The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-02-20

BRYAN'S DEFEAT.
Causes Of 1t Forcibly Presented by
-: = the Chicago citizen. =

Causes Of 1t ForcibIy Presented by
= the Chicago Citizen. "
Under the heading Of "The Com
moner and the Catholics" the Chicago
Citizen says:
We regret to find that the Common
er is still doing it's best to impress its
readers with the false idea that the
+ defeat of Mr.. Bryan was. due to the
detection of the Catholic Democratic
vote. In other. and palmer words. IT
implies that Catholics as members of
any political party are to be consid-
cred an uncertain quantity, because
subject to secret influences used by
the religious authorities of the Catho-
lie church. Boiled down to a narrower
but still logical conclusion to be drawn
from these false premises, the Catho-
lie, in the words Of the stale old cal
umny, has a divided allegiance. The
Commoner does not say so in it's edi-
torial columns, but it prints state.
ments of correspondents and extracts
from newspapers that propagate, this
false Impression, while it, suppresses
; the arguments that, maintain con
trary opinion. Thea Chicago. Citizen
took issue with the Commoner on this
subject several weeks ago, but it's pro-
test was never noticed. The Irish
Standard of Minneapolis on two occa-
sions objected to the statements and
line OF conduct adopted by the Com
mOner, but its complaints passed UNI
needed The Chicago Citizen and the
Irish Standard strenuously supported
Mr.. Bryan in the late presidential cam.
pagn Both papers are edited by.
Catholics who understand just as we'll
as Mr.. Bryan or the editor Of the
Commoner The. duty of giving to- God
he things that are Gods and TO Caesar
the things that are Caesars: AS a
Catholic VIC deny that any influence
has been brought TO bear by the au-
thorities of the Catholic church to-
make any Catholic citizen change his
vote from Bryan to Taft. If any non..
Catholic makes that assertion we cali
1t an error. If any Catholic makes such
d statement we denounce II in stronger
terms as falsehood, and challenge
him to give proof more substantial
than his word. There is' no Catholic
party in this country. because there is
no necessity for 1t. The Catholics of.
America will be found In all parties
except the party Of Socialism.
There are prelates and priests. who
In the exercise of their Individual citl-
zenship. affiliate with the Republican
party; and there are others who pre-
fer the platform of the Democratic
party. John Ireland gives his indl-
vidual support to the Republican party
in every way that any other citizen is
privileged to give it; by voice and pen.
and by his vote. The Archbishop of st.
Paul knows no POLITICAL party. We
Catholics never lose sight of the line
that separates the privileges of the cit
izen from the authority of the prelate.
Mr.. Bryan does not seem to understand
1t, and the miserable little nest of
bigots who are venting their spleen in
the columns Of the Commoner don't
want to- understand it. If Mr. Bryan
wants to..know our opinion as to the
causes of his defeat we will give it to
him for all 1t lis worth. In the person
ality of both candidates there was,
much to admire. but other influences
being left out, we believe that on the
question of personal qualifications Mr..
Bryan would have been more accept
able to the public. Mr.. Bryan was de.
feated, in the first place, because, with
the possible exception of Norman
Mack, the Democratic leaders were
not as, interested in the. election of,the
Democratic presidential candidate as.
they were in matters more pertinent
to their individual prestige in politics
nearer home. The energies of these
men if honestly intended were. weak
ened by contending interests, State and
National. The political chiefs who
fought Mr.. Taft's battle were, less in
fluenced by State interests, and behind
them stood the banks. the railroads