The Irish standard., 1905-06-03
ARE CATHOLICS AT DISADvAN.
TAGE?


discussion of some interest by publish
ing statistics showing that the Cath
olics of the state OF Massachusetts
are disseminated against in the mat
ter of appointments. The complaint
is made that Governor Douglas, who
no doubt received a very large per-
centage of the Catholic vote of Massa-
chusetts, has not been sufficiently llp
eral to that large element of Massa-
chusetts voters. The discussion of the
matter by the Republic has been TAX
en- up by the New York Sun. The
Sun would have people believe that
there is no ground for criticism and
that Catholics are not Disseminated
against AT any rate it deprecates
the raising of the religious issue in
politics. On the last proposition we
agree with the Sun. In fact all that
that paper has to say upon the sub
ject is in keeping with the American
spirit and should be heartily endorsed
by all For that reason what the Sun
has to say is worthy of reproduction
and is as follows
The circumstance that only mi
nority of the officeholders bearing the
commission of the state of Massachus-
etts are Roman Catholics is no sort Of
justification for the complaint that
people of that religious faith are dis
criminated against The religious
faith of officeholders is matter of
Importance only to the men them
selves. 1t cannot enter into considera-
tion as political factor without Of
fence to our political system. 1t is
expressly excluded by the constitution
wholly outside the domain of Ameri.
can politics. When an attempt to lug
it into our politics was made in the
middle of the last century and a per-
nicious agitation resulted the Ameri-
can people soon rebuked the imperti
nence and finally drove out the issue
from the field of politics.
"Of what avail, asks our correspond
ent, is the eligibility of any natural
born citizen to the presidency, ire
spective of his religious belief, if prac-
tically this constitutional privilege is
nullified by the people? But it is not
nullified The question has never
been raised; the issue has never been
before the people.
The American people are free to
elect to the presidency whom they
choose, provided that he is "a natural
born citizen of 35 years of age or
more. They can elect Protestant, a
Roman Catholic, Jew or an intidel
Any political party is free to nominate
a candidate, within these restrictions
as to nativity and to age, whatever
may be his private views as to reli-
gion. Nobody, then. is Disseminated
against except the foreign born and
those below the prescribed age.
"A man having been put before the
people as candidate, they can vote
for him or against him on any ground
which seems sufficient to them, and
under the constitution he cannot be
elected unless he gets majority OF
the electoral votes, or, if the election
is thrown into the House OF Represen
tatives, majority of the states.
"The suggestion that If Mr. Roose
welt should turn Catholic and run
again for the presidency he would be
defeated by a larger majority than he
was elected by is a mere conjecture
of no pertinence. Mr.. Roosevelt has
announced repeatedly his determine
tiOn never again to be candidate FOL
the presidency; but his decision is en-
tirely voluntary. There is nothing II
the constitution to prevent his running
again, and If he runs again the people
have a constitutional right again t.
elect him, whatever may be his relig
ious belief or however much or it'll,
of religious belief he may have. Whel
Thomas Jefferson ran for presiden
many citizens voted against his as
French infidel,' and they acted within
; their prerogative, however unreason