The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1912-08-03
OUR NATIONAL POLITICS
ny W. ~ Maiden

mn z are aware of the fact that The
HI Menace is not primarily a Do
- ntical paper: yet Roman Ca
tholicism cannot BE- dealt With
properly. unless Ne consider u a Do
iitical factor. Had 40 recognized this
fact sooner. Il would have been better
for ua aa a nation. However. our
eleventh-hour awakening may make
us the more diligent In the matter.
A national crisis IL on.
Our beloved institutions are tottsr
Ing under the mighty waves OF Catholt.
clam. Our eyes behold strange sights;
our ears hear the weird cries Of the
MIDDLE ages: our dreams are Of tears
and bloodshed. The world 10 breath
lessly watching the stage OF modern
history 10 see what the next scene
viii be In America. VIII this inqul.
tous wave be repulscd. or is Il only the
beginning OF Overwhelming undula,
tionsg God only knows.
The trend OF Affairs In America VIII
be largely affected by the coming pres.
idential election; az which time Amer
lean men will have a chance 20 show
the world whether or not they are
worthy descendants OF their grand
tires who fought and died on the
held OF battle for the sake OF civil
aud religious freedom. The question
OF the rule OF Catholicism in America
must soon be settled az the poles. or
II Will have 10 be settled on the Geld
OF carnage. Some may say that We are
unduly alarmed. ] would say In reply
that n our national AFFAIRS continue
70 drift as they have drifted In the
last few years, soon there will be no
rational occasion for alarm--ours will
be a hopeless cause. Should the CON
sumptlve be alarmed after his lungs
are decayed? Had he not better be
alarmed at the time of the inciplency
Of the diseasel Is Il worth while for
the army picket TO watch, after tho
enemy has conquered and captured
all his comrades?
Whether the masses believe Il or
not, we are in the beginning OF q
great struggle for liberty. Shall We
settle the question now, or shall We
give the enemy more time 70 fortify
themselvesg The approaching general
election will be the first decisive bat.
tie In this struggle for liberty. The
Rcman Catholics have said through
their leaders and through the papers
that are dominated by them, that Mr..
Taft must be the next president; and
We all know why they have said Il.
He has favored them as no other
president has dared TO do. And now
they like his fayoritism so well that
they want the same man In once
again.
To defeat Mr.. Taft will be 10 crush
With a mighty blow the Roman Cath.
ole political machine that has been
nguring so largely In our national
politics In the last few years. I'm.
doubtedly other presidential candi.
dates have bowed TO Rome, but they
have never gone so far beyond bounds
OF reason as he has; and we have good
reason TO believe they never will. The
fact that Roman Catholics so enthusi-
astically support Mr.. Taft, is a proof
that OF all the candidates, they con-
slider him their stRunchest friend.
To defeat Mr.. Taft will be a splen.
! did object lesson for other politicians.
II, after Mr.. Taft's open espousal OF
the cause OF Catholicism, he is dis.
gracefully defeated. other men will
learn that such a step on their part
would mean certain defeat also.
/ This is by no means a petty politi-
cal squabble; our very religious free.
dom and life itself are involved in
this question; therefore political lines
should be utterly forgotten. Repub-
licans and democrats should work side
by side with this one aim in view.
Prohibitionists should cooperate in
this matter. for there 10 no deadlier
enemy 20 prohibition than the Ro-
man hierarchy. Socialists should do
likewise, for in so doing they oppose
the most oppressive oligarchy that
ever hisgraced the earth. To oppose
Mr.. Taft is to oppose Roman Catholl-
cism; to vigorously oppose Roman Ca
tholicism at the present time is to
keep our sons from the sickening
scenes OF the battlefield and our
daughters from widowhood.