THE AMERICAN
UNfcNOVtN IN THt ROMAN CMUWCM
Omaha. N. April 2ltlMil.
Fdiior Tim Av.nic. Dear Sir:
The Roman Organ, Sept. lit, devoir
three ntitl 11 half column to a ltnvl of
the members of the A. P. A, fr daring
to belong 1i an organisation oppossed
l.i the H'mn Catholic church, and
give the imm of about 50 of its sup.
posed members, who, It claims, bo
long to thU "lio.1nr.lty conspiracy
again. t religious liberty."
Religious liberty I something tin
known in the Koninn Catholic church
except when Tiiur nro In tho minority.
Whoever hoard of tho Roman church
tolerating religious liberty when in
power? 1 challenge any member of
that church to olio ft single iiiHtunoc.
History tells us tho contrary was tho
rule.
What would bo tho fitto of any Prot
estant who dared to try mid effect an
entrance to one of their bocret nioot
IngsP Ho certainly would faro little
better than Cronin, whom they only
suspected, and whom bin friends olalm
refused to sanction the treachery of
the ollioore of tho Clan-na-gaol. What
would tho editor of tho Uoman mouth
pleco ftay if tho entrance of tho meeting
places of tho Ancient Order of Hibern
ians, or the Catholic Knights, or tho
Young Men's Institute, the Clan-na-gael
or n-iy other of the 25 or 3D secret
orders of the Roman church, wire
blocked up by from 20 to a 100 of
tho most unscrupulous men In tho
city, and headed by city and county
officials who hold their positions
through the influence of Protestant?
Ills voice would" bo raised loud enough
for all to hear, against this Intimida
tion of men on account of their religion.
Suppose a hundred A. P. A. tneii
were standing on the Kast side of Four
teenth street on Sunday afternoon when
nil the good Romans assemble In the
room opposite to hear the paid spies of
tho Roman church read off the names
of other good citizens who had Joined
tho A. P, A. since the preceding Sun
day, and earned tho proud distinction
of becoming, by that act, men whom
tho most vilo and obscene names,
would do honor: I nay suppose that
number of Protestants were there, and
went across In a body, and blockaded
the stairs, what wuld he say? No
launguage would bo loo severe; no
names too vicious, for him to launch
at their offensive heads. And ho would
be juslilled so long as he remained
within tho bounds of decency. No
man, no set of men have tho right to
at.enipt to disturb n private meeting
without becoming ameulable to the
law. I presume the editor of that pa
per attributes the large per centago of
Roman Catholics In our city, county
and slate prison, also in the houses of
prostitutions to religious persecution.
The Roman Catholics nro inukeo a
persecuted people, more so than AM.
the men, women and children who
have died at Die stnke because they
Insisted In dlffuring with them on re
ligion matters.
Is it religious freedom for the Ro
man church to forbid, kkom tiir rtx
I'lT, I'NDEIt l'AIM OK KXCOMMUNIflATION
an v of its members to tiiapk with ok
BVKN TWO AT WITH COMMON CoUKTKMKY.
a Protestant who has dared to belong
to the A. P. A.P Is It religious, or nny
other kind of freedom, whleh f.uh tU
iteople Ui send their children t the
putil'e seho.il. where the parent Is
employed as jtnilor, and owmmiimi.
rates the whole family on account of
it? I It religious freedom fr any
other clas o hac a secret orgtnWa
lion while Ihey (the Roman Catholics)
keep a wt smllng army of over ToO.ooo
armed men In this country?-organ-
.ed and drilled in secret organisations.
These same men are allowed, In this
country, to t'l I I. iown tie stars and
stripes and Hi'N vv the green, (only for
practice) at reunions, they say. Rut
to my mind the dearest wish of their
heart Is, that they were able to do it In
earnest.
What other country would nllow it
only for fun) knowing the history of
the Roman church P
Here Is a copy of an application for
membership In tho Ancient Order of
libernlans, tho motto of which is
Friendship, Unity, True Christian Char-
ty, but how little tlioy practice Christ
ian Charity, Cod only knows, as you
cannot tell by the questions asked by
the committee when applicants appear
for examination. Tho questions are:
Do you solemnly pledge your sacred
word of honor, that yon will answer
truthfully all questions it shall be tho
duty of the committee to ask you, touch-
tie your qualifications for membership
In the Ancient Order of Hibernians.
What Is vour name and occupation.
Where do yourcsldo.
What U your itfo. Aro you Irish or
Irish descent.
Aro you a Roman Catholic.
Have vou complied with your relig
ious duty within twelve montlis.
Do yon belong to any societies that
the Catholic church Is opposed to.
Then follows oilier questions as to
whether tho applicant was ever before
member and rejected, and for what
reason. The last clause Is a good one,
at rends thus:
Any person joining this order under
an assumed name or age, or having
any bodily ailments, which ho conceals,
shall be ex pelted, and can never be re
admitted. Then follows the report of
tho committee.
These questions nro those asked the
applicant and not garbled like the Ro
man organ's oath of tho A. P. A.
Does nny other religious body have
side secret organizations which monk
HUT AIII.B UODIKI MfCN Clin get Into J
If this organization Is, as they claim,
for Irishmen, why exclude those not
Roman Catholics? If the church be
lieves In religious liberty, why not
practice a little!
The A. P. A. allows every one their
religious liberty, but Is opposed to the
society of Jesus or any other Roman
hiirch organization running tho poll
tics of this city, county, state or conn
try, delivering the votes of Us members
to scheming politicians In consldera
tlon of so much money in hand, or
some appolntlvo ofllce, or other favors
promised.
Who ever doubts that the Roman
church is In politics, read this, taken
from tho world Herald of this city Sept.
10, which undoubtedly got there by
mistake.
London. Sent. It). Special cablegram.
Reports nre circulated In Iterliu that
an agreement has been had between
Chancellor Von Uaprivl aim the papa
Monrlo, in Ihsl city, whereby the cleri
cal patty In t-rcnr M support Ihe
gmrmn'eot measures In ft body, In re
Inrn f r certain in.poitsnt concessions
lo the papacy.
That U jtt wh,1 those political
bark numbers and traitors, as your Ko-j
man conlemmrry Is pleased In term
tho men who met In (Urlield hall, pro-1
pose tu prevent the pop" from doing
in this country.
The name of tSarllcld should awaken
memories of the past In the mind nf
every Roman, for It Is generally under
stood, and never contradicted, that a
resident of this country and of that
namo was Assnssinauni oy a unman
Catholic; also another president of this
country, named Lincoln, died nl the
hands of n Roman Catholic.
The Roman Catholics of this city say
all they want Is to be left alone! If I
nm not mistaken, Jeff Davis said the
samo thing, df these words had been
heeded then, what would have been tho
condition of tho Protestants in this
country to day J (lod only can answer
that question! It is beyond and above
the conception of the editor of any Ro
man paper. A Citizkn.
(Without mental reservation. )
. -
lIKlili IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY.
Tho Honoranlo John Rush says he
has road every number of The Amkki-
n. In that ho has shown his good
, . i . .... it
sense, no aiso says me oniy iruin wo
ever published was when wo said he
delivered a speech In which he claimed
io was n "Catholic lirst and a citizen
afterward." In order to convince the
ubllo that ever) thing appearing In
these columns Is believed to be abso
lutely true, we extend to Mr. Rush an
invitation to state to I he public, In these
columns, what misstatements ho may
havo noticed. We do not want any
ono to think, for a moment, that we
would Intentionally publish a thing
that was not tho absolute truth. If we
have been Imposed upon, and In re
turn have Imposed upon the oredully
of the citizens of Omaha, Mr. Rush
owes It to the citizens to set them l ight.
Where, when and In what Instance
havo wo misstated facts or historical
points, Mr. Rush? You are welome to
a page each week, Mr. Rush, to clear
up all errors because errors they are
If anything has been wrongas we
will not Intentionally misstate or mis
construe anything you or your church
has done or said. We believe we are
right, but should wo not be, wo can bo
convinced otherwise.
TIIK HON AS AKK IS' IT.
Ihey are Wing smothered with
charges of malfeasance In eAloc,
One day 11 Is the county commUsloncts,
the next the city council and the M
I iwluff some attache of some county or
city crib that Is held up to the public
gnre as a tmodlcr and all around oi-
honest snd disreputable otHclul. From
all appearances the county Is Mil i
boodters while the air Is tilled with
wild rumors of boodlers. If one
one half of w hat Is heard upon the
streets Is true, and where is the man
who can prove It Is not, the taxpayers
of this beautiful city and populous
county aro Indeed In a pliable plight.
From tho report brought in by me
Real Kstate Owners association last
week, there is a good sized Irish Ro
manist In that Thirteenth street con
tract. He Is so largo that tho differ
ence on somo r;t,20l yards of earth re
moved by Ryan & Walsh nt !iro per
cubic yard, and what C A. Jensen
would have removed It for (12 o per
cubic yard) will not be large enough
to keen him hid from view. No ditler-
once what action tho courts take people
will retain their own opinions, wliieii
will bo not at all Haltering to certain
county olllclals. That report may even
make It Impossible for a gentleman
seeking a vindication, and whoso Initi
als aro Richard O'KeelVe, nt the hands
of the people, to secure the same. It
may even have a tendency to clean tho
Augean stables In the same expeditious
manner that Hercules did on a similar
notable occasion, and when they were
certainly In no more deplorable con.
1 it ion.
If Hint report has that effect upon
that branch of our local government,
what do you suppose will be the term
ination of the investigation of the Ro
man members of tho city council? How
do vou suppose Morearty will fare?
What will happen to old man Donnelly,
and Pete F.lsasscr, ami the rest of them
If Councilman Christian Hpecht suc
ceeds In making his charges stick, and
wnat will become of Chris If that Joke
takes n serious turn?
(ID.)
(I. Ill
North .Sixteenth Street,
SA1U1KNT,
For Hoots and Shoes.
!!22
Tin? Democratic Judicial convention
nominated somo good men last Tues
day. Let the county" convention do ns
w""'
Take the Ilurlington Route for all
points Northwest, South, Fast and
West. Flrst-clnss service.
....,. .
Tourists, travel via II. & M.
: ANen'.NT ani momkhn :
Furniture Repairing
and Upholstering,
JL. 13. DIIOCIILDr,
1119 North 24th Stivtit.
A. M. CLARK,
PRACTICAL PAINTER,
Paperhanger
& Sign Writer
Paints, Oils, Brushes, Wallpaper, Curtains, Window Shades
Cornices, Poles and Fixtures.
107 South Fourteenth Street. Oninhii, Neb.
