The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-04-21
Current EUent5
By t. j. o'FLAHERTY.


Thousands of patriotic citizens make
living in his country telling their
fellow-patriots that there is a papal
army in every parochial schoolhouse
cellar waiting for the word to rally
forth and burn every "little red
school house" in the land.
IN the other hand we have the lieu
v tenants of the self-styled prisoner
in the Vatican make a better living
telling their deluded followers that
all those who are not believers in the
catholic faith will roast and sizzle for
ever and ever and ever in a hell spe-
cially built by the kind christian god
for all those who refuse to contribute
to the upkeep of the pope and his
horde of employees. And the christian
god was good enough to employ
devil and host of roustabouts to
keep the home fires burning for his
rebellious creatures.
BETWEEN the two brands of re-
= ligious opium peddled by the rival
spiritual joss houses there is no more
choice than there is between two diff
ferent kinds of poison, both equally
deadly. Al Smith could state quite
honestly that he is loyal son of the
catholic international in Rome and of
American Imperialism with head
quarters in Wall Street and an annex
in Washington. Theoretically, of
course, the vatican has never relin-
i pushed the claim to the spiritual and
temporal dominance of all the human
beings on this earth. But it uses its
head.
THERE was time when kings trem-
bled every time the pope blew his
nose in anger. Those were in the
good old feudal days when a refrac-
tory prince could be brought to the
papal knee to renew his allegiance
under threat of a loss of his power.
The papacy was more powerful poll
tically in those days than it is now.
IL was more the boss of the existing
social order than now. Today it is
the servant of world Imperialism and
gives tit for tat. 1t renders service
to world Imperialism and receives
valuable concessions in return. There |
is an almost perfect entente between
the vatican and world capitalism. |
Here and there rupture occurs. But |
quarrels take place even in the best
regulated families.
WHEN Governor Smith declares
that the catholic church does not
interfere in temporal matters he is |
talking for the benefit of the moron.
What is the catholic church doing in
Mexico today when it supports coun- |
ter-revolutions against the Mexican |
government which happens to be |
liberal government and opposed to |
foreign Imperialism and the native |
blood-suckers who have lived on the |
backs of the Mexican people for CEN
turtles? And every student of Irish
history knows that the church has
been used by Great Britain ever since
the conquest of Ireland as an over
seer holding the country in subiec- |
tion for consideration. The sale of |
Ireland to British king on condition
that the king turn over to the papal i
treasury one penny for every human I
being in Ireland is a historical fact /
Not very spiritual agreement!
THE catholic church must do a lot
of spade work yet before the poll
teal soil in the United States is suf- |
ficiently prepared for the election of |
catholic to the presidency. Smiths
blast is part of a definite policy to
break down the existing prejudice.
Whether his interrogation, Mr.. Mar
shall, was in on the plan or not
makes little difference. AS a result
of the publicity that accrued to Al
from the controversy he is more 'of a |
national figure today than ever and |
will prove powerful contender for
the nomination in the next democrat
convention.
CMOULD Smith receive the demo-
y Grat nomination the religious issue
will (be one of the dominating factors
in the election campaign tho there is
little likelihood that either of the
main eontenders will deal with the
religions publicly. But two armies
Of whisperers will be busy. The lead
ers of the capitalist parties will try
TO make the workers forget their
own class interests in one more cleo
ton debauch. When the workers
should be building Labor Party to
fight their own battles they will be
asked to check their political brains
until the spree is over. Then they
will return to the slave pens--if they
are lucky enough to have job
while the successful and unsuccessful
candidates sleep off the effects of the
jamboree.
TEARS welled to my eyes as read
an editorial wall in a recent issue