Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1911-02-11

to his thoughts after the issuance of
the statement was Capt. w. I. Ellis,
of Owensboro, leading Democrat
and a non-Catholic. Immediately
after reading Mr.. Johnson's card of
withdrawal Capt. Ellis told an in
terviewer:
'The policy pursued by those who
control the affairs of our party seem
suicidal and unless they listen to the
warning voice of the people, l doubt
seriously whether our party, with all
its majority in this State, can elect
its State ticket next November. 1t
was a manly, courageous and pa
triotic statement of Mr.. Johnson of
the political situation which seems to
confront him. I think his summary
of the situation justified this fact.
B. F. Johnson would make one of
the finest Governors Kentucky ever
had since the days of Isaac Shelby
"The only thing in my opinion
that remains for the Democratic
party this year to do, If 1t really.
earnestly desires to reap a victory in
November, Is to call off this primary
and give the Democrats of the State
opportunity to meet in an old-fash-
loned convention and select some
man who can lead the party to VIC
tory in November"
Desha Breckenridge, editor of the
Lexington Herald, is rather inclined
to find fault with the attitude OF
Mr.. Johnson. On Sunday morning
he said in part:
''The record of Mr.. Johnson's own
life seems to us conclusive proof
that in Kentucky membership in the
Catholic church is not a bar to
political preferment. At the moment
we do not think of any man in the
State as young as he who has had
heaped upon him so many political
honors. And worthily has he worn
them. Not only is his own career a
refutation of the charge that men,
bership in the Catholic church is a
bar to political preferment. but
nearly evry city and county in the
State has given proof that political
preferment Is not determined by re-
ligious affiliations. Members of the
Legislature, of the highest judiciary
of the State, Mayors, Sheriffs,
County Clerks, officers of every sort
are elected in Kentucky, irrespective
of whether they belong to the Cath
Ollie or to Protestant church. 1t is
true that members of the Catholic
church are strongly inclined to vote
for those who belong to that church;
equally true that members of the
Christian church, the Baptist church
the Presbyterian church, in many
cases, are controlled in casting their
vote by the associations formed and
the friendship engendered because
of church relations. 1t is also true
that there are men who are opposed
to any man who belongs to the Cath
olic church.
Eve are too young, as is also Mr.
Johnson, to recall when the Know
Nothing party gained temporary as
tendency. But we are somewhat
familiar, as is also Mr.. Johnson, with
the fight for freedom made against
temporarily overwhelming odds
which led to the destruction OF thai
party. We have read with intense
interest the accounts of those days
as we have also read the accounts OF
the debates between the representa-
tives of the Catholic church and the
Representatives of the Presbyterian
church preceding and following the
rise and fall of the Know Nothing
party.
1--WE of this day can but family
realize the intense bitterness OF those
days. 1t is not the part Of wisdom
for man of the ability, of the char
acter, OF the attainments, who has
had heaped upon him the politica
honors which have gone TO Mr.. John.
son to do aught to rekindle the
ashes of that conflagratlon."
Undoubtedly the ablest editoria
on the subject is that which appeared
in the Louisville Herald OF las
Sunday. We quote:
Congressman Ben Johnson give
as reasons for his unexpected re
tirement from the race for the
Democratic nomination that the ex
istence OF widespread religiou
prejudice In Kentucky makes hi
\ candidacy inexpedient and a menace
10 his party. His announcement O
withdrawal impresses US as a sin
gularly frank and manly document
and goes far to establish Mr.. John
son in our regard. II takes characte
and courage to relinquish worth
ambition In order to serve the high
est interests OF party and State, an'
tho man who manifests these quail
ties Is deserving OF honor from hi
fellow citizens. whatever may be hi
political allegiance. But the clrcum
stances that have impelled him h
eliminate himself are not creditabl
to Kentucky. That at this era o
history. In time OF enlightenmen
and religious liberty. a man shoul