Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-03-01
A Catholic Conspiracy
Editorial 'ns the New York evening Poet.

President Wilson's reply to the edi
tor of the Protestant Magazine, who
had accused Mr.. Tumulty Of keep.
ing back from the president anti.
Catholic correspondence addressed &c
him, suggests more than il directl,
expresses. 1t involves the whole Ne
latiOn of q president to his private
secretary. 1t also brings up again
the question of undue influence o.
Catholics in politics. As respects the
latter question, there is, no doubt.
considerable public sentiment which
is suspicious and ever ready to grasp
at straws. This is partly inherited
tradition with certain people. Bred
in the idea that the church of Rome
has a sleepless determination either
TO undermine the American republic
or to obtain control of it, they ma.
tually are on the alert to detect any
signs that their fears are justified.
Private Secretary Tumulty is a ca.
thOlic. Letters written to the presi.
dent exposing Catholic plots had
not been answered. Therefore, it
was perfectly clear that, as the .edi.
tor Of the Protestant Magazine aver
ed, "all such letters are withheld.
from you tthe president)- by: yOur
private secretary, Mr.. Tumnlty."y
This particular assertion is denied
by the president with emphasis.
Speaking from personal knowledge
he declares that "the whole o. my
correspondence is constantly open
to me-" and that intimation that Mr..
relating to the activities Of the
Roman Catholic church was absurdly
and utterly false" This ought to
dispose of the Protestant eedtcrs
charge, but We have no doubt that
the thing will persist in one form SSor
another. If anybody ever secs a
priest in Mr.. Tumulty's Office. it, will
be accepted as proof positive sof q
Catholic conspiracy against the; Jife
of the nation. ss
AS a matter OF fact, we believe that
Catholic priests we're somewhat. fire..
quent callers upon Mr.. Tumulty dur.
ing the first weeks of his service at
Washington. This Lns the occasion
of the remark by a newspaper cor
respondent entering the white house
Offices in those days and seeing the
priestly garb, why, this looks @,as
{ useu to when Roosevelt was here
Everybody knows that Mr.. Roosevelt
made rather %ostentatious use OF his
friendship with various Catholic
priests. It is safe to say that more
of them were at the white hocse
when he was ~there-and the same
thing is relative. ly true to Mr.. Taft.
than have been seen or will be seen
during MI. Wilson's term. But there
were then none of these fearful whis.
perings and muttered intimations
that Rome vas getting in It's deadly
work. A republican president can
be on good terms with Catholic pre-.
lates and priests--but a democratic
president! All, he must beware. And
II his private secretary happens to
be a Catholic, there is, hardly. an
escape for him.
We make bold to say that. in, our.
opinion, ANTI Catholic letters have
been sent to the white house which
received no attention whatever. But
the reason was that they deserved
no attention. Every newspaper Office
gets such communications. For
there are legions of good people
who seem to live tor nothing else
than to protest against the insidi.
'ons Entertainments i0f Roman ca,