The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-02-28
from the National Capitol
BY Stanton LaWton


OOx0~x~xG~UG~x~x~
President Wilson Defends TumuIty.
The report has been circulated late
ly in Protestant circles that all COM
munications addressed to President
Wilson, relating to the activities of
the Roman Catholic Church." never
reach him, but are held up by our
well known Catholic Secretary-Mr.
Joseph P. Tumulty.
The editor of the Protestant Maya.
zine man by the name of pres
cott," has gone so far as to address
a personal letter to President Wilson,
calling his attention to the fact, and
he has received reply in which the
President brands any such impression
as absurd and absolutely false" and
pays Mr.. Tumulty high compliment
for his efficiency and impartiality in
all matters.
The correspondence is as follows:
January Is, 1914
The President,
Washington, D. C.
~Sir:-
Il learn from personal interviews and
correspondence that there is wide
spread feeling among Professionals that
it is practically impossible for any
communication relating to the activi-
ties of the Roman Catholic Church to
reach you personally for the reason
that all such letters are withheld
from you by your private secretary,
Mr.. Tumulty. 1t is unfortunate both
for you and for the country that such
an impression prevails. and that 1t
seems to have some foundation.
Before dealing with this subject in
this magazine, l am writing to ask
for statement from you which might
be of service in restoring confidence
among some of the best citizens of
this republic. Any reply, however,
brief, showing that this letter actually
reached you, would be source of sat.
isfaction.
when you were Governor of New
Jersey, l wrote you concerning some
criticisms of your course, in which
you were charged with showing favor
itism to the Roman Catholic Church,
and your reply placed the matter in
such a light that l did not deem it
necessary to make any reference to
the subject. My desire is to deal fair
ly with public men, and hence this
letter.
Thanking you for any attention
which you may give to my request,
am, yours very truly,
w. w. Prescott"
The Presidents reply, under date of
January 10, 1914, reads:
"My Dear Sir: Allow me to &C.
knowledge the receipt of your letter
of January Is, and to thank you for
your candor in writing me.
Il beg leave to assure you that the
suppression that any part of my CORE
spondence is withheld from me in any
circumstances by my secretary on &C.
count of religious predictions on his
part is absurdly and utterly false.
venture to say that no President ever
had more frank and satisfactory rela-
,tions with his secretary than l have
with mine. Mr. Tumulty is more
prompt perhaps to call my attention
to matters in which his prejudice is
supposed to be engaged than to other
matters of relative Indifference.
"Of course I need hardly add l am
not speaking from an impression but
from knowledge of just how my CORE
.spondence is handled. Sincerely
yours,
Woodrow Wilson,"
This Protestant Magazine referred
to is published in Washington, and is
devoted principally to attacks on Cath
oolics and the Catholic Church-in fact
it's right in the same class as the
Menace