Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1913-04-19
Vile Abuse Of Catholics Turns
Settlers Awawy From That
Section.
Persecution Always Helps Good
Cause and Brings Downfall
to Prosecutors.
CHARGES THAT ARE ABSURD

Rev. ]. NJ. Lucey. V. e., writing
for the Little Rock Southern Guard
ian, says one of the great puzzles to
the editors and patrons of the papers
issued by the Guardians of Bigotry
is the indifference of Catholics to-
ward their ebullitions. Some years
ago an agent for new tangled fafn
implement called upon an old farmer
in what is now Grant county, Ark,
and dilated with flowing eloQuence
upon the wonderful properties of
said implement. Concluding his
harangue, he asks, Now what do
you say?" WELL the old farmer
replied, "when a man lies like that,
there is no use of saying anything"
The lies which the A. 2. A. papers
tell about the Catholic church need
no reply. They do no harm to the
church. Persecution always bene-
fitted a good cause and always,
brought the prosecutors to a down
fall. These papers go so far that
they disgust even the intelligent and
respectable opponents of the church.
They indulge in a vulgar abuse that
the use of the mails If the attention
of the postal authorities we're called
to their actions. The Sheridan
Headlight, published at Sheridan,
Grant county, Ark, is now in tho
category Of what is forbidden to be
carried by the United States mails.
Its absurd charges against the Cath
olic church need no refutation. The
most unfortunate feature about the
paper is the effect of its work upon
prospective immigrants. The Head
light openly declares that any Cath
olics who acknowledge the Pope of
Rome as supreme head of their
church are not welcome in Grant
county and that it speaks with the
endorsement of the business men of
the town of Sheridan and the-csAstx~
of Grant, Ark. This Is the virtual
statement of Messrs. r. r. Adams
end Britt Adams. These men in their
paper, with the apparent approval Of
the business men of the community,
have uttered the most vulgar villifi-
cations against the Catholic church,
priesthood and sisterhood. 1t is
their effort to make the situation so
difficult that a Catholic church or
school can not be erected in Grant
county, or If erected shall be burned
down. The Messrs. Adams of the
Headlight will not permit Catholics
to worship God according to the
dictates of their own conscience
There shall be no tolerance of Cath
olics so far as they have power to
prevent it. Copies of their paper are
being sent to Colorado, Nebraska and
other places where Catholic immi-
grants were discussing the circulars
sent out by land agents of Grant and
other counties. Is il reasonable to
suppose that any worthy Catholic
immigrants will come to a place
where their religious principles are
outraged and perhaps their lives
placed in jeopardy?
This is a serious matter and should
be treated in a serious manner.
This is why | stated in former
article that the communities in
which these vile papers are published
should not be made responsible for
their wild rawlings unless II was
clearly evident that the business men
of the community actually endorsed
the papers. 1t was suggested that a
committee of the knights OF Column
bus and the German State Verein be
appointed to investigate the matter
and report their findings. am GER
tain that 1t would be a pleasure to
be able to announce that the busi-
ness men of Grant county, Ark, take
nc stock in the unjust attack upon
the Catholic religion and Catholic
institutions. But priests are con-
stantly receiving letters from pros
pective Catholic capitalists and immi-
grants about lands and suitable
places for settlement, and in every
instance are demanded the advan-
tages of a Catholic church and
school. Under present circumstances
all that priest can do about in
quiries in respect TO Grant county is
TO forward a copy of the Sheridan
Headlight.