Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-31
DEMANDS OF Government
Criticism of Politicians in the United
States.
REPLY TO CARDINAL GIBBONS
Roman Catholic Church Declared to
Have Been Merciless Toward
Other Religionists.

when 1 see politicians Of all grades,
from the President down to the village DOSE
bowling before them in deepest obeisance'
when our chief magistrate, according TO
his own expression, searches with a MI
croscope for a man Of their religion whom
he may exalt to a position in the cabinet,
I tremble for the result. France demands
that her ministers shall first of all be
Frenchmen; that they shall, In things tenn
poral, acknowledge the government 10 oe
supreme But the United States refuses 10
learn the lesson which is taught by every
nation where Rome has the supremacy.
Brethren, beware. God lives. Inc
politician that puts place and office before
liberty and right shall perish, and his very
memory shall rot"
In this fashion Rev. DR.. Joseph e. Smith,
pastor of the Grace M E. Church, 9th and
streets northwest, last night brought 10
q close a strongly wOrded sermon upon the
subject, France and Religious Liberty: A
Reply to Cardinal Gibbons"
THE present condition in France Is the
result Of centuries Of teaching and OF po-
litical intermeddling upon the part OF tne
church." he said. For long centuries that
church has had not supremacy mereIy-lt
has been wellnigh the sole religion OF the
been crushed by a merciless hand. The
edict of Nantes, which for a time gave
some protection to the ProteStants, was
revoked and 100000 of her best citizens
were banished from her soil. The mas
sacre of st. Bartholomew was intended to
rid the kingdom of all who did not bow TO
the mandate of Rome, and between 3o,oUo
and 100000 persons were butchered IN colo
blood
Six Hundred Years.
Dr. Smith reviewed conditions which have
obtained in France from the time of the
issuance of the bull known as the Unum
Sanctum by Boniface VIII, In 1907, to
the celebration of the six-hundredth ami
versary of it's publication, in 1902, speaking
of the conflicts between church and state
in that country of the concordat entered
into by Napoleon with the pope, and OF
other historical occurrences.
Taking up directly his answer to Cardi-
nal Gibbons" Rev. Mr.. Smith said: "Cardi-
nal Gibbons says that France has treated
her noblest citizens with injustice and In
humanity, and he complains that our coun-
try, which has sympathy for the oppressed
of all nations, has raised no protest nor ut
tered a word Of sympathy. He charges that
the course of the rulers is inspired by a
hatred of religion. Well, II this is true.
who is to blame? For long centuries edu-
cation has been almost wholly in the hands
of the priests. If a nation of atheists Is the
best product of their religion, 1t Is surely
time for the people of this and other coun-
tries to take warning.
But let it be understood that Cardinal
Gibbons, despite his claim to broadness Is
as ultra and as narrow papist as is the
Cardinal Merry del VAL whose course ne
openly defends. If France had entered
upon a course of prescription of Protestant
ism, If she had closed every church and
school throughout her territory but those
of the papal church, this eminent ecclesias-
tic, this man who has the ear OF our
President, whom it is the fashion just now
Of Protestants to eulogize this man, say,
would have been as silent as the Sphinx
Comparison Instituted.
IT know it is easy to say that this Is
bigotry and prejudice. These are common
epithets. They are hurled without thought
or mercy at every man who dares to ex-
pose the plans and purposes of the church
at Rome But they are never used against
the Jesuit gospelers, who roam the country
and who proclaim from their pulplts that
Professionalism is not religion.
But why do 1 make these charges
against Cardinal Gibbons? I will tell you,
and this is not hearsay. l know 1t to be
true. There is in Chicago a company OF
ministers .Tho, Tor several years, sought
earnestly to have the restrictions against
Protestant worship in some of the South
American states removed. They wrote to
Cardinal Gibbons asking him to use his In
f1uence to bring about rellglous nperty IN
silent but, finally, in response to re-
peated entreaties, he said that this was
political matter IN which he dare not inter-
fere. Now, Cardinal Gibbons knew when
he wrote that reply that the states had
enacted those laws in obedience to the
church. He knew that whenever, there or
elsewhere, any state proposes 10 give re-
ligious liberty to it's people his church OPP
poses 1t with all the energy it possesses
"And this explains why l am making this
address. / want that you shall know why
France has beel compelled to pursue TINS
would imagine there are none but A.Oman-
lists in France. No mistake could be greater,
for the French people in large numbers are
forsaking the Romish for the Protestant
religion. 90 that there are now in Paris
and its enyirons no less than 100 churches.
Why do you hear no protests from the
Protestants in France: here Is the n
swer in a nutshell. Protestants are law
abiding people. They are wiling TO ac-
Knowledge in all things secular the su-
premacy of the state.
What Hierarchy Proclaims.
"You have noticed that the papal HER
archy proclaims the separation OF church
and state as Infamous persecution. When
men claim to be supreme both In church
and state any resistance to that claim may
easily be branded as usurpation Of rights.
Rome complains that France has annulled
the concordat without notice. The facts
are that the pope violated Its terms.
1.-The law passed IN france year ago
provided that within a year after its pro-
mitigation the property Of the churches will
be transferred to associations: that the
church must make application to the state
for the privilege Of holding the property
and of conducting religious services OBJ
serve there has been no desire or purpose
on part Of the state to deprive the church
of the property or to prevent the customary
religious services. The state does assert
its authority in all temporal affairs. and it
demands that this shall be acknowledged
by the church"
Rev. Dr. Smith was emphatic in calling
attention to the fact that nothing more than
he had outlined was required of the
church. land" he concluded, this Is
branded by Cardinal Gibbons as confisca-
ton"