The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-05-01
NO PRESCRIPTION FOR RELIC
IOUS BELIEF.

AOSS
The guarantee in the Federal Con-
stltution is that Congress shall make
no law respecting the establishment
of religion, or prohibiting the free
exercise thereof" That provision was
not in the. Constitution as presented
for ratification, but, by the advice of
Jefferson, that amendment was in
corporated. 1t is the glory of America
that freedom of conscience and free
dom of speech and freedom of the
press constitute the foundation stones
upon which this Republic has been
established. In Virginia, in the early
days, when he saw dissenting preach
ers carried to Jail "fOr the crime of
preaching the gospel" Thomas Jeffer-
son secured the passage of a statute
for religious liberty in the Virginia
Assembly and said: II have sworn
upon the altar of God eternal hostility
against every form of tyranny over
the mind of man."
There is no place in public affairs
to see in the last issue of that excel
| lent paper, the Robesonian, the fol-
lowing communication from Rev p
r. Law:
1--WE have not seen it stated in any
paper, but the report is in circulation
that Judge Parker is IA Roman Cath
Ole. This is to be presumed untrue.
We cannot bring ourselves to think
that the popularity he has developed
could have been possible, if it had
been true and known. The uselessness
of spending time in nominating him
would be too obvious to loyal party
leaders for them to be pressing his
name as a candidate. No, he is no
Roman Catholic, we venture to say.
If he was his election would be so
obviously impossible, the fact would
have been exploited and his name
dropped long ere this
We have never heard any discus
sion of Judge Parker's religious creed.
His daughter married an Episcopal
clergyman. 1t is nobody's business to
what church Judge Parker belongs,
or whether he belongs to any church.
| The only question as to his candidacy
| is as to his political principles and
his personal character. No man of
| bad or doubtful character ought to
| be elevated to any office, and no such
| man could be nominated or elected
Why should it be impossible" to elect
| a member of the Catholic church.
whose life and public services quail
| fled him for the position? If Mr.. Law
| is right in his surmise, then we have
: not advanced as far in religious toler-
alton as we had fondly hoped.
There was time when we heard
about "a Presbyterian Governor" a
| Baptist Auditor" Methodist
Judge" and men of small calibre tried
to get elected by an appeal to denOmi-
national pride. If there be left any
| North Carolina, they are singing
mighty low, for the people are too
| broad minded and too hostile to mix
church and State or to countenance
such electioneering.
| One of the greatest men North
| Carolina ever produced, Judge Gas
| ton, was a devout Catholic. Though
| inclined to the Baptist persuasion
Nathaniel Macon stood for Judge Gas
tons right to hold public office. To-
| day some of the foremost men in pub
lie life are Catholics. They are Meth
er better nor worse for belonging to
! that church. No man who will read
Justice Whites great opinion in the
| South Dakota case will for a moment
fear that his membership in the Cath
| Ollie church would endanger our free
| institutions. If he were named for
| he would receive would be from his
| Protestant neighbors in Louisiana.
| Let US have no prescription of any
man because of his religious creed
/ aud no SlIoOpctipn of il.