The menace., 1917-11-17

IL
Gle the fact that the Protestants of
Massachusetts were in no mood to
have the convention refuse to allow
the electorate to vote yes or no upon
this vital proposition.
Hence after Prof. Anderson had
introduced his measure, Martin Lo-
masney, the leading Roman Catholic
boss of the city of Boston and one Of
the shrewdest politicians in New
England, introduced an Anti-Sec-
tartan bill very similar in many re-
spects to Prof. Anderson's but far
more involved and susceptible to var
ious interpretations that might
easily cause legal contests. Later
ex-Mayor Curtis of Boston, another
very shrewd politician, introduced a
so-called compromise measure, which
while open to most of the objections
of the Lomasney proposed amend
ment embodied the major points for
which fundamental democrats have
long been contending.
Prof. Anderson was quite ready to
make all reasonable concessions in
order to secure the submission Of the
amendment even if it was not an
ideal one in all respects, while some
serious defects which patriots
pointed out to Prof. Anderson he
was able to have remedied. WEI
have been informed from sources
which we regard as reliable that
there was an understanding that the
Catholic members of the convention
would largely support the submission
of the so-called Lomasney-Curtis
amendment provided 1t was under
stood that there should be no gen
eral campaign for or against the
! amendment. This desire to prevent
publicity by a full and free discus
sion of so vital a measure was Of
course in keeping with the historic
and present-day attitude of Rome in
regard to free discussion OF any
question involving conflict between
J, the fundamental principles of liberal
! democracy and those of the autocrat-
, ic Roman hierarchy. There are
many things in evidence that strong,
= " indicate that such an agreement
> was entered into, not the least OF
/ which was Prof. Anderson's strong
oposition to all efforts on the part Of
= fundamental democrats to carry for
ward publicity campaign, an oppo-
) sition which he maintained until the
5 cardinal and his cohorts leaped into
1 the political arena and inaugurated
their frenzied, statewide, gigantic
e and perfectly organized hierarchal
{ camnaign under the direction of the
:, Catholic Federation Of the archdio-
| cese of Boston and actively sup
: ported by various Roman Catholic
s organizations of the commonwealth
= Deceptive Silence of the Hier'
!, archal Machine
: During the month of July when
= the amendment was under general
8 discussion and even after it was ac-
cepted by vote of t,Uo hundred ana
y twenty-fve for and trOentg-fUC
n against, representative Catholics Of
n the state with scarcely an excep
8, tion expressed either satisfaction
% with the proposed amendment Of
h they were silent on the question
O. while in the convention about nlnet!
s. percent of the Catholics supported
v the amendment; among these wer
4 two distinct groups Of Romanists-
al the liberal Catholics who are to
large extent under the influence O
democratic idealism and who hav
= long been restive under the Grr6gGn
assertions of authority by the hier
- archy in matters political aUhich con
9 fict NTH democratic ideals, and tn
a. much larger group of far-seeing Ro
ID man politicians who though quite a
~ reactionary and subservient to tn
Ia papal sovereignty as are the car
= dinal's most voluble henchmen bu
II who now understand that the da
u has past when the Roman Catholi
- - political machine can hope to elec
Sa S men who fly in the face Of funda
~ y mental democracy and exhibit sue
T.. ~ intolerance, bigoted and anti-Amer
Al can sentiments as District Attorne
ho Pelletier displayed in the Cathero
ile case and as Cardinal 0'Connell an
=. the spokesman of the Catholic Fec
Nv ~ Grafton have just exhibited in the Oh
NJ Bay State.
~ ~ Thus it was found that libert
om om Catholics like Ex-Governor Walls
'n U and reactionary Knights Of Colun
,If ~ bus of the most bigoted brand, sue
-, 80 as Pelletier, united in expressing sa
VI VI isfaction with the provisions of IL
an an amendment and voting for its sui
~ ~ mission. 1t is in all probability trr
ne that this latter group was acquaintt
1ie with the proposed scheme Of politics
ne Romanists by which it was expectt
that through their carefully pr
lg- pared coup the amendment could
ir' defeated by the eleventh-hour whir
me wind campaign.
If Rome Drops Her Mask
On. After the amendment had be,