The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1960-05-06

Owh hlna' Young by Race,
Greed, Or National Origin" a
Fund for the Republic study
by Moses Rischin.
THE REPORT. is ONE of a
number of recent statements
by individuals and groups on
the So-called Catholic vote"
and whether a Catholic can or
should be elected President.
MIR, Rischin, who prepared
his study as a staff member
of the American Jewish Con-
gress, reports on a study of
voting preferences of students
at the University of Connect
icut and their fathers.
Protestant fathers and sons
were IS per cent Republican,
and Jewish fathers and sons
IS per cent Democratic, he
says. But Catholic sons were
so per cent Republican, while
Catholic fathers were 80 per
cent Democratic.
THOUGH THIS SURVEY
Overlooked ethnic differen-
ces among Catholics and was
narrowly limited in locale"
Mr. Rischin says, nevertheless
lit agrees with the general
impression of extreme fluid
ity in Catholic voting and of
virtual about-face by stat
unconscious young Catholics
dispersed through suburbia
and the corporate structure"
Meanwhile, other recent
developments included the
following:
u In ST. Paul, Mimi, q
Protestant theoIogian told a
university audience that
neither the Wisconsin pri-
mary nor public opinion polls
indicate clearly TO what ex-
tent there is q Catholic vote"
and an "anti-c Catholic vote"
ut remains to be seen
whether we are more toler-
ant" Professor Robert Mich
aelsen of the University of
Iowa school of religion told an
audience of faculty and stu
dents april 26) at the Uni
versity of Minnesota.
He added: certainly bigotry
Is not dead. This becomes
more evident with every pass
ing day. One measure of the
relative maturity of Ameri-
cans in terms of religious
pluralism is the fact that an
increasing number of non
Protestants hold high offices.
But the office of the presi-
dency is surrounded by a type
of mystique attached to no
other office"
Professor Michaelsen argu-
ed that religion is a relevent
issue in regard to politics
"only when it is of political
significance-that is, when
there is evidence that a mans
religion might have a decisive
influence upon his public acts
and decisions"
3 In San Francisco, an Epis-
copal bishop detained against
religious "bigotry" in politics,
while at the same time as
sorting that in the Wisconsin
primary, won by Sen. Ken
nedy, "a very large number of
voters voted for a candidate
because of his religion"
Episcopal Bishop James A.
Pike of California did not
identify the very large num-
Der of voters" to whom he
referred. In the context Of his
address to the California Re-
public Assembly, however, it
appeared that he was repeat
ing allegations of supposed
Catholic bloc-voting for Sen.
Kennedy.
Said Bishop Pike: Casting
ones vote simply on the basis
of ones religion is bigotry, and
this is just as true if one
votes for or against a candi-
date because of his religion.
This point is being lost
sight of as we approach the
May 10) West Virginia pri-
mary. Those who are very
concerned that West Virginia
Protestants do not vote
against a Roman Catholic be-
cause of his religion have
been remarkably silent about
the fact that seems to appear
in q careful analysis of the
Wisconsin primary-namely,
that a very large number of
voters voted for a candidate
because of his religion.
- In Charles Town, w. Va,
the retired Episcopal Bishop
of West Virginia said he
would have no hesitancy about
voting for a Catholic candi.
date in the coming president.
ial campaign.
DR.. Robert K. Strlder. IL
Bishop of West Virginia fol
80 years until his retirement
in 1865, issued the statement
after a Commute meeting
with Sen. Kennedy.
According to the statement
DR.. Strider told the Senator he
had no doubt of his loyalty
to the Constitution, and fell
sure that if elected Presi
dent he would not be unduly
influenced by any religion
group in the exercise of his
duties. Sen. Kennedy is cam