The Irish standard., 1917-03-17
IBleoTRy BEARING
FRUIT IN SOUTH

Splendid Stand Taken by the Atlanta
Constitution Foremost Newspaper
Of the South.
There have been those who have
sought to minimize the Importance Of
the anti Catholic campaigns of Wat
son and bigots of his type and. have
questioned the proprety and utility
Of Catholic campaign of defense.
I That they have been quite mistaken
in this attitude is brought home quite
strikingly in an occurrence of very
recent date recorded in the columns
of the Atlanta Constitution. We quote
the statement, summarizing as it does
the main facts of the occurrence:
Macon, Ca, Feb. 2Sth. Especially
Quite a furore has been created in
Macon over the action. Of the local
Confederate veterans in refusing to
participate in the Memorial day exer.
cises this year if the Daughters of the
Confederacy permit Bishop Kelley of
Savannah, to be the speaker of the
day. The veterans have sent a let
ter, signed by 60 of their number, to
Mrs. Walter J. Grace, in which they
declare Bishop Kelley is Catholic
and not patriotic and that unless the
invitation is recalled they will not take
part in the exercises this year."
Mrs. Grace on March End, issued a
statement in which she said that Bish
op Kelley delivered the Memorial day
address in Atlanta last year and be-
cause he is Confederate veteran, and
did his part in the struggle back in
the sixties, the Daughters decided to
invite him to speak here on April 26th.
The Daughters Of the Confederacy is
non-sectarian organization, numbering
among it's members women of all diff
ferent beliefs and for that reason the re-
ligious matter did not enter into ques-
ton when the invitation was extended
to Bishop Kelley.
There are, however, two consoling
moments to be considered in this 9th
erwise unfortunate affair; the one is
the sane attitude adopted by the
Daughters of the Confederacy, and the
other is the noble stand taken by the
foremost newspaper of the south in
commenting upon it.
1t is the Atlanta Constitution, from
an editorial of which, written by
Clark Howell, the editor, we quote the
most trenchant parts.
I'm refusing" he writes, ito with
draw their invitation to Bishop Kelley
to deliver the Confederate Memorial
day address at Macon, as requested by
60 members of the Confederate Veter-
ans association in that city, solely be-
cause the bishop is a. Roman Cath
Ollie, the ladies of the Macon Memorial
Association are eminently in the right.
And their stand evinces a degree of
observation-disclosures that is commendable.
(Here follows statement of the af-
fair) 49,. The women however stood
pat" and by an overwhelming vote re-
fused to recall the invitation to Bish-
op Kelley. The women were right;
and the men we're wrong.
What better vindication Of the posi-
ton of the Macon d. A. RS could be
afforded them than by barking back
to the records of half a century ago,
when Bishop Kelley as young strip
ling, radiant with patriotism, volun-
teered in defense of the confederate
cause, donned gray uniform and from
beginning to the end of the war rem
dered brilliant service to his country
He was Roman Catholic then, just
as he is now. That fact did not dis
bar him from patriotic service then,
nor should it now. The women of Ma
con showed the instincts of true WON
anhood and patriotism in their spunky
response to the recalcitrant veterans,
which reflects infinite credit upon
them.
The Atlanta Constitution is to be
complimented on this brave and sens
ible attitude, so unlike that of many
contemporaries which pass over in con-
niving silence the many slurs that are
at times cast at Catholic citizenship,
all the more so, when we know that
Tom Watson, of Watson's Jeffersonian,
has, as we are reliably informed by
a southern gentleman, the editors OF
all the Georgia newspapers with but
few exceptions, so politically enmeshed
and dominated, that they are afraid
to open their mouths in defense OF
the Church and the patriotism shown
by the long list of patriots who gave
their life in the service Of our coun-
try.
15135-1rish-Two O'Neill
r@,. T.. I>..4 ~