The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1912-12-05
A Church and State Affair in Ngassa-
chusetts.
Q. s, Longacre in Liberty"

= EW England has been greatly
In agitated over the recent visit
Of President Taft to Boston.
The Boston Charitable irish
Society of Catholics gave President
Taft a royal banquet On the evening
of March Is in the Banquet Hall of
the Hotel Somerset The program
for the evening was previously ar
ranged, and Cardinal O'C0nnell was
to occupy the position Of first place
next to the President in the com
monweaIth of Massachusetts, and
Governor Foss and Mayor Fitzgerald
were to occupy third and fourth
places respectively Accordingly
Cardinal O'Connell was seated next
to President Taft on his right, and
was also accorded the SECOND posi-
ton on the program of speeches for
the occasion.
The presiding officer Of the Irish
Society introduced Cardinal O'Con-
nell as the first citizen of the com
monweaIth Of Massachusetts," The
governor OF the State was informed
that the cardinal of the Roman
Catholic Church was to occopy the
first position as the representative
of the church and be introduced as
''the first citizen Of the common
wealth OF Massachusetts,, and that
the highest civil officer of the COM
monwealth was to come in as the
second citizen; and thereupon the
governor refused TO be present and
take part in the program, being un-
willing to have the church exalted
above the State on. such an OCCa-
sion.
The stand which the governor
took has caused much comment
throughout the country, and has
started heated controversy. A few
quotations from the daily newspa
pers will indicate the feeling that
exists The Boston Journal Of
March 81 contained the following
editorial, under the title CT Church
and State: -
Governor Foss must be COM
mended and supported in his stand
that the governor Of this common
wealth can not take a secondary
place at a public affair to any church
official OF any church, however ex-
allied or dignified. 1t is unfortunate
that such a question was ever pre-
cipitated, because the people at
large do not wish such question
ever to be raised. But being raised,
there is absolutely no question as to
what the people Of the State will DE
eide They will not suffer the public
representative Of all the people TO
wait till any<ecc1esiasttc has taken
superior place.
Another article, entitled "A Pro-
test, appeared in the same paper
on the same date, and reads as fol
lows:-
ITO the Editor of the Boston
Journal: The Pope's power in
America needs a shock to adjust it
to it's proper place. When foreign
representative demands precedence
over cur governor, it is high time
for another Martin Luther. 1t may
be we'll for Europe to be under the
Pope's thumb and subgervient to his
wish, but in America it is about time
such madievalism came TO a close,
and orders of precedence in State
matters not be dictated by Cardinal
O'Connell or any other prelate. Ii
Catholics are cultured enough to un-
derstand and not approve this action,
then it is time the cardinal learned
that he is in America. In any event,
an apology is due our governor.
Evidently the Catholics do not IN
tend to make an apology for placing
the cardinal above the governor on
this occasion, as the following, pub