Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1914-04-15

Appeal for Fairness and Decency1
Lovejoy the jefferson Bee Himself Protestant Speaks
Out Against Efforts Create Religious Prejudice-A
Manly Article by Broadmnded Man (.

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Considerable interest is centerine
about the Ulster county rebellion in
Ireland. AT present, and there is gen
eral regret that it seems to be deVel'
oping into a sort Of religious war. )"
Nh Ulster province, in the north OF Ire
land, contains four little counties tina
are dominated in political way by
prOtes tants. The other five counties
of Ulster, as well as all the rest OF
Ireland, contain a majority of Cath
olics. IN Ireland, all told the popula'
ton is composed Of about 7,0OO, goO
Catholics and 500, 900 protestants. Thu
prOtestants are mostly Scotch Pres
byterians. who emigrated years agt
into the North Of Ireland, and settled
at %B elfast and Londonderry. &
s5 The scrap, is over the well known
Home Rule bill, which is now about
to become law. If ireland secures
little Ulster counties, fear that they
will lose all in the way Of their own
home rule through domination 81
the Catholic church whose .adherents
are OF SO large majority in Ireland
AS to whether they will lose any OF
their privileges is a question only
time can tell. A proposition has come
up in the British parliament to SCI
these four counties outside the Home
Rule district for a term OF six years
after which they would become sub
ject to Ireland S Home Rule, what
ever that might be, religious or other
wise. The Ulster county rebellionists
are opposed to even this brief respite
claiming it is only "a sentence o.
death with execution postponed.
A hundred years ago or more Ire
land lost its home rule. Since thai
time the people Of other civilized
nations have Joined the people Of this
little island in a wish that their
liberties might be restored to them
With the object almost attained II
seems that now it is to be blocked
through a Jealous religious antago
nism, or religious war the worst
form of war in any age or land,
The British government today is "up
a tree as to a peaceful solution OF
the matter. More than 10000 Ulster
Professionals are under arms ant
threaten open rebellion if the British
government forces them under Wha1
they call the yoke Of Catholi cism.'
Hundreds of. British army officers re
fuse to go and fight the little band
and designations by the score are TAX
ing place in the English standing
army. King George, who favors the
Home Rule bill, is being openly de
fled by many army subordinates. The
condition is one that has not beer
witnessed in the civilized world II
countless years.
With all the English statesme nshil
and ability, there ought to be some
way out Of this mess by wise council
and wise Legislative provision Some
safeguard for the people of Ulster
ought to be at hand, so that they
would not need to fear any act thai
might take away their religious I'D
erty. They are entitled to protection
and should have it where needed.
lit would seem to fair minded mer
that the people OF Ulster, Protestant
rather, would have nothing to fear,
from Catholic Home Rule. While
they are in a minority by a ratio; 9
fourteen to one, yet, in England, tn
ratio of Prot estants toe Cathol lies IS a
Is to 1, just the reverse of what
isgin. Ireland !. And yet, in England
the Catholics enjoy full liberty il
their religious beliefs. The Presby
terians Of Ulster are entitled to TIT
same, nay, doubtless may reas onabl,
expect the same even though Irelant
has Home Rule. t
ireland is the most intensely Cath
olic%country on earth, even more s.
than lis Rome, head of the Catholic
church. The Irish people, more thai
any other, have been generally de
voted toFtheir religion, as disciples e 9
the Pope. With SO many countries g
overwhelmingly Protestant the Catf
olics of Ireland could not afford to OF
press the Ulster rebels. We canno
believe that they would, for, in s Y
oppres sion, they would be only max
ing trouble for the adherents Of thel
own church in other lands. 81
Y What the world needs is more tol
Grafton along religious lines. We arr
past the day o. religious oppression
But we seem not to have passed the
day Of religious zeal. And zeal some
times becomes oppression, not only
with Catholics but Professionals as vel
No religious sect is blameless. 4 Ac
cusations fly back and forth, as te
past history, but responsible hlstor
JAMS record equal oppression upon al
sides. In the name of the gentle and
peaceful Child of Galilee there is
need Of reform on every hand. He
came to bring peace, and not The
SWORD. In His, name, then, let us h ave
liberation, let us have charity.
We are not a Catholic, but we nave
charity to believe that a good Catn-
Sic, who lives his religion. is as con-
,cientious as the good Presbyterian
who lives his. religion. It is not 1or
is to set up a religious standard TO
which all men must conform, or De
subject to: persecution. {a
There are many Professionals who
believe Catholics are all bad. They
ct their imaginations carry them to
extreme flights of fancy on this mis-.
directed thought. In our own young
lie we recall of Professionals who have
,erded themselves together at night
ind stood guard with guns, fearing
Catholic "raid" or some ,othet fancied
md dreamy thing. We cannot con-
.eive what thoughts: they may have
lad, but we would stake our all that
hey were sadly misguided in carry
ng their imaginations so far.
Along practical lines the Catholic
hurch today does more in the name
+ mercy than any single Protestant
Their hospitals are
verywhere. The Protestant is re-
eived in these hospitals and given as
ood care, attention and nursing as in
ny Protestant hospital. Catholic
lum workers reach out alike the help
ng hand to Catholic and non-Catho-
Ic. This is an undisputed fact. Thus
! does not seem to us that Professionals
-, 1,rs In thoirT hpHC In