The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1911-11-25
Open Letter to Roosevelt


Not long ago you accused the
Y. NJ. C. A. Of unfairness because
its constitution does not place
Catholics on the same footing nor
grant 10 them the same privileges
a. 20 Protestants. I myself
would consider il a better and
wiser policy 10 eoncede 10 them
the same privileges provided they
would pledge themselves both 10
maintain It's Christian and uncer-
tain constitution and to accept
the Christian Bible.
i believe that such a policy
would accomplish far reaching
and incalculable good, bringing
into closer relation Catholics and
Protestants, dispelling mutual
Misunderstanding and prejudices,
and promote the universal broth
erhood Of man 50 long and earn
estly desired by Christians
throughout the world.
IA the same time. I must say
in passing that as a Roman Cath
olic theologian i cannot explain
the conduct Of Archbishop Ire
land in this matter except by
thinking that he was playing a
very shrewd trick in order 70 mis-
lead public American opinion and
TO expose as sectarian the Y. NJ. G.
A. A great many Americans TAX
ing the words and acts Of Arch
bishop Ireland on their face value
may be induced 10 believe that II
the Y. M. G. A. should grant TO
Catholics the same privileges as TO
Protestants, the former could be-
come members of this institution,
when Archbishop Ireland knows
as well as ! do that such Is not the
case. Even admitting the hypo-
thesis that the Y. M. Q. A. should
grant not only the same privileges
but even greater ones and should
give the leadership of the organi-
zation TO Catholics, Catholics
could by no means become men,
bers Of the institution.
Every Catholic who goes 10 hear
hereto preachers on religious
topics or joins with them in acts
Of worship commits not a slight
offense and one easily forgiven
but he commits a heinous and NOR
tai sin. Archbishop Ireland knows
as well as / do that / can eorrobo-
rate my assertion by the testimony
of hundreds Of the soundest and
most reliable Roman Catholic au-
thorities, which testimony / am
willing and ready TO furnish IL
you desire IL. II is really aston
ishing to me how easily the Roman
Catholic hierarchy succeeds in con-
cealing the ughest and narrowest
aspects Of the Roman Catholic doc
trines and how easily they are able
to mislead keen politicians and
alert public writer's as they 20 Of
ten do in the United States.
But rather than put any stress
on that incident, already past, j
intend 10 point out 10 you some
cases Of plain unfairness, which no
one criticizes because they are
committed by the Roman Catholic
church.
The Roman Catholic church
dares 10 say TO a Protestant, by no
means can you marry a Catholic,
unless the marriage be performed
by a Catholic priest, and an oath
taken that all children born Of the
union shall be instructed in the
doctrines Of the Roman Catholic
church and be reared as Catholics /;
and neither you nor any important
paper in this country accuse il Of
unfairness, narrowness and sec
tarianism.
Catho.ss are taking the Bibles
ont Of our public scools whenever
and wherever il Is possible for
them 10 do ii and then discredit-
ing this greatest of American in
stitutions by calling IL ungodly
and pernicious. They are estab-
fishing their psrochial schools,
wherein the most bigoted Roman
ism Is taught since foreign friars
and foreign nuns are largely the
teachers. Bishops have been
known to compel, under penalty
of mortal sin, parents TO take their
lchildren out Of the public schools
and 10 send them TO .he parochial
schools, and neither you nor any
important paper have warned the
nation Of the tremendous and sim
ister influence that must thereby
be exerted in the near future on
American ideals and civilization.
The Roman Catholic church has
organized the political rather than
the religious society Of the
Knights of Columbus, which
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