The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1911-03-11
SOME INSTANCES OF
CATHOLIC TOLERANCE
A Careful Inquiry Shows That Toler
alton in Ireland is Virtue
of the Catholics.
Election Contests Show Catholics
to be Generous to Protest
ant Minority.
Catholics of Ireland Have Never
Retaliated by Religious
Persecution.

or late there has been much talking
and writing about tolerance here in
iceland. The discussion has been
kept alive by the complaints Of the
Ulster Unionists that Under a Home
Rule government they would not re-
crtNc fair treatment at the hands of
the Catholic majority. The complaint
licved by any but the more ignorant
d,,rrs of II selfish leadership which
wishes not equality or fair play. but
rather to pcrpetuate its own ascend
ancys. writes II correspondent Of the
Catholic Columbian.
During the past year have on vari-
GUS occasions given instances to show
that wherever the Catholics and Ma
ttonalists have any power to bestow
office or confer privileges, they are
more than generous to the Protestant
minority. The mhligners of their
count:ymen who asesert otherwise
wish not that the power should come
from the people simply because they
Gesirc to possess an unfair share Of
it from another source.
gave the example Of Catholic Kill
kenny comforting its freedom OLA II
Jcwess. the wife of a Protestant land
lord. and also the instance OF the new
Catholic Bishop OF Cavan on the day
OF his conservation advising his Cath
olc representative men to go out of
candidates from the minority, wheth-
or in politics or religion. The Irish
Catholics never prosecuted on account
Of religion. and that this is their ha
bitual attitude of mind is abundantly
borne out by past history and pres
en- facts. In the past | have referred
to this in single instances. 1 have
low IN opportunity to show from
more general view of the whole coun-
try.
Election Hero and There.
Liz sillu OLHci AOCdl ClSC-
tions take place in Ireland in Janu-
airy. A. few words Of explanation as
to how ireland differs from America
in these matters will make the facts
1 am about to give more Ineligible
and may not be without interest in
| themselves
The elections are held under the
local government act, passed by the
last Tory government. Prior to this
act all local administration was prac-
ticallv in the hands of the grand jury
appointed annually by the county high
sheriff. who was himself nominated by
Dublin Castle. This act, however,
changed all that and gave extensive
power in local affairs to the people
In addition to the administration in
cities the people now elect public bod
les who administer the affairs OF
counties. OF towns, of villages and dis
tricts. The various bodies have aft
cr their own election the power to
meet and elect thci- chairman and to
| make appointments to other Offices.
some Of them quite important. What
| wc would call the mayor in America
is not in Ireland, whether in city or
town. elected by direct vote of the
people, but is elected by the council
as their chairman from one of their
own number. This office and that OF
high sheriff are the most important in
the gift OF the various councils, as
both are well paid in themselves and
nave considerable patronage at their
disposal, besides In three cities.
Dublin, Belfast and Cork, the chief
magistrate has the title of lord mayor,
while in eight others he has the title
OF simply mayor.
In Ulster there is not a single in
stance where a Protestant or Union.
ist council in town or county has Sc
lected Catholic for any post of hon.
or. Cork and Limerick reelected
Protestant high sheriffs. and both are
Unionists to boot. Catholic Wexford
selected a Protestant mayor.
| Three other Catholic towns select
ed Protestant chairmen and two more
I Protestant vice-chairn1en. In Derry
the Catholic people are in the ma
jority but the city In go gerryulau.