AMERICAN
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K I'M HUH '.W,
WiVMi IV,
OMAHA, NKHUAHKA, I KIDAY, JTNK 2'J, ivl.
THE
SECEDE FROM ROME.
Fifty Thoutand folti Tir4 cf Plng
Churth of Rem.
I'atltrr A, I", KUrwlit TMr Ii4f
l'i)Utn Their Urartu-, fr So !
IteintaTwfhf mni Are,
Rev. Fr, A. F. KoUiwwskl, the
U1t of the ncvdltig Catholic Pole
in the United states, and who, Hh
thmi other prWts, ha sighed test!
monlals accepting tho Worcester
priest, Rev. Dr. E. ft. Knowlcs, a their
blshop-desig.iate, arrived here fntin
Cleveland at 3 o'clock yesterday after
noon, and was met at the Union station
by Dr, Knowlcs, going to the latter'
residence, after a drive about tho city
Fr. Kolarwwskl, who will undoubtedly
If this secession movement progresses
become the first Polish bUhop for the
Poles In America, Is a portly, active
and determined-looking priest of middle
age; clear and Intelligent in his state-
ments. He claims for himself and the
Polish clergy, who, like hlmsolf, have
becomo Old Catholics and left Roman
rule, an aggregation altogether of
about 50,000 followers, chiefly In the
following cities and towns, named ac
cording to the Importance of their
Polish Independent Catholic represent
tatlon: Buffalo, Cloveland, Baltimore,
Nantlcoke, Pa., Freeland and Ply-
mouth, Pa., Bremond, Tex., Merldon,
Ct., Omaha, Neb., Winona, Minn., and
South Chicago.
Fr. KolaszewBkl said to a Ttltqram
reporter:
"By a few clear facts I will endeavor
to explain to the American people the
cause of our so-called revolt against
tho Roman Catholic church author!
ties, as well as Its Importance. It Is
generally understood that we have
about two millions of Poles in this coun
try. They are mostly a hard-working
people who came to this country In the
hopes of finding some better means of
living than they could procure in the
old world. Our European govern'
ments, especially those by which Po
land is divided, do not provide for the
education of tho people. I will say
more, they do not care to have the
working peoplo become intelligent,
and when they can, they suppress every
spark of Intelligence among that class
which Is generally known in Europe
under the name of peasants. So the
fact is that the bulk of our Polish lm
migration constitutes tho Ignorant
people who can scarcely read and write
The only thing which they bring to
this country, and which Is common to
all of them, no matter If they are poor.
rich, educated or Ignorant, is the love
every Pole feels for his dear oppressed
fatherland. This love is intensified
with tgenoratlons, and I think that
some day It will reach such a strength
that no force or army will be able to
keep It down, and boating away all
obstacles It will at least succeed In free
ing our country.
"But to the point. The poor, ignor
ant Polish Immigrant coming to this
country, when he finds work and settles
down, has no"omoral or intellectual
necessities to satisfy. He feds only
ono higher tcravlng, which ho must
satisfy, namely, homesickness. He
loves his far-off country more than ho
did before, and feels that he must do
something to satisfy thli patriotic crav
ing. So he builds the church; the
same church which he attended every
Sunday In his native village. He finds
a priest, a Polish priest, who will colo
brato masses, preach sermons, and per
form all tho religious ceremonies In
tho same way -exactly as in the old
country. It is not only the religious
fooling which prompts tho Pole to con
tribute so heavily for tho benefit of the
church, Ho is very religious and even
fanatical, but he cannot pray as well In
Gorman or In IrlshCathollo churches.
The Polish (.church and tho Polish
priest are for him the embodiment not
only of Cod on earth but as well of his
beloved country. It Is my opinion that
the latter, the patriotic feeling, Is even
stronger than tho former. And so we
see that poor and hard working as the
Poles in i-thls country are, their
churches 'are "-among the finest and
most costly In America. A Polish la
borer who makes $9 a woek and who is
trying almost every device to save
money, is always willing and ready to
contribute",' as much as $1,000 for the
building oMho church. They are self
sacrificing and devoted they think, as
well as foel, by heart. They are Im
pulsive and prompted by the love for
their country,nfor which they would
give all they have in the world and
gladly eHod their life blood. I am sure
that with the'help of this religious and
patrlotio enthusiasm, many things
tending! to the moral and intellectual
... HATIOMAU f
DIVORCE COUnT JTwiCL.
elevation of the people could be accom
plished. " '
"I must explain who are the leaders
of the Poles in America. They are, as
every ono versed In Polish affairs
knows, the Polish priests. The Polish
priests are not only spiritual, but moral
and Intellectual as well, and business
managers of the Poles In this country.
Their word is law.
"Their power, founded upon the two
above specified foundations, patriotism
and religion, is as strong as the power
of any other absolute government. A
Polish priest has simply to say a word
against some newspaper and all the
members of his flock will cease to rend
it. He has but to recommend a politi
cal party or candidate, and they vote
accordingly. lie has but to condemn
some business house and the people
shun It. The prk-Bts use the devotion
of our people and tho power they have
to accomplish their own ungenerous
ends. They want first to fill their
pockets, which they very easily do,
and then rule tho parishes in the name
of Cod as despotically as does the czar,
Alexander III.
"In Chicago, which contains the
largest Polish settlement In this coun
try, there is ono priest who Is worth
about $3,000,000 Ho was credited by
a Polish paper ten years ago, with a
yearly income of $180,000, and he Is
called an uncrowned Polish king. He
does nothing to promote tho intelli
gence of the poopio, and In politics ho
Is everything. Onco ho even distri
buted tickets In his church. In a city
east of iC'loveland is a priest worth
$1,000,000, and with an income of over
$100,000 per year. Ho'publlshcsa paper
for the support of which the democrats
pay $5,000 per year. In Buffalo we
have about as many Poles as Germans.
Tho Germans occupy prominent social
and political positions, but the Poles
have none at all. They are treated
with contempt as In Cleveland and
elsewhere.
"It Is due to the priest that, although
living for about a quarter of a century
In this free and glorious country, we
don't understand its Institutions, its
laws, its necessities, and the spirit of
liberalism and progress which ani
mates all that if truly American. They
are to blame, I say, that whllo living
amid culture and education, we remain
just as ignorant amid froodom of con
science and yet we are even more fanat
ical than when wo came. While the
priests are growing enormously rich,
the people are becoming destitute of all
individual feelings. They cease to have
thoughts or aims except what the
priest dictates and are thus centuries
behind our civilization. The blame
WHAT THE PEOPLE DEMAND.
should fall, not upon the Polish priests
til one, but to an even greater extent
upon the American bishops. In the
Roman Catholic church of this country
tho contributions of the Polos are the
largest and their churches the finest
Yet no power on earth is so absolute,
none more repressive or unrestrained,
than that which Is exorclsod on tho
Polos by those bishops. Their tears
and petitions are alike trcutod with
contempt. The bishop holds tho title
to tho church property. Priests who
really do good for tho peoplo like Rev.
Mr. KolaBtntkl, of Detroit, and myself
have been expelled from tho church
This so-called Independent movement
was begun twelve years ago, and now,
for the first time, we are gaining the
ascendency. We are not changing our
faith, but we want the right to control
our worldly affairs. We want to elect
our priests, own our church property,
and control our schools.
"Tho American people are, as a rule,
generous and free minded. At the
sumo time it Is surprising to see how
little interest the same Americans who
took bo much interest In tho famine
stricken Russian peasants, and who
send missionaries to other lands, take
in their own fellow citizens. This is
tho more surprising because Amerl
cans are always considered very prac
tical and sensible even In tho display of
their generosity.
"Ten years ago there was dissension
In the Polish Roman Catholic church
at Nantlcoke, Pa. Tho priest induced
employers to discharge tho leaders,
and the others became frightened and
surrendered. Not long ago wo had a
similar caso In Cleveland. The treas
urer of tho now church was a city em
ployo, and was discharged by Director
Farley. No good reason was given for
bis dismissal. Tho democratic party
has always sided with the priests and
against the peoplo. It has supported
with its funds the papers published and
edited by tho priests.
"Our movement has in view tho broad
and liberal education of our future gen
eration by giving tho control of our pa
rochial schools to the community. This
Is tho only way in which to bring our
oountrymen up to the standard of
American citizenship. Set them think
in; for themselves and teach them how
to appreciate American institutions
and how to exercise the right of suf
frage. Every true and noblo-mlnded
American citizen ought to take part in
this movement. We need encourage
ment, we need help, moral as well as
material. All the Roman Catholic
church in this country, with Satolll at
the head, is arrayed against us. All
the Polish priests In America, with the
exception of a few, are against us. Wo
have twenty-tbroo Polish papers. They
are directly published or edited by tho
priests or elo Influenced by them so
they all condemn our movement. Only
ono advocates this movement. It was
excommunicated by all tho Polish
clergy, Tho forces aro terribly un
equal. We want to elevate the Polish
people, to set them thinking, to bring
them up to 1I10 standard of truo Ameri
canism. WurcMter Daily Tckymm.
WK'KLIFF AND 'I'll K HIIJf.K.
Ills Tinnxlatlmi of It the Cause of
Koine's ljinilly,
Among tho many things which
Wlckllff taught and did which exposed
him to papul hatred was his translation
of tho Blblo into English, This raised
tho enmity and rngo of his popish op
ponents to a very high pitch, , A work
In which God would bless him and
pious hearts thank him, filled the
papists with rage. How llko anti
christ! What a contrast between the
spirit of popery and that of tho truly
pious! Tho Bible, tho word of salva
tion, so precious to believers In all ages,
Is wrested from tho people by the
"mother of harlots," and driven from
the family a If a dangerous wild least.
The Bible Is ono of God's greatest
gifts to men, and was given to lm read.
Hence, Jesus says;
Hciiirh ihi! Merljiturc; for In them ye think
Jfn hiivM etcrtiPil llfn, John. ft:;w.
For whiUmxtvtir Mil rigs w-r written for our
Itnirtilnit, that, wi- tlirmiih imtlonrt- ami coin
fort, of Ilia Hi-rttit uria mlxht hitve houo
Uiim. Il:4.
HIiiKNi-d In lm Unit. M-mlut ti. mill !ln. flint
hciir tho word of MiIn prophtu-y, it ml kt-op
Minim minx" wiiii-ii Hi-a wniM-n im-iinn.
uiiv, 1:3,
Yet Romo pronounces her anathema
on the man who teaches these things
In the Scriptures quoted and who would
put the Bible Into tho hands of all men
without exception.
What does Peter say, whom Rome
claims was the first Pope, how would
ho agree with Leo XIII and his prede
cessors for a thousand years? Peter
says, "We have also a more sure word
of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that
ye take hoed, as unto a light that
shlneth in a dark place until the day
dawns." If Peter wero back here now
Romo would try him for heresy, and ho
would bo in danger of the inquisition.
Bettor not go to Rome, Peter, your
epistles would have to go through tho
"index expurgatarius."
Why keep from tho peoplo a book so
precious?
Says tho psalmist: "How sweet aro
Thy words unto my taste. Yea, sweeter
than honey to my mouth." "I have
mofo understanding than all my
teachers; for Tby testimonies aro my
meditation."
Tho Bible Is a damaging book to
Romo, because It Is llko alight shining
in a dark plueo, and Romo cannot bear
thollght. 8bo tskes tho Blblo from
tho people and off era in Its place a cup
"full of abominations and fllthlnoss of
her fornication, "Rev. 17:4.
I loaned the Douay Blblo, the Romish
version, to a lady raised a papist, and
was 40 years old, but had never scon a
copy of tho Douay Blblo.
Well, Wlckllff was a good man and
has been called tho "Morning Star of
tho Reformation," arid no doubt an
open Illblo did much In bringing the
d4wn of a better day.
But, notwithstanding tho malice of
the pope and priests against Wlckllff
for opening tho illblo to common peo
ple, In which they might learn for
theniHelves the corruption and Idolatry
of tho Romish church, tho gracious
care of a covenant, God protected him
against tho machinations of Rome, and
ho was permitted to dlo a peaceful
death on December HI, J.'!8.
Tho jKiplsh clergy In England were
so enraged at tho Increasing circula
tion of tho English Illblo that In l.'IW,
a few years after Wleklllf's death, tho
prelates presented a bill In tho house
of lords -for suppressing WlckllfT's
translations, but tho bill whs thrown
out, Jf these popish haters of tho Blblo
could have looked forward to tho nine
teenth century and soon our Blblo so
cieties Issuing millions of Bible annu
ally, and elllng a whole Blblo for two
shillings and a New Testament for a
nickel, they would have had a spasm.
Popish spasm.
After Wlckllff was dead popish
hatred was not willing te let his ashes
rest, but tho council of Constance sit In
judgment over his dust, condemn all
his published works, and as the council
decided that ho died an "obstinate
heretic" they "condemn his memory
and order his bono to bo dug up
and cast upon a dung hill." ThU sav
age sentence was not enforced till the
year 1 at the command of Pojhj
Martin V, but then the popish execu
tioners of tho dead reformer's bones, In
thlr willing zeal, transcended tho
sentence of the council. They dug up
his remains from tho grave whero they
had peacefully rejKxed for over forty
years, burnt them to ashes, and then
cunt them into a neighboring brook,
called tho Swift. They burned his
bones but could not burn the truth he
preached, it lives and he lives in pro-
clous memory. Fuller, in shaking of
tnls, says, "Tho brook Swift did convey
his ashes Into Avon, the Avon Into
Severn, the Severn Into tho narrow
sea, they into tho main ocean. And
thus the ashes of Wlckllff are the
rHtWi w f Hi ilxctrtne, mhU h I no
tlli rt all ilft infer,"
Mr HiftftV Wlt'tllfl atlo tat imltlUh
IhMnith, Itit.le U il,.-1 l,tt, r tf
;f HU-itiim, J.vu (MM. "V lsl
lino thf truth ami IM truth
mukn you fn,." !t tl A. I'. A
ttt by thU Inith fur ll t eon
mitfMl Mh ber mlwbm, U.htM.m
lltx rty, but tin pttrt; fn M-honl.
frw rtM, fr,- Bible, fnn dlwitwlon.
t'ALVIN.
AH IT MIOI 1 1) HI .
I Hie A, T. A, ('atiki a ItotiuiM ( nlhnllr
onii'i-r Holder In Itcklmt.
l.NIitANAfol.M, June IH. Tin litflu-
fit of tbt American Ptnteetlvo Amu
elation In the admin Intra Unit of Ilia
alfiilr of thin city ws ebmrly demon
stniletl today wln-n Dr, ieUs, xutertti
tendciitof Hit city disMninry, tendered
his resignation and Dr, Liiuilx-rt was
appointed bis sueeeswir. 1-H'er slneo
I tho appointment of CcIhs, Mayor Denny
has been besieged by the A. P, A, to
remove him on account of his religion
and today it was finally accomplished
by his resignation. The excuse 1 mado
that Gelss liclongod to a medical col
Icga that already bad too many ap
pointments under tho city and that tho
reason of tho change was to place a
doctor !n charge of the dispensary rhs
represented another col lego. It la
known, however, that a bitter fight
was being mudo against him becausoho
Is a Catholic.
il AT KIIKA OMTItlAL.
Two Week CoiimuiiiimI In Sct-in lng a Jury
In the Troy Murder ( use,
TltOY, N. Y., Juno 1,"). Tho twelfth
juror In tho "Bat" Shea murder caso
was found today. His muni; Is MuHtiow
Book and he Is tuo only Roman Catho
lic on the jury, This faut Is significant
In view of tho fact that, according to
tho claim of tho defense, tho religious
question will enter largely Into tho
trial. It took just two weeks to sccuro
tho jury. Assistant District Attorney
Fagan opened tho ease for tho peoplo
this afternoon. In hi address ho
scored the defense for Hooking to wrap
about tho murderer the mantlo of tho
Roman Catholic church. Ernest
Perry, Inspector of elections at tho
election district whore Ross was shot,
iworethat three repeater had voted
In his district under tho -protection of
"Bat" Shea and hfs confederates,
-.
"Old (lorj' Again fuelled. '
A lot of striking miner at Trinidad
recently paraded tho streets carrying
tht American flag upside down with a
foreign flag floating abovo it. This
shows the sentiment, tho animus, tho
backing of tho revolt In thl state.
Demagogues In office In Cob rado have
found willing instruments In the Ignor
ant Romanist foreigners who ostensibly
delve In the mine when they can crowd
out honest Amerlcun labor, but who In
reality plot anarchy, treason and re
bellion. Only a coward or an anarchist
at the head of affair would havo per
mitted such a demonstration to go un
rebu k t d J Km nr A nurimn ,
That Is the Kiiciiiy."
A writer In the (Jolhulk HmUw ha
this to say: "In a letter written very
reci-ntly, on his return from Romo,
Moris. Valloau, bishop of Quimpor,
gave an account of his Interview with
his holiness, Pope Leo XIII., and in a
passage of that communication ho thus
explains his conclusions: 'The most
Important question that now engages
the attention of the sovereign pontiff Is
Freemaonry. Frequently ho repeated
to mo In tho strongrst and most em
phatic tone That Is the enemy,"'
I'. O.N. of A. CiiIoii Meeting.
Friday evening lait. June 15, National
President K II ton, of Denver, Colo., and
National Secretary Mtei s, of Phila
delphia, met with the Council Bluffs
and Omaha lodges Patriotic Order
Sons of A rr erica at the hall of tho
order In Council Bluffs. After tho
exercises of the evening an adjourn
ment was had to tho social given by
tho Patriotic Daughters of America at
the residence of G. II. Brown, Mynster
street, where a most enjoyable time was
spent.
An t iipittrlolle Weed.
Tho finest specimen of a patriotic
plant wo have seen in these latter days
of degeneracy is Governor Flower, of
New York. Ill rebuke to tho men
who want to haul down all but tho
American flag was timely and refresh
ing. It showed that tho heart of a
scholar and patriot beats beneath tho
breast of tho empire state's chief execu-
tl vo. t'on necf tcuf Catholic .
Omaha (Jets It.
The next National Convention of tho
Junior Order United American Me
chanics will be held in Omaha tho
third Tuesday in June, 1S05.