The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-05-29
SEC TARTAN ACTIVITY

i AIKEN BY The "UNI ~ Ed PRO u
EsTANT CHURCHES" OF THAT
CITY IN THE ELECTION FOR
MAYOR.
In the Chicago Tribune" of April
10, the following article appeared
The mayor-elect received a letter
today from Rev. William Bartlett
Willard, executive of the Chicago
Church Federation Council, protest
ing against the stand taken by Mr..
Thompson on the subject of legalized
boxing. The letter follows:
my Dear Mr.. Thompson:-As you
know, the United Protestant churches
put forth every possible effort at the
recent election in your behalf; our
representatives stood at the door of
every Protestant church in the city
Sunday, April 4, and distributed a let
ter signed by Harry Wheeler, George
Dixon, Marquis Eaton and other prom
inent citizens. | am sure therefore
that the wishes of the church people
will receive consideration at your
hands. We are deeply concerned over
the possibility of a prize-fght bill be-
ing passed in Illinois. Permit me to
inclose a circular embodying some of
our chief objections to the proposed
bill. While the question is before the
legislature at Springfield, and not be-
fore the city council, your influence
now carries great weight, and we hope
that you will throw it against the
fight rather than for it.
Very sincerely yours,
William Bartlett Willard, D. D.
Executive Secretary y
The Hon. w. ]. .Onahan, former
Comptroller of the City of Chicago
and one of it's most distinguished and
public-spirited citizens, made the fol
lowing comment on the foregoing let
ter:
81 am not concerned with the sub
iect matter of the request following
the remarkable language of Mr. Mil
lard's letter; but l am concerned, and
conjecture the public generally will
be deeply interested, in the admis-
sions made by the writer regarding
the action and attitude of the Unit
ed Protestant Church in the recent
election for mayor 1t reveals a con
dition of affairs which, but for this
frank declaration, would simply be
unbelievable! / shall not undertake
to criticise or pass judgment on the
action of the Protestant churches as
announced, | may say, officially, by
their executive secretary 1t throws
a hidden light and is startling rev
elation on the influences that brought
about the election of Mr.. Thompson
by a phenomenal majority.
1T was known that religious preju
dices had share in the result; but il
certainly was not generally known OF
suspected that there was a formal
and official effort on the part of a re
ligious organization to make its pow
er felt and effective by an. appeal tc
anti-C Catholic prejudice. do not know
the nature or contents of the letter
distributed at the door of every Prot
esant church in the city, April 4,
but the character of the appeal may
be inferred, and | think / am justified
in assuming that it was not creditable
to the manhood and fairness of its
originators or to those who distributed
! it.
Let me ask what would be the
| feeling and judgment of this commun
ity had similar declaration been
made by a representative priest OF
the Catholic Church appealing to its
members to support a certain candi
date on religious grounds? Would
there not be universal cutlery OF
indignation at a proceeding so fragrant
and unwarrantable?
| There is, unfortunately, belief
in certain circles that the Catholic
Church seeks political power and
would not be over scrupulous in the
employment of means to that end.
| LET me say, and l make this de
claration, challenging contradiction
that in an experience of sixty years
during which l have attended pretty
regularly church services, never
once heard a political sermon from q
Catholic pulpit: no, nor even a po
litical allusion in a sermon to local
or national politics: or to candidates
for any political Office. | can say
more: None would be more quick to
resent the interference of bishop OF
priest, were it attempted, in seeking
to influence the vote of Catholics as
such. l have been favored with init
mate opportunities of knowing oil
what l set down here. There is, IN
happily, q. spirit of bigotry widely
spread, nourished on fiction and false
hood. which cannot be too strongly
deplored Doubtless, many ilI-inform
ed people honestly believe these cock
and bull stories with which they are
fed regarding the Catholic Church, its
belief, it's aims and designs. Catho
/ lies can only wonder at the gulibility
of such people. But fair-minded
Americans ought not to be Influenced
by the Nominations of the bigot and
the evil-minded.
Il am a firm believer in the goot
faith and sense OF justice and fan