The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1921-03-12
TRIBUTE TO CHURCH PAID BY
SENATOR KING IN SENATE
DEBATE.

Declaring that Catholic opposition
10 the Smith Towner Bill is placed
upon the ground that the Catholics
believe in the rights of the States,
which would be threatened by these
constant assertions of authority by
the federal government to speak to
the States, to go into the States. to
engage in the activities of the States.
and to contribute to the performance
of the duties and responsibilities of
the States" Senator King of Utah
paid a high tribute to the patriotism
and democracy of American Catholics
in the course of the debate in the
TowRer Bill
Senator Smith, one of the authors
of the Bill, said that the only active
opposition to the Smith-Towner Bill
had come from organizations of RO
man Catholics. and that every reSolu
tion passed by these Catholics. every
editorial printed in their papers
against the measure, disclosed igno
rance OF what the measure is, and
proved that they were attacking what
is not to be found in the provision OF
the Bill.
Senator Simmons Suggests uIterior
Motives.
Senator Simmons, of North Caro-
lima, interrupted Senator Smith by
asking the latter the following ques
ton, namely, Does he (Senatol
SMITH believe that the protests which
are coming from the Catholics. as he
says, are really based upon the as
sumption that the Catholic children
will be required to attend public
schools under his Bill, or are they
based upon the other idea that as the
Catholic Church. more than any 9th
er Church. provides for the education
of its children in parochial schools
the Catholics, while having to pay
their part Of this fund. would not gel
any of the benefits from it because
they do not patronize the State pub
lie schools? While the protest is
based upon the other ground, is it moi
probable that that is the real basis
of their Obiection?" Senator Smith
replied that he hoped not, and Senator
Simmons declared that he also hoped
so, but rather suspected that the sec
ond reason had a great deal to dc
with Catholic objections to the Bill
A little further on, Senator Sim
mons. in answer to Senator Smith, de
clared that he did not express" the
view that the Catholics were fighting
the SmithTowner Bill because they
would not get any money for their
own schools from public funds under
the provisions Of the Smith-Townel
Bill, but said that he merely suggest
ed that this reason moved them ir
their opposition.
Senator King, when he gained the
floor, declared that the opposition OF
some of the Catholic organizations tt
the Smith-Towner Bill did not res
alone upon the ground suggested by
Senator Smith, but was placed upor
the ground that they believe in the
rights of the States Continuing, Sen
ator King said
HcE CAN. SEE "udI bHo result VII
be of these constant assertions of au
thority by the federal government tt
speak to the States, to go into the
States, to engage in the activities OF
the States. and to contribute to the
performance of the duties and the re
sponsibilities of the States. Many OF
the representatives of the Catholic
Church have lifted their voices in be
half of democracy. Their great prel
ate, Cardinal Gibbons, has been tow
er of strength in this great republic
in behalf of democratic institutions
and of free thought and of individual
development and of the maintenance
of the rights of the States. And his
voice has not been as politician but
as a patriotic American, who loves
his country and desires it's welfare.
There are those who believe that
the eighteenth and nineteenth amend
ments vitality affected the integrity OF
the nation. There was time when
the States possessed that pride which