Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1912-03-02
Day For Explanation or Apol-
ogy by Catholics Has
Passed.
Church, ,FavOrCivil Government
Best Adapted to Our
People.
STAND FOR CLEAN and PURE

At the anniversary banquet OF st.
Michael's Catholic Club at Prov
idence. r. l., Coy. Pothier and
former Gov. Higgins, both of whom
are Catholics, delivered addresses.
When former Gov. Higgins arose to
address the audience he received
great applause. He said: "The day
for making any Catholic explain his
loyalty or apologize for his citizen
ship has gone by. We Catholics, liv-
ing a free State, ought not to be
called upon to explain or apologize
for our citizenship. Citizenship
means civic loyalty and obedience to
constituted authority and these are
the basic principles of Catholicity.
The Catholic church lays it down as
a cardinal principle. The church does
not specify what kind of a govern
ment you must have, whether 1t
shall be republic or monarchy. 1t
says you must have that form which
is best adapted to your people. II
says that whatever form it is, you
must be loyal to 1t. You must not
only be loyal to 1t, you must be pre-
pared to lay down your life in de-
Tense of 1t.
Catholics are sometimes looked
upon with suspicion by the ignorant
in regard to their citizenship. These
differences arise through lack of
culture on the part of our opponents
and misconception. They come from
inborn prejudices of ages long past.
They tell us that during the Middle
Ages the church sought to obtain
temporal power, but they are ev-
identity unacquainted with the his
tory Of the Middle Ages. They don't
tell you that a large part of the civil
power of the church came by direct
grant from Emperors and Kings To
the one who would investigate the
real character of Catholic teachings,
to him no difficulty should arise in
understanding how a Catholic can be
a good citizen. In view of the doc
trine laid down by Pope Leo XIII.
can any person understanding truly
the dogma of the church have any
question about the citizenship of
Catholic.
What We ask is that we be-
judged by our best, not by our worst.
We have as little use as any for the
so-called Catholics who give public
scandal. who show graft in public
office. Our standards are based
upon the character and actions of
the best of Catholics. The men who
live clean lives and give the best
there is in them when called to pub
lie office. Places of the highest
honor and responsibility have been
filled with credit by real Catholics.
The judiciary, Cabinet positions and
United States Senatorships have been
filled with credit and pride. It is
too late at this date to make any
Catholic explain his loyalty or apollo
gize for his citizenship. AS Catholics
we want every Catholic to stand for
everything that Is clean and true. We
want the name OF Catholic citizen TO
be always synonymous with and to
stand for good government and anti
graft and Doodle. We want to see
him stand for sobriety, calm judg-
ment and intelligent discrimination
We want him to be the tail TO no
mans kite or the bounden serf of
any clique. We want him to be with
out fear or prejudice. With the
golden rule and the American con-
stitution to guide rs In civil and re-
ligious matters, the Roman Catholic
VIII never be found wanting. Well
may he grasp the hand OF every man
and say, yes, We are all Americans,
with one cause. one country and one
heart"