Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1911-02-18
In the South Is Not Confined
to Any One State Says
Priest.
People RespOn-
sible For the Shameful
Conditions.
why Mother Church Grows
More Rapidly I'm the
North.
WATSON and HIS MAGAZINE

That Hon. Ben Johnson, of Mel
son county, Kentucky, is not the
only man in the South to be
ostracised on account of his Cathol-
icism, is evident from the fact that
the International Catholic Truth So
ciety has just issued a little pamph-
let from its press in New York on
similar subject. The pamphlet Is
from the pen of the Rev. Father
Lucian Johnston, a ,Southerner as
we'll as a Catholic priest. His work
is entitled "The Shame of It." The
author deals with the entire South
as Hon. Ben Johnson deals with
Kentucky Except in unity of thought
there is no particular connection be-
tween the complaints of Father
Johnston and Ben Johnson.
Father Johnston's little pamphlet
is direct appeal to the good sense
and common decency of the people
of the Southern race who profess
Professionalism The immediate pur-
pose is to call their attention to the
vile publication of Watson's Jeffer-
sonian Magazine published monthly
at Thomson, Ga. Month after month
this magazine has been pouring out
gallons of vitriolic poison, immoral
suggestions and worn-out calumnies
against the Catholic church and it's
members. In a strong and stirring
way Father Johnston appeals to
their decency to suppress such vile
methods of indecency. without
mincing his words he expresses the
very plain fact that silence on the
part OF the ministry gives consent to
it all. He but asks that they fight
fair and seriously points out to them
the inevitable conclusion of it all.
that judging by the experience of
past centuries the effect of such per-
secution and malice in the long run
will be as detrimental to Protestant
ism and their common Christianity
as to the struggling Catholic COM
munity in their midst.
The appeal, If read, can not fail
to awaken the conscience of the
Southern people, coming as it does
from Southern priest, the son of
Richard Malcolm Johnston, a real
benefactor of the South. The days
Of Northern blgotry are past. This
pamphlet should prove effective in
clearing the air of intolerance in
the South.
"The Shame of 1t" is appealing to
the higher principles of the Prot
estants of the South in accepting
and tolerating the malicious bigotry
OF Thomas Watson, of Georgia Men
who know little about the Catholic
church sometimes express surprise
at its rapid growth in the northern
part OF the United States and its
slow progress in the Southern
States. Catholic truth has had its
long struggles in the North. Bigotry
malicious lying and intolerant leg
islation, all arose and threw their
weight against the Catholic church
in every Northern State within the
last century and many an injustice
and horror resulted. But the strength
OF the faith and the magnificent
power OF endurance on the part OF
Catholics have almost completely rid
the air of the poisonous gases OF
bigotry and religious intolerance
The peace and harmony of the
church in the North is crown and
a reward won on many bitter field
In the SLOW progressing South the
battle is still going on. Poverty and
the scarcity of priests and churches
have been fertile ground for the
production of religious bigotry. The
Catholic church, capable OF winning
the approval OF the most learned al
well as the most illiterate, has had
to meet In the South the most un.
favorable and hard-headed condi.
tions 1t has ever been confronted
with. Not because of its depths o,
learning or because of its illiteracy
or lack OF refinement, but because
nowhere has II met with such un
scrupulous opposition. Bigotry
most rampant. Intolerance and alb
solutely detestable outrage have
been thrown In her pathway.
A century of abuse and misrepre
sentation OF the Catholic church hai
Just passed. Men bearing the title
OF the ministry of the Protestan
churches. apparently sincere in theil
own beliefs, have constantly n
speech and In writing thrown asid,
all the rules OF decency and truth
whenever they referred TO the Cath
Ollie church, with the result that 4
is almost universally despised. hate,
and misunderstood in these PARTS
The Jealous missionary touching tn,
most virgin soul Of the interior O
North Carolina or Georgia will b.
confronted by the commonest typ
OF ignorant farmer with the words
Indeed, Mr.. Priest, know al
about you. have read Thirt,
Years In He'll and you can't com
around TO fool me-" Surely tn
devil has worked overtime in tn
South through the hands OF In,
missionaries, ministers and acid
penned editors.