The Irish standard., 1907-08-03
AFFAIRS IN FRANCE
Some Reasons Why Catholics
Exert Slight Influence.
Religious Question Counts For
Little in Elections.

Boston wrote to an intimate friend
one of the best known priests in the
Midi. France, asking for a simple an
swer to a question frequently asked
by American Catholics in their sin
cere desire to explain the condition of
their brethren in France. The answer
was lately received and is given to
The Pilot for the benefit of our read
ers, as follows:
You ask me how it happens that
with so many Catholics in France such
condition as our present one has
!: come about and can exist.
anti-clerical Chamber and, as a result.
a government of the same color. How
is it that the French Catholics, in ma
jority. elect such deputies? The ques-
ton is very embarra ssing. because so
complex. and 1 will try to give what I
believe to be the principal causes,
which do not, however, exclude other
possible explanations.
lone ought, first to consider the ac-
tual number of practical Catholics.
That done, it is seen that the majority
of French voters are neither anti-re-
ligious nor hostile to the Catholic
faith Why. then, do these men vote
for anti-clerical deputies? Here is my
reply.
L., Because elections in France do
Our adversaries admirably understand
how to shift the ground of the electoral
struggle and to choose the most favor
able for themselves. Without doubt.
they succeed the more easily since the
greater number of electors, except the
very practical Catholics. if they are
quite Indifferent to religious quarrels.
The elections are concerned special.
questions. Ministerial candidates are
called candidate for the defense of the
republic. j. e.. defenders of the repub
lican form of government. which is
"threatened" by Conservatives or Cath
olics. At election time in 1906. NJ.
Clemenceau set in circulation rumors
public. planned by influential Catho-
lies and anarchists. The news of this
pretended conspiracy rapidly spread
through the country and had a very
telling effect on the elections. The
candidates, straight anti-clericals
called themselves again champions of
peace, accusing us of desiring for
eign war. The same charge is set in
circulation these days, to prevent the
collections asked for the support of
the clergy.
Again. the electoral battle involved
social questions, pensions for working
men, imposts on revenues, defense. of
the proletariat, labor VS.. capital, etc.
+ Our opponents promise Utopian re-
forms without considering the posi-
bility of their realization. So they
i make the highest electoral bid. dis
honest maneuver which Catholics can
not initiate, and by which the masses
OF voters allow themselves to be de-
cetved as larks are by mirror 1t
is true that few radical candidates
sometimes speak openly of the strug-
I gle. against clericalism. but even then,
/ following Gambetta and NJ Coombes
they are careful to distinguish between
ciericalism and religion, which. they
/ maintain, are two distinct things.
q. You ask me why the Catholics
do not take the same attitude, or, If
\ they do. why do they not gain con-
troll? Because the French people have
been led to believe that the clergy and
the church were the enemies of the
republican form of government and OF
social reform. This is the work of a
Very powerful press, supported, prob
ably, by Jewish capitalists, which has
known how to steal march on the
55SSIdlhoiic press, ana Wnlcn is aided by
numerous small committees, depend
ants more or less directly on the Free
MASON lodges.
TIT must be admitted that certain
Enrominent Catholic leaders of parties
and some large Catholic papers (sucr
Eas5 La Criox. La verite. La Libre Pa
role. L'Autorite. etc.) have been ant
still are openly anti republican. Ar
Eincident. which places this statemen,
Ehsyond a doubt was the opposition
E.hicha the exhortations of Leo XIII
-Emst from. any Catholics, and the hos
Utility which followed the former popu.
slarity Of Cardinal Lavigerie, when hi
pronounced his famous toast, "Adhe.
Esion to the Republic" If all Catholic.