The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-06-21
CHURCH-STATE UNION
FEARED BY SHERMAN
IN LEAGUE OF NATIONS
Illinois Senator Says That Roman Cath
Ollie Church Would Be Represented
in the League Assembly by "a
Out of IS Votes.

Washington, D. c., June 20.-A warn.
ing that the league of nations may end
the separation of church and state and
bring the civilized world under the domi-
| nation Of the Vatican was given in the
Senate yesterday by Senator Sherman,
! Republican, of Illinois, who declared that
the Roman Catholic church would be rep
resented in the league assembly by "a
votes out of 45.
"From an early date" says the SEN
ator, "the occupants of the Vatican have
used the inherent right of papal authori-
ty to administer civil government. 1t is
with the utmost regret fail to find re-
corded in the course of papal claims Of
later days any remuneration of the doc
trine So far as a layman can discover,
the Vatican still believes it ought, and
would If the power permitted, assume
! to administer ecclesiastical and civil gov
eminent as its joint, exclusive and para
mount power.
"Of the original 81 member nations
signatories to the proposed league, 2s
are Christian nations and four are OF
other faiths. OF these % Christians, II
are Catholic nations, either a majority or
an overwhelming preponderanee Of the
population bling Of that religious faith
and II afe Protestant The Catholic
member, are Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil
Cuba, Ecuador, France, Guatemala, Hal
/ ti Honduras, Italy, Nicaragua, Panama,
Peru, Poland, Portugal, Uruguay and
Czecho. Slovakia. The IL nations will
be represented in the league in all hui
man probability by Catholic delegates.
That church represents in its member
| ship either a majority or almost an en-
tirety of the several populations The
sway over those people and their i'm
! plicit faith in the infallibility of the
| head of this great religious organization
| is supreme 1t il power for good.
eheerfully bear witness to its support
of stable government, and above all its
steady opposition to Socialistic state
disorder and bolsheyism in its various
| forms and manifestations. But the head
of the church proclaims and teaches his
infallibility. The separation of church
and state might continue. The peril lies
in the claim Of papal power never abb
| jured never disayowed The tempta-
ton to enforce that belief might break
down every barrier built up by centuries
of struggle and sacrifice.
"Shall the United States commit itself
to the mercy of power from which our
ancestors delivered u.s. Shall we risk
entangling ourselves and our prosperity
| in the tolls we have escaped through
| their wisdom and the warnings they left
to guide us in the duties and perils OF
our generationf The covenant of the
! e xt+tthsy fta f1lIa
| reaetionary power more fatal and in
sidious than a Prussian helmet, more
dangerous than future wars
"The states invited 60 aecede to the
covenant of the league Of nations are;
Argentine Republic, Chile, Colombia
Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, Para
quay, Persia, Salvador, Spain, Sweden
| Switzerland and Venzuela. All are
| Christian nations with the exception OF
Persia. OF the u invited Christian ma,
tions, seven are Catholic, viz: Argentina
Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Salvador
Spain and Venezuela. Therefore, "a OF
the 40 equal votes of the Christian ma
tions, members of the league, are spir-
| itually dominated by the Vatican.
! "Tne Vatican il most earnest advo-
cate of the covenant of the league OF
nations. On March 10 President vii,
son conferred with the Vatican at Rome
The pope said among other things refer.
ring to the league President Will
son put the matter so clearly that my
doubts began to melt and before our in
terview closed ] agreed with him on the
main lines of his plan
miraculous conversion of the deer
traditional wisdom of the Holy See. The
great pontifcal dignitary gives no ran,
/ dom interview. Neither can we believe
both the presidents visit and the in.
terview were not for pre-conceiyed pur'
pose.
"The controversy over Fiume and the
resulting troubles recall the belief among
many Italians that the Vatican is not in
| sympathy with the civil government OF
/ ITALY ON this subject 1t is fair to infer
that the pope cordially approves Of Pres
ident Wilson's stand against Orlando
/ and the Italian civil authorities
While the evidence is circumstantial, II
all tends to connect President Wilson
with influences mfriendly to the tenn
poral power of Italy and inimical to the
| future welfare Of the United States"
/