c
THE
AM.EIi,ICAN
N'l'MI-kH It
Ytl I'MI IV.
OMAHA. NMUANKA, IHU'W, .UlUIAt'
I ltl Ol t'l lMttN
1 lt Itir IVtti 1 1 tl,tl
I W ttinntt f I! . 1 iVtttte
Tku-k- !. f-'t H t v-mt.t titH '
.- t.1 , , h i 1 ,ei- .! . I '."! I'
I in I. left i ! ti-
Iti-h v1iiMi!t in i).. 1 v. i. n!' f
.( 1 nui ! .' A P,
A, lnt !,H te Itetvitn it'!i.. three
U tn to I II Ml O t- 1 4 t ' t, U
hit I e tii.t lift I lnt ! : Hi'
M limit' f 1 !n ) niUi if I list iettt )i
towards H.e tvitl Ktly tl the Atmil
van i''m' f lli eotllnin Ut . 1"
tin wmUt, i i'i'l iii tin-iti, !! U!ti
itiorv, t ilit-, M. Inii and N't w
OrieaiWt, tht 'ti ir KJ f. lemittlt
t'mlmHt , v. bile (n lln northern titim
and town therv are i mi- mil
lion. It itt quite certain lhat the n inl,.J
ruuso for the distrust ami dislike of
Catholic among On- A. l A. people is
te 1h found In the fuel tlint m arly tit
entirv nicmttcrship "f 'ho Hoiimu Cath
olic chuivh i'iistcmlj ami clannish!
ai t with mitl Isdongs lo one mlitlml
party: controls Oh i-nJ organization
ami machinery whenever (i can. nml
nominates aw many mouiWrs of this
church fur oUtee as It can force that
party to concede. In many fit leu, like
Chicago, New York, Hnstklyn, Huston,
Albanv. Trov. Buffalo, Detroit, Fori
Wayne, Dubuque, Milwaukee, St. l'aul,
Omaha and Kansas Cityin short,
whoever it posfOHestho j)owcrit jrrahw
alKiut all the ollices clwtivo and ap
pointive especially thorns that have
patronage or hlg nalarlcs and cnudu
mentw. Ilcnco the nietnlH-rs of this
church have neeurod the pi-cat bulk of
tho imiK)rtunt oIIIccm of all the citieB
and towns where they are relatively
strong in that party.
This is the undeniable fact and re
cord. And it is growing sU adily more
and more Into a monopoly of ollice con
trol by one religious organization. It is
really those manifestations of politico
ecclcsiastical domination which are
changing non-Catholio democrats Into
active A. 1'. A's. and are causing such
disgust and profound dissatisfaction
among democrats who are not members
of the Catholic church.
Of course republicans do not like to
seethe membership of this strong and
rapidly growing church voting almost
solidly at all elections against republi
can candidates if they happen not to be
members of the Catholic church. They
naturally dislike to soo nearly all tho
mombors of a groat church acting in
such an intollerant. prescriptive and
clannish manner. The republican party
has always been tho very emlodimont
of liberty in all matters pertaining to
rellelous conscience and sectarian creed
and Its ranks aro made up of portions
of all tho Protestant sects, and non-
members of any church, together with
a small sprinkling of liberal minded,
Intelligent, and Americanized Catho
lics of the Archbishop Ireland sort.
Hut If that fraction of republicans were
ten times as numerous as they are, they
would still be a handful as compared
with the almost solid mass which acts
with and runs tho democratic par'y In
the north.
This banding together In one politi
cal party continuously Is riot restricted
to any European nationality. The Irish
are not the worst offenders In this re
spect. In point of fact they are about
the only foreign Catholics of whom It
can boHtllrmed that some of them act
with the other parties. Thus there are
some Irish Catholic republicans-good,
active, sound ones, and some of them
are tionullst.s and others Goorgoltos,
and a few are prohibitionists, although
05 per cent or moro always support the
democratic candidates and measures
Including low wage freo trade, Hut of
the other nationalities they are solidly
meinliors of one political party, Thus
all Catholic Poles support the demo
cratlc" party, almost all Catholic Ho-
bemlans, all Catholic Huns, nearly all
Catholic French, (ierman Catholics
with a few rare exceptions, and all
Italian, Austrian and Swiss Catholics
act sollillywlth the democratic party,
Whv? Is it because that party Is for
freo trade and low wages, and generally
for a cheap, debased currency? Or Is
the reason something elser
Tho Xrihiim has often asked for a
solution of this mystery and never re
ceived a satisfactory explanation. On
tho other hand, the votes of Canadian,
Kngllsh, Scotch, Irish, Gorman, Dan
ish. Norwcirian, Swedish, Ilollamllsli
Hoheinlan and other foreign Protestants
are dlvlded-among all tins parties. The
same Is true of the membership of all
tho American Protestant sects and of
the non-church voles. Part of them are
democrats, part republicans, part popu
lists, part prohibitionists, while some
are sinule-tax.eranks.
Nothlnir would ho mileklv or so do
cislvely disband and dissolve the rapidly
growing and spreading A. P. A. organ
l.alion as to have tho Komari Catholic
voters become Americanized politically
and divhhlhomsolves politically among
tho otherjpartles, as all other religion
ists do each man to veto with tho
party which most nearly represented
his sentiments on the tariff, currency,
pure elections, law and order, national
A.r.A. l.rcTMM
sovereignty, state supremacy, anil or
pro election frauds, prohibition, local
option, freo liquor selling, and other
public questions. If each Catholic
would separate his polities from his
creed and act upon his political con
victions as all other classes of religion
ist do, tho A. P. A. movement would
soon die out, and there would be no
more fears In the American mind of
Humanist attacks on tho Amebian non-
sectarian public school system, and no
more jealousies or animosities created
In American minds at what looks to
them like a Catholic political organiza
tion dominating the democratic party
forthe purpose of ruling this country
and clutching almost a monoMily of Its
ollices and political patronage. It Is
these appearances and apprehensions
which are causing so many thousands of
American democrats to Mock Into the A.
A. for self-protection against what
they consldiT foreign ecclesiastical po
lltlcal domination.
Italy nml the IVmry.
An article of special value In the In
ternational Journal of Ethics Is the one
on Italy ami the papacy, try rror.
HalTacle Mariano, of the Pnlvlrsity of
Nsplcs, It throws a flood of light on
the actual situation In Italy. The fun
damental voice of the Homlsh system,
Its lifeless externallsin and artificiality,
Is most forcibly pointed out, as Is also
tho effect of It on tho Italian priest
hood and the Italian people, The
Homunlsm of Heme and of Italy and of
all countries where It does not eomo
Into contact und competition with
Protestantism, Is shown to bo a very
different uffalr from tho better forms of
Homan Catholicism as seen in the U
lted States, for Instance. It Is an un
deniable historic experience, Hays Prof
Mariano, that In moral and even In In
tellectual respects, Catholicism wears
a very different aspect whero It co
exists with Protestantism, whero It Is
subject to its Influence and gathers
from It, moro or less, its needs and
tendencies; tho prophetic words of
Luther launched against the clergy,
"My name shall tako away peace from
you forever, until ye shall either have
gone to perdition or have changed for
tho belter," have not remained without
effect In Luther's own fatherland.
It Is said that during the early stages
of tho reconstructive erlod In Italy,
an English statesman remarked to an
Italian minister: "I consider It im
possible for a nation to exist without a
pronounced religious basis," and that
tho latter answered: "Wo Italians are
going to try tho experiment." It Is
IuhI this which Prof. Mariano Insists
haseomoto pass. And tho chief m
sponslblllty for it, as ho convincingly
shows, lies at tho door of tho papacy
And, as he also Indicates, tho results
of this In tho present religious and pO'
lltlcal condition of Italy cannot but bo
a subject of International Interest. It
may bo very beautiful, very touching,
very flattering If you will, tho present
pojto's so often protested lovo for Amor
lea, and It m .iy have been an enormous
TO I J'! NATION vh.
distinction accorded to Mr. Chaunccy
Depew tho other day, that ho was al
lowed to shako hands with the popu arid
have a few minutes' conversation with
him and as he affirms, "tho greatest
event of his life; but It will not be well
for any of us to be blind to the charac
teristics that are most of all distinctive
and constitutive of any great ecclesias
tical organism. And hero wo cannot
do bettor than quota the words of Prot.
Mariano himself:
"Tho facts are these: papal Cathol
icism Is uniformly a religion of exter
nals, Inferior In spirit to tho progres
sive thought and elevated spirit of
Christianity. Its effects on the con
science and the moral life have not
proved themselvi s beneficially influen
tial In the world at large, and least of
all In Italy, whore, for special though
remote reasons, It has been dominant,
and, for recent causes, has continued
to hold absolute sway, We cannot
deny that the condition of things at
Home is not so disgraceful nowadays as
It was formerly; and, Indeed, even
Strauss had to recognize this. Ln
doubtedly the papal church has been
purged from some of Its worst vices:
nepotism, simony, licentiousness, un
bridled dissolutenessthese, at least,
iavo been reduced to more decent
(rounds, Hut the religious spirit re
mains what it was, an Incarnation of
Christian truth its to tho letter and not
as to the spirit, a strict rule, a formal
law, which holds rind compols'thn eon
science from without. Thus, with the
sacraments reduced to a mechanical
performance, with belief In purgatory
and pecuniary offerings to liberate
one's soul therefrom, with fusts and In
dulgences, with pilgrimages and Jubi
lees, with relics and miracles, with
adoration of tho saints and of tho Ma
donna, tho papal church has finally
succeeded In engrafting upon Chris
tianity the forms of Idolatry and of
magical nature worship,
"Aspiration, repentance, absolution,
the efficacy of Christ, the benefit of his
sacrifice, divine grace, everything Is
corrupted and used as a monopoly of
tho hierarchy, and often made the ob
ject of scandalous trading, The prl.'st
performs the religious act. Tho Inter
cession of tho priest procures pardon
and reward for those who do not think
for themselves, arid spiritually remain
aloft from the religious act. The
active reconciliation and union with
God, which only the Individual himself
can experience, Is accomplished for him
by tho priest. Faith and conviction
alone can do nothing; without the In
tervention of tho priest, man can find
neither pity nor pardon at the throne
of God, Thus Catholicism substitutes
a dead and servile faith for tho free
and loving one.
ii'm. i i ... i.i , . . ,
1 ins iiievminiu ouieomo Ol Mils
regime Is that Italy has become petri
fied In tho letter of the Catholic faith
as no other Catholic country (with the
exception porhaps, ol Spain and some
of tho republics of South America,
which nevertheless, havo the ad van
tage of not being the scat of tho papal
v
INTOLICRANCI
Curia); and thus the flow of ideal as
piration In religion, formerly sir rich
and powerful, has entirely ceased. Ho
duood to a purely formal act, and de
graded to the rank of a mechanical
function, religion has no longer any
jower tit penetrate and move; It does
not engage the moral sense. Religion
Is degruiled, Inasmuch as It has no
longer the power of moving the human
'vl; It neither, .educates . ,nor jmJIIIoh
men; and In fact holds thern only by
force of Inertia and by tho sluggish
habit of tradition. It Is, In short, de
graded In th! popular understanding
to n vulgar credulity In tho midst of
lrnn ense lncreduallty. Tho religious
spirit controlling the Italian people
differs from the spirit of Christianity,
and is becoming constantly moro arid
moro a more superstition, a species
of paganism, so that one may well
despair of seeing any rew and fervent
development of the popular faith."
Tho writer In the article referred to
is by no means Indifferent to certain
things done by Pope Leo, jiit an Im
says, we cannot but wonder that the
pope, who sees so well what Is at a dis
tance, should omit to turn his eyes to
what Is In his Immodlatir vicinity,
How did It ever come about that, while
he Is so desirous of seeing applied so
far as possible the divine law of fra
ternity and love In social relations, he
should not care that this same law
should touch with Its light the hier
archical system of government In his
church, so that perchance In the cir
cumstances of tho higher and lower
clergy there may not be sir enormous a
difference as to approach to luxury rind
profusion among the former and to de
scend to absolute want and starvation
among tho latter? It surely U no
credit to tho papacy that tho h ast de
sirable of Immigrants to this country
should be those who hall from Its own
Italy. If tho prodigious efforts being
made by tho Homan Catholic hier
archy, from Pope Loir and his Amer
ican vice-pope Hatolll down, togaln the
ascendency In the United States, means
tho practical Hallarilzatlon of Amer
lea, It Is well for us to understand the
matter.
Not In Prison.
Mit, Pkcci: I will again write a few
lines to you and permit you to realize
tho fuct that I am still alive and aware
of tho fact of your existence. During
the late war there was a song composed,
In which were the words, "In the prison
cell I nit," They were In the cell Nt-
cause of being prisoners of war, while
fathers, mothers, wives, brothers, sis
ters or chllnren were anxiously waiting
for their release, and hoping It would
be before dent h would claim thern on
account of linproier treatment or care.
There is being conducted by the mem
bers of your Dis k a systematic invasion
ujMin the Individual rights of men ami
women which area surprise to the j'o
pleof this age, and especially from a
system which pretends to lie founded
upon the religion of a person who would
riot force his claim by arms, and would
not retaliate when his enemies perse
cuted and killed him.
Those was, within a few miles from
where I am writing, a Homan Catholic
family. Their opportunities for wor
ship as Homan Catholics were not many,
but they preferred to havo no religious
privileges rather than unite with those
who wore reading the gospels of Christ
and worshipping accordingly A
daughter fortunately, boan to. work
for a Protestant family a Methodist
preacher. She was converted and
united with the Methodist church.
Then tho trouble began. The daughter
was sent for. The revenge, of the false
religion was made manifest. The ter
rible sin, judging from yourstandsilnt,
wus made known to her, arid tho dis
grace nhe would bring upon her religion
and family were also iiolnted out, Hut
the arguments for you and your religion
had no more effect upon le rllian water
on it duck's b.ick. Then the dual argu
ment was alsiut to le us (I t hut, Is to
put her Into a convent as a prl-oner
but she ociiiod, and put hundreds of
miles bet we, n bemud tin; Human '( h
ollcs who think they are doing GoiI'b
service, I hope, Mr. peel, that that
father will see that by your direction -or
the direction of your priests- In; has
o eu made a Fool or, and will iid you
bond-bye.
hi tho homo of the affectionate moth
er we see Hie ciiini tenderly emiiraccd,
In the pnws of tho bear we see 11m child
cruelly embraced, ami in the elutjhi s
of the church which cluims to lie tho
mother of all churches, we see cruelty
to that extent that we are compelled to
look with pity upon those who are the
Instigators of It, us well as ujxin those
who are tho unfortunate victims who
must suffer,
('nil In llni IiIdikI-IioiiikIs, my friend,
Open t h prison (loom wlilii,
Ami teil to I tin world Hutu's iui end
'J'n tint system on which you'vn relied.
AM-I'H.
-
A (tend Hiiggeslhin.
F.NOJ.KW'ooir, III., March 21. -Editor
('liK'A(ii) A.WKitiOAM: I am heartily in
accord w it h the principles ud vis ated In
your paper. This country Is for Amer
icans, and when 1 use the teem Ameri
can, It applies to all who come to our
shores with lioncMt and loyal intent to
be Americans In fact, who renounce
iilleglenco to all other countries, Klteie
lutes and powers, and join heart arid
hand In building up the interests ami
developing the resources of our own
country, There should lie no Irish,
German, Italian, or any other nut I on
allty known or recognized here In the
make-up of a ticket by any party, All
should all Mt'HT Is! Americans, no
difference from whence they carm
Furthermore, we must see that no other
Hag Is jiormitted a place hereof her than
I he still's ami stripes. Unit no other
Hug shall be permitted to limit from any
public building -city, state or national
in these united Mates, lA'l us an
nounce at once and for all time to those
seeking to place other flags In couiKtti
ton with the stars and strls-s, that
such aro respectfully requested to tako
it 1 I 1, tl l W ,1, 1, ,l I. i
WM fct in 1 I, S 4 fcr fce't U . '.,M.,
" i t t 1 t t I . t ,(.! tt !t(el
A t-ih W !! ?,, Iltf (!
i ! ! tied i4n t i. ti... . t,'ii
M I, I ! in, Kit'l 1"1 titttt.it t
KiaH.! ) ,lt t ,t t imtt , M- llilttit,
tl t.i't . I I,. ( I lit A ft Uli
1t take Ibe tii'tiitthf 1. j. In iii, llenl
tit t'iiei- be1,! l , t j,,,!, Wtii',' hn
Ai.li uttSH M 1 itv ht, i l,n j-, f.tr tlirt
lien , w.iiii lutl ititt iitett Ibe tirtiliiitt
ii til Jtt si I in , Jit tittiitU me U ing
pi ttt t Se t nti . I ii j, K( i nt i, n ii n,l, t I hit
plVMrnt Ili"tbi,tl" l Hot Mft-gusnl,
.li.tm Nmlt h tuny tt iiitt r nt ii-tUin
put in. t In H ttnni, Vtllh heliet intent,
ml at the It lee a li-gftt inter, lintteter,
lte(nr elu -Hon lie insj leave the etmti
try, pulltitsl i hi merit luxming Ihtt
fail, tin: t snnnte John Hihlih with
siitillier pititj, ami vote him, thoiiuh
In-Im, mi alien, not b usily eittilled to
lott". I miepM that e ml vis u ! a In w
requiring every voter, ule u he applies
l.ti register, to tlejutsll Ills p'u t igraph,
with his signature. His iinuie to 1st
signed (hereon in, tho presence of the
registering Isiard, n snltitble (lie to bo
furnished (o hold the photographs. On
the day of election when u voter pro
souls his ticket nml announces his ruwiio,
If there Is a question ai to his Identity,
refer to his photograph, which would
settle the matter at once, It seems to
me that such a mel lusl would do away
with fraud. Will you please give this
matter a thought, and if you think It
worthy give It support through your
valuable paper. T. A. Coot-Kit.
IltlSIl lAM;i HOl H'n)(IVII IATI0
Violent Altack on the lime In William
Wahhirir Aster's London J'hiht.
LoNliON, March 2o. In close con
nection with his election as a member
of the Carleton club, William Waldorf
Aster's 1'iUl Mali lluxrtte today con
tains an article entitled, "Irish Mis
government the United States Munici
pal Degradation," which says the
Irish by their administration of tho af
fairs of some i, American cities have
shown themselves dangerous to civili
zation. The article says hou e rule for
Ireland would ruin tho united Kingdom
and declares "the Irish ought to be
kept down."
Ji ff Kails a rapist.
A recent issue of tho Philadelphia
Imulrrf has an article entitled "Jeffer
oit Davis at Fortress Monroe," In which
occurs the following passage:
"It having been reported to General
Miles that Davis was moody and mo
rose, the general gate mo orr U$
search the prisoner thoroughly, arid to
take everything away from him-money
and anything with which ho might bo
likely to do himself bodily harm,
"I went to Davis' casemate, made
known my orders to him to take off his
clothes, us I was ordered to search him
thoroughly, He compiled with some
reluctance and contempt, Mo first
turned his pockets and banded me some
W' In confederate notes, and about $70
In gold and silver, some keys and a very
handsome (KH-ket knife, I notlei (1 a
silken cord around his neck. I said;
"'Mr, Davis, what have you there''
"After a slight hesitation he drew
from under his undershirt, attached to
the cord, a small sliver Homan Catho
lic medal. He pleaded with mo to
allow hint to retain it as It was a gift
from the jsipe. lie stated that he had
worn It In thlsst-dtlon ever 'since. I
concluded to let, him keep It, and after
turning over the other effects to Gen.
Miles, I mentioned the affair of the
modal. The general said:
"'That Is all right: he cun't do much
harm with that.'"
Getting lirrii.
The Homan Catholic editors aro In a
frenzy over the growth of the American
Protective Association. J hey aro de
nouncing that organization with duo
vigor. They say the Association Is
ultra-Protestant and political, and that
Its design Is to control elections, That
Is probably so. Hut tho KomanisU
themselves have gone into politics,
and aro seeking by all po. slblo means
to control elections. If they had kept
out of 'politics there would have bo in
no American Protective Assudalion.
Tho Protestonts are getting even -that
Is all. The surest way to destroy this
vigorous organization Is for our Homan
Catholic friends to withdraw from
politics themselves. Chicago, for In
stance, has a Humanist mayor, a Hu
manist chief of police, and a Komanlst
In charge of this flro department,
Three-fourths of the public school
teachers 'are members of that foreign
church, and It Is almost lniw sslhlo for
a Protestant to secure a rumor ollice
under tho city government, Other
cities aro ln the same position, Is It
riotabouttlme U call a halt? Vic Ep
mirth lli niVl.
No matter what you may say, tho A.
P. A. is getting to bo an Important
fuctc-r In this section of tho country. In
Soattlo their Influence swept tho city,
and In tho school election at Portland,
Monday, their candidate was elected by
a vote of more than two to one. Pull
man 2V't)uri,
4
