The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-11-27

ferentiate be-
 tween Father Coughlin, the priest, and Charles r. Coughlin, the po- litical-economic theorist. That such a differentiation is both pos- sible and proper I think no one, least of all Father Coughlin, will deny. From various sources and in view of the cudgellings deliv- cred upon my unfortunate head by anonymous newspaper letter writers it would appear that my attempts have failed to achieve the purpose for which they were intended. The irreconcilables still refuse to be reconciled. In certain unimportant quarters I still remain anathema. Nothing can be done about 1t I suppose. However, 1t was with a pardonable feeling of satisfaction read what is quoted below. It is an extract from a short article on Father Coughlin which appeared in the Catholic weekly America" last Saturday. America" has fre- quently disagreed with the sub- ject of the article and has been savagely attacked by him in re- turn. I quote the extract because 1t expresses the thoughts I en- deavored to put into words some issues ago and which I hoped even the most devoted Coughlinite would understand.
 Father Coughlin's voice will
 not, for the present, be heard
 weekly in the homes of the peo-
 pie. It will not assail the ears
 of those who listened but to
 condemn. There Is Q loss for
 the Church and the country in
 his silence. His financial and
 industrial philosophy might
 continue to be questioned. His
 political activities might be dis
 puted. His violations of eti-
 quette and good manners might
 have to be excused. But his
 sincere and eloquent champion
 ship of the poor man, of the
 under-man, his brave pr0mul-
 gation of the words of the POpeS
 on modern rights and duties,
 his denunciation of injustice In
 high places, his profession of
 Faith i'm the Church he serves
 as priest, his spiritual messages
 inspiring to more saintIy living,
 these will be missed and these
 we are sorry to lose. Father
 C0ughlin's retirement from pub
 Mc life may be long or short, It
 may bring joy and relief or It
 may cause dismay, but the chief
 Objectives for which he lab0red
 and the ideals toward which he
 strove must never be forgotten" Silly
 Of all the efforts by his enemies to make sure that Father Cough lin will lose the remnants of his former prestige and influence none Is quite 50 incredibly stupid as that being made by an outfit which calls itself by the sonorous handle of ''The Catholic Laymen's League Opposed to Political Ec- clesiasticism!" Who compose the membership of the league I neith- CT know nor care. But judged by the contents of the telegram sent by the secretary to Charles E. Coughlin, Royal Oak, Michigan" on October 22 last the combined brains of the organization if turned into dynamite and explod- ed the explosion would not be strong enough to lift the biretta from Father Coughlin's head. To accuse the radio padre of being "a British Agent in conspiracy with agents of the Ku Klux Klan to bring about the disruption of this nation and of the Catholic Church." as the telegram does, Is such cockeyed drivel that 1t would be funny if 1t were not disgrace full. If the active participation of a priest in political hurly-burly is open to objection and attack, there is no adjective at my com- mand to characterize adequately fat-headed laymen projecting themselves into ecclesiastical af- fairs. Compared to the thought and language contained in the telegram any breach of restrained speech which Father Coughlin may have been guilty of during the presidential campaign pales into perfect politeness. I wonder how searching an investigation into it's origin, sponsorship. and financial backing "The Catholic Laymens League Opposed 10 Poe litical Ecclesiasticism" would