may
be his political views, we have reason to believe
that every fair minded citizen viii agree with rs
when we speak of President Roosevelt as a Provi
Dental man., the impression is conveyed that a
number, or at least one "Provdential'" man is not
yet canonized and enrolled in the Calendar of
Saints. And again, when the presidents eulogist
carves imaginary statue, standing in the
fierce light that beats upon throne, if we are
not convulsed with the humor of that figure we are
at least prepared for the contents of an ordinary
campaign document, its purpose differing from
others only that it speaks for and is intended for
Catholics, and differing from others, too, in its
superabundance of literary ''slop over"
Nobody can, nobody viii deny Rev. T. A. Dryer
of Brooklyn, n. Y, full and fair expression of his
political choice. He is citizen of the United
States He may even express his views in the
public prints, even in the columns of some
Catholic newspapers whose editors have an anchor
cast to windward. The good or the harm in SO
doing may be discussed by priests and laymen, but
right of the citizen priest is injured. 1t is
simply deplored something lacking good taste
good form. But when the citizen priest be-