The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1914-07-09

tOl1C1CS.
In the beginning, let me, say in
tend to be fair with the Catholics, to
deal entirely with facts which come
to US either from the we'll recognized
laws and declarations of that church
or from matters so we'll established
as to have their truthfulness beyond
any shadow Of question.
In bringing this message on the
Cath Ollie Church in Politics I will lay
down six propositions which | ex-
pect to prove by facts that are I'M
ansWerable and that will reveal that
church to be peril threatening not,
only our political life, but every one
Of our free institutions.
1. Our first proposition is this
THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
IS NUMERICALLY STR o N C
ENOUGH TO CONSTITUTE A PERIL
TO OUR POLITICAL, SOCIAL AND
RELIGIOUS WELFARE. There was
a time when the cry of Catholicism
was perhaps nothing more than the
ranting OF an alarmist: but that time
is now past. From a little handful of
1000 Catholics in 1890, they grew
to 100000 by 1920; by 1910 their
~
1870 there were 100000 Of them
in the United States, while in 1900
there were 10 ,000,0 eco of them With
in our borders and in the year 1914
their numbers conservatively are
estimated at 10000, 900.
In the five years prior to June 80,
1912, there came to this country l.
292,9 85 immigrants. They are COM
ing over now at q rate of over l.
coo, 600 every year. According to
DR.. Josiah Strong, perhaps the great
est statistician and student Of social
conditions in America, ~58 per cent of
these immigrants are Latin and Slav-
iC in nationality, and 26 per cent of
them are entirely illiterate. The ma
jority come to US the lowest classes
OF Italians, Greeks, Poles, Spaniards
and Irish. They know nothing of
our politics or religions. Politically,
they are the most undesirable type
Of Socialists and from them come the
anarchists. Religiously, they are the
most ignorant and prejudiced type Of
Roman Catholics.
So little have been the restrictions
on immigration allowing a tidal
wave Of ROmanism to come sweeping
into our country, that that church
today has in the United States a
working force of 1900 priests, So
600 nuns, a membership of 17,000,-
000 sympathizers, and 100000
voters. Boston today is IS per cent
Catholic, while New York City is
Catholic by 81 per cent.
BY reason Of the foregoing statis-
tics showing the growth Of the Cath
Ollie Church numerically in the Uni
ted States to be nearly one-half mil
lion every year, exceeding by far the
combined growth Of all Protestant
churches caused by the fact that
most immigrants are Catholic, I think
We prove our first proposition, viz,
that the Catholic Church in the Uni
ted States is numerically strong
enough to constitute q menace to our
institutions
2. Our second proposition is this:
FROM THE VERY NATURE OF
CATHOLICISM IT is MANIFESTLY
IMPOSSIBLE FOR A PERSON TO
BE A GOOD CATHOLIC AND AT
THE SAME TIME A GOOD AMERI-
ON CITIZEN. The very elements
which would go to make him a
good citizen would make him a
bad Catholic. Rome stands as the
sworn and relentless enemy Of the
things most dear to every true Amer
lean. As we shall see in our other
studies she stands against freedom of
conscience, both in political and reli-
SyiO1c moi a fo, dc n ,,o f,,oo