The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1916-05-06
The President of the Roman Catholic Fed
Grafton, of the Archdiocese of Boston,
UphoIds Mobocracy

IS what the Roman Catholics
LIZ mean BY federation" and
"loyalty TO the constitution" and
our free institutions. II also gave
a striking demonstration Of how
parochial schools foster intolerance
and religious prejudice.
Now comes an authoritative ut
terance, quite as impressive and IL
Eliminating in its way, as showing
how, when papal intolerance Of free
discussion is the issue, the subjects
Of the pope, though standing high
in the archdiocese Of Boston and
yersed in law, uphold mobocracy
rather than insist on the orderly
processes Of our constitutional gov
ernment in meeting erery issue in
rOlrcd.
The almost incredible utterancc
Of Henry V. Cunningham. presi-
dent of the Catholic Federation Of
Boston, in an open letter TO Cardi-
nal 0'Connell, published in the
Boston Herald and other Massa-
chuSetts papers on April 18th
should be placed IN the hands Of
orery American roter before Hert
election day.
So astounding is this defense Of
criminal lawlessness and mobocracy
by a Massachusetts, lawyer, who is
also one Of the leading political Ro-
man Catholics Of Cardinal O'Con-
nel's diocese that IL demands special
notice; and be it remembered that
in quoting this latest utterance,
voicing the papal contempt for the
orderly processes of law, we are not
traducing or slandering Rome,
though we are giving the American
citizens who love our free democ-
racy another illustration of the
truth of our contentious that Ro-
man Catholics owe their FIRST
ALLEGIANCE to the SOVER-
EIGN ON THE TIBER, aud that
their fealty to our constitution and
the bulwarks Of free institutions is
a ROPE OF SAND WheneUer and
wherever our democratic system Of
government conflicts nth the pdpdl
theory.
Happily, over against this RO-
man Catholic defense of mob rule,
we have a most luminous presenta-
tion Of the democratic spirit and
theory in the magnificent reply by
the distinguished educator and
Baptist clergyman, Professor Fred
crick l.. Anderson, Of the Newton
Theological Institute.
Mr.. Cunningham and the Cardinal
The president Of the Roman
Catholic Federation of the archdio.
ceSe Of Boston is necessarily very
near to Cardinal 0'Connell, and nc
one who knows anything of Ro-
man Catholic polity, the strict OBJ.
scrvance Of official etiquette and de-
ference TO the hghtest wishes Of
those in highest official stations OF
the Roman church, will imagine fol
moment that the president of the
Catholic Federation would publish
in the daily press an open letter &c
his emminence without first sub,
mitting it to the cardinal for hi.
approval, indeed, such a thing 1,
unthinkdble; and until the cardina
sees fit to repudiate this unfortun,
ate justification of mobocracy, mos
thinking people will be reluctantly
forced TO assume that it representa-
his views. Let us hope, therefore
that even at this late date, the car,
dinal will make haste to disavev
any sympathy with this extraordin
ary utterance from one of the lead
ing officials of his diocese.
We now come TO a consideration
Of Mr.. Cunningham's letter, anc
bear in mind that the author oI
this communication is not only ,
leading Roman Catholic official il
the archdiocese, but also a promi
nent lawyer, and thus is supposed
to know how adequate are the lega
provisions for meeting all ertn
legal or criminal and ldWleSs acts IL
the orderly processes Of government
y As a lawyer, he can not be ig
norant of the fact that il officials
or public speakers act improperly
or violate the statutes. there an
legal methods Of procedure, by in
junction or prosecution, which rem
ders absolutely inexcusable any ex
hibition Of criminal lawlesSness oil
the part of an irresponsible mob
such as so disgraced the state o.
Massachusetts, in the Haverhill riot
II the board Of aldermen o