The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-06-15
.L|NDBERGH FOR GOVERNOR

ed upon to enter the field of polit-
zeal contest. Even when obliged
to enter tournament or joust, it
is not for the purpose of breaking
a lance, but simply to warn the
people of the merits of some par
ticular combatant. i ro,eY 81
On Monday, June II, the people
of this commonwealth will he eX-
pected to nominate candidates for
the various state offices. Among
those who are seeking guberna-
torial honors is Charles A. Lind
bergh, of Little Falls, Mimi. Mr..
Lindbergh represented the Sixth
District at one time in Congress.
He is said to have posed as a
champion Of the rights of the peo-
pie. With his political activities
we have no quarrel. History shows,
however, that on Wednesday, July
5, 1916, the Hon. Charles A. Lind
bergh delivered a speech in the
House of Representatives, a speech
which is to be found in the Con-
gressional Record of August %,
1916. The general tenor of this
address is an examination of the
so-called mysterious influences al
legged to be found back Of the
American government today. The
speaker refers to what he calls the
Money Trust. He then proceeds
to examine the position of the
Catholic Church in this country.
His heaviest artillery is brought
to bear upon the impregnable rock
of Peter, represented in this corln-
try by what Mr.. Lindbergh styles.
"The Papal System of America. -
According to the Honorable Rep
resentative, this system Consists
of the Roman Catholics, cardinals,
bishops, priests, Jesuits, Knights
of Columbus, Federation of Catho-
lie Societies and other Catholic
societies, together with the Roman
Catholic press. These agencies
all 'Seek to substitute for our
democratic system of government
the monarchical or Papal system.
Mr.. Lindbergh states that he
presents resolution for an inves-
tigation of certain charges made
against the Catholic Church by the
Free Press Defense League. The
whole resolution will be found on
page one in the present issue of
The Catholic Bulletin.
1t may be argued that Mr.. Lind
bergh acted merely as the mouth
piece Of the above mentioned
League. Evidence may be sought
to prove that the Hon. Charles A.
Lindbergh did not really believe
these charges himself, but was
actuated merely by a desire to
have the atmosphere completely
cleared of all religious animosities.
In order to show, however, that
Mr.. Lindbergh really believed
these charges, we have but to turn
to his remarks quoted on page
1874, of the Congressional Record.
Here he says in his own name !:
Read history and observe the
signs of the times. You will find
that everywhere, in all lands and
at all times, the high dignitaries
in the Church Of Rome have been
the ally of oppression, whether
that oppression has been exercis-
ed under the exploited doctrine
Of the divine rights Of kings, or
whether it is exercised under the
groveling greed of plutocracy.
Claiming to hold i'll it's hands the
keys Of the kingdom of heaven, it
is, in all climes and in all lands,
the active assistant of those who
bring hell upon earth" Mr.. Lind
bergh then adds soothingly, that
is not a fault Of the church as
such, but fault of men in whom
| it trusts. -
This last quotation is a sample
of the venom in the apparently in
nocent charges which Mr.. Lind
bergh attributes to the Defense
League. These accusations have
been answered so many times
that it would be idle, even if space
permitted, to refute them all here.
What we wish to call attention to
is the fact that the gentleman who
makes the. above ignorant, prepos-
ferrous and gratuitous charge
against the Catholic Church, is the
man who desires to represent the
great Commonwealth Of Mime
sofa in a family of States which
processes, under the Constitution,
to allow liberty and freedom of
worship to all
The gist of this charge is that
/ Catholic prelates in all lands
and at all times have been the
ally of oppression = & s'1a Fstk
| We know not from what we'll
| Mr. Lindbergh has drawn the tur-
ibid waters of his history we do