Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1914-08-07
Or. GLADDEN. on Anti.CatholiC Panic.


contains notable defense of Catho.
lies from the pen of DR.. Washington
GLADDEN., on of the best known Congre.
gational ministers in the Uuited States.
Twenty years ago Dr.. GLADDEN. de-
Tended his Catholic bretheren in Christ
against the charges brought against
them in the A. P. A. movement by
Matchmaking enemies.
The following extracts from his re-
cent defense are taken from the Cath.
Ollie Citizen:
This confagration of hate is already
we'll started, and it will probably sweep
over the land
No argument could extinguish it.
There are millions of Protestants
who are incapable of believing any
thing but evil of Roman Catholics.
Traditional rancor colors all their Wis.
ion wherever the name of the Pope is
mentioned. But there is good many
other Protestants, trust who are cap
able of reason and Justice. and to them
/ venture to make two or three sug-
gestions:
Whenever you hear of any of these
narrowing tales about the ssinister and
Esanguinary plots of the Roman Cath
olics, never let one 60 unchallenged.
Insist that the narrator give his au-
thorities and furnish his evidences.
See that the matter is thoroughly in.
vestigated, and publish the facts with
the names of those who have reported
the charges.
CATHOLICS IN EVERY DAY LIFE
Take every opportunity you can get
to talk with your Roman Catholic
neighbors and friends about the rela.
tons of the churches. Don't shun
them or cast suspicious glances on
them when you meet them; get &C.
quainted with them and talk over the
whole situation in friendly way. We
may have some difficult problems to
settle in our relation with them, but
let US meet them not as enemies, but
as frien1s. b.
Instead of listening to the horrible
tales of what the Catholics are doing
in distant places, sit down and make
out a list of all the Catholic men and
women you know IN business, in pro-
fessional life, in the philanthropies, in
society, in the shops and factories, in
tae kitchens;put down their names and
think them over, see whether you will
be able to convince yourselves that
these men and women are capable of
doing the kind of things which these
tales attribute to them. How many Of
these people, do you think, are plot
ting to rob you of your liberties, or to
murder you in your beds? These are
Roman Catholics, the Roman Catholics
not of the dark ages or of the sixteenth
century, but the Roman Catholics of
today. And whenever you talk about
Roman Catholics, in public or private,
remember that these are the people
you are talking about.
CLERICAL DOMINATION NOT IMMINENT.
1t might be well for people lwho are
capable of putting two and two togeth-
er to remember that the danger of the
clerical domination of this country.
whether by Congregationalists or Cath
olics, is not imminent. The last Roman
Catholic paper opened alleged that
there are seventy. five millions of nom
Catholics in the United States. That
would mean that ther can be no more
than twenty or twenty-five millions of
Catholics. In any attempt to impose
clerical rule, the Protestant forces
would find themselves strongly sup.
ported by the great majority of the
secret orders, and by the socialistic
contingent Of our population. There
does not appear to be any adequate
reason why seventy. five millions should
be shuddering with fear that twenty
millions are about to subjugate0or lex
them. The mood which
yields to such panic in the reverse of
heroic.
THE RIGHT ATTITUDE
The fact is that we have got to learn
to live togethe; in this country Prot
estants and Catholics. If either par.
ty should undertake to.exterminate the
other, the process would be somewhat
difficult. The only question is whether
we shall live together in peace or in
enmity. If we are to have peace, we
must study the things that make for
peace; each party must be ready to'see
the good side of the other; must learn
to put the best and not the worst con-
struction on the words and deeds of |
the other; must avoid all bitter and un-
charitable judgments; must put away
all thoughts of domination. We
must be friends, Protestants and Cath
olics. No other relation is conceivable
And there is 10 worse enemy of Christ
L- |