The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1918-01-26

So - PANpOoaA 30 tllht buRReSL0u
by Italy and accepted by England,
France and Russia.
"The more we read Of European
politics the more convinced we are
that there is autocracy In other
places besides Germany, and the
sooner 1t is scraped anu dumped in
to the rubbish heap the better. De-
mocracy is possible only amongst de-
cent, fair-minded people, and it is
too much to expect a Transformation
OF the anti-clerical French and ltal-
Ian element which for the last score
OF years has been riding rough shod
over the respective countries in which
they hold the ruling power. AS to
poor England, she probably signed
the agreement because Lord North
cliffe decided that it was for the best
interests Of the little government
which he apparently owns and oper-
ates to his own profit and satisfac-
tion.
" I" Catholics will not tolerate
any such insult from friends or enc
mics. They demand, without apology
or excuse, that anti-clericSlism hide
its head, at least until the war is
over. 1t is for the allies to repudiate
this insulting clause.
Somebody owes US an apology.
We Catholics love the Holy Father
too ardently to keep Silent under such
an attack upon his rights. And we
boldly say to the world: Hands
off,"
So Catholics boldly say to the
world: hands Off" because I'VE
Catholics love the holy father too
ardently to keep silent under such an
attack upon his Notwithstanding
the allies are foolish enough to think
that such Freernason,y inspired
tactics toil have any other effect than
TO ALLEVIATE the tUhole-heGrted support
Of the thousands Of Catholics who
are doing more than their bit in this
war for democracy and decency then
are badly IN need Of some common
sense advisors"
We have contended all along that
whenever the pope makes demand
he does so knowing that his claims to
sovereignty are recognized and that
ne will be obeyed and upheld by
every good Catholic" Now here is
a concrete illustration of what pa
pists think, say and plan to do in
order that they may help the pope
enforce his claims to recognition. Of
course the article states that it is
moral authority the pope would as
sert if allowed to automatically med
die in peace negotiations in which
only sovereigns should be allowed
to participate.
But The Tablet shows that 1t is
temporal authority masquerading un-
der the guise Of "moral" that it
wishes to enforce, and The Tablet
loves the pope too ardently" not to
insist upon his being present in the
peace conference. But what of this
moral authority" that has ambitions
to sit in a peace conference but has
exerted no moral influence against
the most horrible atrocities ever COM
mitted in war? II the pope would
not speak out In condemnation of the
horrible atrocities of the Hun in Bel
Gium which were so circumStantially
described TO him by Cardinal Mercier,
or If he would not make an utterance
in the interest of fairness and JUS
tice at such a time what does the
world want with him in a peace con-
ference which must have naught for
its aims except justice and the rights
Of people everywhere?
This question as to the pope sitting
in the peace conference is not even
fit for discussion; it admits of not a
single argument in favor of the pope.
Look at his peace note which was
nothing more than an effort to bring
about a ncace that would take no
cognizance Of brutality and destruc-
ton, but instead, strongly condoned
kaiserism, and sought to bring peace
with the status ~ aptocracv still in
its old dress. Then in the face Of
President Wilson's reply to the pope's
note. wherein he boldly threw tho
raunt'et Of democracy squnrely in
the face of the kaiser and the pope.
the papacy had the audacity to have
read, from the episcopal thrones of
Germany, pastoral letter not only
instructing Catholics to protect the
evisting monarchv of the Hun from
foes within and without. hut con-
Aerning popular sovereignty as well.
Such q thing was, in our opinion. n