The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1957-12-06

Inc pfeldte SAID the acc
cial recognition, lest serious harm
result if left unanswered"
The charge was made by the
Hamilton County Good Govern
ment League, which. issued a
statement that declared: There
was obvious evidence of an at
tempt to get out a Catholic bloc
vote for Catholic candidates in
the November 5 election. And es-
pecially in some heavily Catholic
wards there was a large percent
age of ballots marked only for the
five Catholic. candidates on both
tickets"
The election conferred around
the nine-member city council.
The top running candidate is
selected as Mayor. The Repub.
Iicans got five seats, the Char
t~erites, four. Top running candi-
date was Donald Clancy, a Re-
publican who is a Catholic and
who became Mayor December 2.
Joseph DecoUrcy, Jr., q Repub-
Iiean, and John J. Gilligan and
Vincent H. Beekman. Charter
ties, we're the other Catholics
elected to the council.
Archbishop Alter said the cob
vious Interpretation" which must
be given to the Good Government
League statement is that "there
was an organized or concerted eff
fert made by Catholics in some
official manner to influence the
election of Catholic candidates
solely on the ground of their re-
ligious affiliation."
SIN reply 10 that charge. as
Archbishop of Cincinnati, | wish
to enter a categorical denial" the
prelate said. "'There was no such
action taken or even contem,
plated"
There was never at any time, in
public or private, any discussion
of the candidates, nor any in
quiry of their religion, on the part
of the Archbishop, his represent
atives or any authorized agency
or person, Archbishop Alter said
He added there were no instruc
tons issued, in writing or verbal
ly, concerning the candidates.
The Archbishop pointed out
that some years ago the policy
was adopted that no advertise
ments from candidates for po-
iiticaI office be solicited or &C
copied by the Catholic Tele-
graph : Register, archdiocese
newspaper. An inquiry among
the II parishes in the archdio-
cese disclosed no parish bullet
ms carried any announcement
or ad Of candidates for office.
He said there was n adver-
tisement which concerned The
issue Of proportional represen-
tation in the election, but no
reference was made TO candi-
dates.
Archbishop Alter pointed on
that synodal legislation adopted
by the archdiocese prohibits ;
priest from holding public office
or making an announcement ii
church or in a public Statement
concerning political questions ant
matters of public policy withou'
1.-THE Specific permission of thu
Ordinary" Another synodal stat
ute asserts that all Catholic asso
Citations refrain from partisan pc
litical activity and make no dec
larations on public policy matter
without permission of the Ordin
airy. He commented. eve wish t.
add that no permission of this ma
ture was ever asked or given"
The Archbishop said the Goot
Government League erred in stat
ing there we're five Catholic can
didates for the council. He sail
there we're six out Of ID, mot II
undue proportion in view of tn
Catholic percentage Of the popula
ton" He said of the four Catholi
candidates elected, three previous
ly had served terms on the coun
Gil.
"if there had been an organ
ired effort in favor Of specific
ally Catholic candidates, how
does the Good Government
League account for the wide
disparity in the number Of votes
received by the various eandi-
dates who happened TO be Cath
oIic?" the Archbishop asked.
"The top candidate of the Cath
Ollie group received almost twic
as many votes as the lowest rank
ing ones. Surely this is evidenc
that there were other considers
tons in the minds Of the voter
besides the question of religion
utilization"
The Archbishop said no inquir
was made into the motivation Q
voters in their choice of cand
dates, "but>we do not think tina