Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-21

and progress
Il could tax your patience for the
! rest of this evening with similar ex-
! pressions from men and women who
| are the leaders of thought and affairs
in the State of New York. independents
in politics, most of them never affiliated
with any political organization.
do Senator Owen and the forces
behind him know more about my record
than these distinguished men and
women who have watched 1t and studied
| it? But Senator Owen and his kind
are not sincere. They know that this
Tammany cry is an attempt to drag a
red herring across the trail.
Says Religion Is Cause.
II know what lies behind all this and
I shall tell you. I specifically refer to
the question of my religion. Ordinarily
| that word should never have been used
| in political campaign. The necessity
for using 1t Is forced on me by Senator
Owen and his kind, and I feel that at
least once in his campaign I, as the
candidate of the Democratic party, owe
it to the people of this country to dis
| cuss frankly and openly with them this
attempt of Senator Owen and the forces
| behind him to inject bigotry hatred
SCCJdEldn
! division into campaign that should be
an intelligent debate of the important
issues which confront the American
| people.
In New York I would not have to
discuss it. The people know me- But III
view of the vast amount of literature
anonymously circulated throughout this
country. the cost of which must run into
huge sums of money. l owe it to my
country and my party to bring it out
into the open. There Is a we'll founded
belief that the major portion of this
publication, at least, is being financed
through political channels. A recent
newspaper account in the city of New
York told the story of a woman who
called at the Republican national head
quarters In Washington seeking some
literature to distribute. She made the
'eouest that it be of nature other than
political. Those in charge of the Re-
publican publicity bureau provided the
, lady with an automobile and she was
driven to the office of publication no.
torious throughout the country for it's
eenseless. stupid. foolish attacks upon
the Catholic Church and upon Catfo-
lies generally.
Sees Disaster in Issue.
CdIl bilulh vi III SIEdtGI ulSdSIGI
to this country than to have the voters
of 1t divide upon religious lines. It is
contrary to the spirit. not only of the
Declaration of independence, but of the
Constitution itself. During all of our
national life. we have prided ourselves
throughout the world on the declaration
of fundamental American truth that all
men are created equal.
"Our forefathers in their wisdom,
seeing the danger to the country of
-iivision on religious issues. wrote into
the Constitution of the United States
in no uncertain words the declaration
that no religious test shall ever be ap-
piled for public office. and it is sad
thing in 1928. in view of the countless
billions of dollars that we have poured
into the cause of public education. to
see some American citizens proclaiming
themselves 100 per cent American and
in the document that makes that proc
lamation suggesting that I be defeated
for the presidency because OF my reli-
gious belief.
THE grand dragon Of the realm of
Arkansas. writing to citizen Of that
State, urges my defeat because I am
Catholic and in the letter suggests 70
the man, who happened to be dele
gate to the Democratic convention,
that by voting against me he will be
unfolding American ideals end inStitC
lions as established by our forefathers.
Attacks Ku Klux Khan.
1.-THE grand dragon who advised a
delegate to the national convention to
vote against me because OF my religion
is member of an order known as the
Ku Klux Khan. who have the effrontery
l. g.. - lxync OF Inn
! Americans Yet. totally ignorant OF the
| history and traditions of this country
| and its institutions and in the name
of AmericaniSm they breathe into the
| hearts and souls of their members
! hatred of millions of their fellow coun-
! trymen because of their religious be-
! lief
Nothing could be so out OF line with
| the spirit of America. Nothing could
be so foreign to the teachings of JEFF
ferson. Nothing could be so contradic-
tory to our whole history. Nothing
could be so false to the teachings of our
no greater mockery than the use of the
blazing cross. the cross upon which
Christ died, as symbol to instill into
the hearts of men a hatred of their
brethren, while Christ preached and
died for the love and brotherhood of
! man.
II fully appreciate that here and
there, in great country like ours, there
are to be found some ignorant or mis-
guided people. and under ordinary cir
| cumstances 1t might be we'll to be
charitable and make full and due al
lowance for them. But this campaign,
so far advanced. discloses such &C
tivity on their part as to constitute in
NV oNnint1 menacp--n0t alone tn the
party but to the country itself.
Il would have no objection to any,
body finding fault with my public rec
ord, circularizing the whole United
States, provided he would tell the truth.
But no decent. right minded. upstand-
ing American citizen can for momeDt
countenance the shower of lying state
| ments. with no basis in fact, that have
been reduced to printed matter and sent