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Volcmk VII. , OMAHA, NEBRASKA, FKIDAY. DEi'EMBKK 3, 181)7. Nombeh 47
ACATII0LICC0NSP1RACY.
That is What Editor Reedy
Terms the Keren Influ
ence at Washington.
The Effect Ipon IliN Country anl 1'pon
the World Man fan (untem
plate HithuutFear.
The following editorial in the St.
Louis Mlrrow of October 28, wag writ
ten by W. R. Reedy, who is Bald to be
the most brilliant Western newspaper
writer since J. B. McCuIlagh died:
I see that Mr. Richard C. Kerens t
anting with his friends In Tennessee.
Me Is entitled to his recreation. Mr.
Kerens has been busy for a long time.
Hie world at large knows him only
as the dispenser of patronage for Mis
souri, in Itself a position that calls for
aormoua activity, for the Missouri re
publican is the most rapacious office
baser in politics. Mr. Kerens is a
millionaire capitalist, too, who has to
look after various interests, from
mines In Manitoba to coal lands in
West Virginia, and new harbors In
California and Texas. It is in none
-erf these capacities that he Interests
me; nor yet in his social capacity, for
he la a genial host, and a man of pol
ish equal to his distinguished appear
amce. I regard him as a great force in this
administration, a finer force and more
aabtle, even, than Mark Hanna. Mr.
Kerens Is the biggest man in President
McKlnley's kitchen cabinet, and, in
deed, In the national republican coun
cils, and some of the things he has
done and is doing are affairs of vast
laternatlonal importance. I happen to
know that no other man In this coun
try had more to do with the defeat of
the Olney-Sallsbury arbitration treaty
than Mr. Kerens. He It was who pre
vented the ratification of that treaty
In the senate, if any one man did it.
His influence with Elkins and Quay
and Lodge and Teller, and other
leaders, was used against the compact
It was he who discovered and brought
mto action the greatest influence
which opposed that treaty. He never
was conspicuous. His method In pol
itics and intrigue are quiet and cool.
There is a flavor of Aram Is about him.
and in his appearance and manner
there is not a little of the later style
f the famous abbe-gallant of Dumas'
masterpiece.
Mr. Kerens was the maa who
"plugged" the senate against the ar
bitration treaty, and he did it in tho
iaterests of the Irish radicals. I hap
Ben to know he was the man through
whom men like Michael Davitt, Pat
rick Egan, John Finerty, and other
Irish agitators, worked upon the sen
ate, and, indeed, brought to bear
against the measure the full force of
all the late James O. Blaine's wild
Irlahry. It was not difficult for him
to work, as an Irishman, with the
. democrats, who were opposed to Cleve
land. The democrats wanted to help
their Irish constituents and to hurt
Cleveland. Mr. Kerens, by drumming
apon this idea that an arbitration
treaty would commit'; the United
States to the persecuion of he Irish,
succeeded in killing the measure.
I happen to know that Michael Dav
itt gives all the credit to Mr. Kerens
for preventing the commitment of the
most progressive nation on earth to
the position of an ally with the Sas
sennach, and that Mr. Kerens Is re
garded by all the esoteric Irish so
cietarians as one who has struck a
blow at Britain's power more fearful
than all the work of dynamitards like
O'Donovan Rossa. They believe that
the English sought the treaty for mor
al and possible physical effect, to off
set the combination against her by
Russia, France, and Germany. They
believe that Mr. Kerens' . work in
creased Britain's isolation ftnd dimin
ished her might. There is no doubt
among Irish revolutionists in this
country, that the defeat of the arbi
tration treaty was brougt about in
deference to Irish sentiment against
alliance with England, and that Mr.
Kerens made the sentiment effective.
Mr. Kerens has made himself felt
as an Irishman, so forecfully, that he
has had some trouble in his own Mis
souri politics as a result thereof. He
secured the appointments the con
sulate of Montreal of Major John N.
Bittinger. Mr. Filley, the old repub
lican boss of Missouri, dislikes Bit
tinger, and preferred charges of of
ficial malfesance against him, in ref
erence to his service as an officer of
the revenue in the days of the whisky
ring. More than this. Mr. Filley
made, or had made, to.the English
government, representations that Mr.
Bittinger was unlit to represent the j
feiiiiill ;ltltp WmSM
cease
United States at their chief colonial
city in North America, and upon this
he was caref.il to pile the charge that
Major Bittinger was a tool of Keren3,
who belongs to the Clan-na Gael class
of Irishmen. The charges against
Bittlnger's honesty are drivel. An
honester man never lived. But that
Mr. Kerens, the mild-mannered,
snowy-haired millionaire, is an An
glophobist and an Irish extremist, is
true, and this has weighed more than
the other charges In prompting a dip
lomatic Inquiry, which is now in prog
ress. Into the charges against Major
Blttinger's honesty. England under
stands that Mr. Kerens forms the
opinion of the present administration
in Irish affairs, and it will reject his
representative at Montreal If such a
thing be possible.
In the higher councils of the British
Empire, it seems to be felt that Mr
Kerens represents the Blaine opinion
In Mr. McKlnley's advisory board, and
is the incarnation of the hostile Irish'
American sentiment. They have rea
son to believe that a great deal of
the work which prevented an alliance
with this country, by the way of the
arbitration treaty, as against the evi
dent concentration against Britain in
Europe, was done here in St. Louis bjr
Mr. Kerens and Dr. Thomas O'Reilly
operating in conjunction with Davitt,
Dillon, Egan. Finnerty, and others. It
Is for this reason that Mr. Fllley's
communications with the English cab
inet against Major Bittinger have
borne fruit In the diplomatic Inquiry
which is, even now, in progress.
But if Mr. Kerens be the representa
tive of Irish aspirations toward lib
erty in the council of the president, he
is more. He is the representative of
the papacy. I need not say that he and
his gracious wife have been honored
by the Pope with marks of especial
favor, for that Is a fact well known.
It is generally known, too, that Mr.
Kerens is the friend of Cardinal Gib
bons and Archbishop Ireland. It was
Mr. Kerens who kept the Catholic in
fluence in line for McKinley, and it
was he, through Mr. Hanna, who man
aped the bolt of McKinley by -a faction
of the A. P. A. just large enough to
prove to the Catholics that Mr. Mc
Kinley was hostile to that organiza
tion, and just small enough to keep the
majority of the A. P. A. from suspect- i
ing McKinley's friendliness for Ro
manists. It was Mr. Kerens who stop
ped the republican national committee
when it was proposed that a great play
should be made upon the fact that
Mr. Brayn was a leader in an A. P. A.
lodge in Lincoln or Omaha at one
time. This was, palpably, good pol
itics, when we consider that Mr. Ker
ens had made a hard fight for a dec
laration against "religious proscrip
The A. P. A. is right, and its principles will
i. A Koman Catholic Priest iu a Conversation
tion" in the national republican plat
form. Mr. Kerens was the man who secur
ed the appointment of Attorney Gen
eral McKenna to the cabinet as a Cath
olic, and Mr. Kerens was Instrumental
in bringing Archbishop Ireland to the
fore In) the late campaign. Through
his prominence In Major McKlnley's
favor, Mr. Kerens lent the color of the
support of the national republican ad
ministration to Ireland and Gibbons as
against the German Cahensley element
in the American Catholic church, and
gave the prelate from Minnesota, an
Immense political leverage at the Va
tican. The middle initial in the name of
Mr. Kerens stands, to the world, for
"Catholic," and his influence has help
ed along his church towards Ameri
canism, while, of course, helping the
republican party. He was the person
Who, as the head of the Catholic re
publicans, caught the ear of Satolll
and, later, of Martinelli, and caused
such representations to be made to
Rome as would impress the Pope with
the imemnse advantage to the chtirch
of the sympathy of a power In the
present administration with the
Ireland, or liberal, element in the
American Catholic church. It was Mr.
Kerens who arranged the splendid fete
to Archbishop Keane, upon the occa
sion of his recent departure for
Rome to take up the position of Amer
ican prelate, and to be defacto, if not
dejure, the United States ambassador
to the Vatican. The administration
was well represented at the fete in
question, and Mr. Kerens was a rul
ing spirit, while his man, Webster
Davis, formerly an A. P. A. mayor of
Kansas City, made one of the most
elegant and eloquent speeches upon
the occasion. The operations of ma
chinations of Mr. Kerens a; Washing
ton have become known among the
ultra opponents of Rome as "Kerens'
Catholic Conspiracy," and the man
himself Is suspected of being "a Jesuit
in disguise."
It is very evident that Mr. Kerens
is a figure in national affairs of in
finitely more importance than a mere
ruler of "the Missouri pie counter."
He is a great diplomat, and a states
man of a vaster ambition than the
people of Missouri seem capable of
appreciating. Even when one cannot
sympathize with his purpose and pol
icy, it must bo admitted that he is a
person who makes a tremendous fig
ure in affairs, and whose ambition is
worthy of admiration. That his in
fluence marks the rise of an unique
force in our politics, and one that af
fects largelyourrelatlons with the rest
of the world, no one can deny. He is,
at least, a master of Intrigue, and he
shows the value of the Intellectual
prevail whether we wish thera to or not. Appropriations for sectarian schools will
with Mr. Ri'ey (Romanist) of this city.
method of helping Ireland and Rome
in this country, above the method of
wind and murder in the case of the
formua ause, and above immovable
conservatism and bigotry in (the lat
ter. It is not beyond legitimate surmise
to insinuate that Mr. Kerens has been
responsible for the revolt of liberal
Catholics in the Directory of the Cath
olic University at Washington against
Monstgnor Schroeder. His power with
the President Is very great. He was
one of the men who made the pre
dent. He Is one of the men of greater
influence in the senate, outside that
body, and as his party seems destined
to retain power for a long time, owing
to the dissension in the opposition, it
is likely that the politicians ot the
Vatican Incline to modify its attitude
towards the liberals, with whom Mr.
Kerens is Identified, with a view to
profiting by the friendship of the ad
ministration. Archbishop Keane at
Rome, as the representative of the ad
ministration and of Mr. Kerens, is a
friend of Archbishop Ireland and of
all liberal American Catholicism, and
it Is not unlikely that he will make
Rome see the advantage of siding with
the faction which has such an able and
persuasive representative in the se
lect body of men who Influence the
president In all his courses. Mr. Ker
ens, whether one agrees with him In
creed or politics or not, has succeed
ed in Impressing himself upon the
two greatest policies on earth, Wash
ington's and Rome's. He has succeed- j
ed, to a certain extent, in harmonizing
the apparently conflicting interests of
republlcansim and Roman supermacy,
and he has done It with a deftness of
touch worthy of the great masters of
craft in his church in the past. Arch
bishop Keane in Rome to represent
the Influences in the church that en
Joys the favor of the administration!
Monsignor Schroeder, the representa
tive of fossil Catholicity on the rag
ged edge of expulsion from the great
Catholic University! This concatena
tion means that Archbishop Ireland
"Is on top," as Mr. Kerens has said
recently.
Mr. Kerens well may congratulate
himself from his own standpoint. But
as the facts become known that this
modest, mild-mannered man, has used
the administration to achieve an end
in a factional quarrel In the Roman
church, and, In a manner, has In
volved the country In the inscrutable
policies of the Vatican, there will be
such a stirring up of evangelical sen
timent In this land as will precipitate
Into our own politics a new and bitter
Issue, which, all sane men would wish,
should have been avoided. I expect,
In the not distant future, that the se
cret of the defeat of the arbitration
treaty which I have here revealed, and
the secret of the administration's
seeming participation in papal poll
tics, will be ventilated at great length,
and, while the ventilation may awaken
the country to the splendid genius of
Mr. Kerens as a non-commissioned
diplomat, that we shall hear much of
"Kerens' Catholic Conspiracy."
I am only writing to convery an im
pression of Mr. Kerens, for whom, per
sonally, I have a warm reeard, who
is not appreciated for his qualities
herein Indicated. I approve neither of
the reasons nor the results of his
warfare upon the arbitration treaty. 1
do not approve of United States en
tanglment with Roman policies, even
in behalf of liberal Catholicism. My
purpose is no more than to call at
tention to a Missourian who Is making
and has made history, the outcome
of which In its effect upon this coun
try, and, indeed, upon the world, no
man can contemplate without fear. Mr.
Kerens follows his own convictions,
and his ends are vat enough to com
pel respect for the mind which has
achieved an episode that may mark
aa epoch.
hat Kerne Teachea.
I notice In the "Pro and Con" col
umn of your paper of November 13 a
communication from D. J. Evans, In
which he calls in question the correct
ness of a statement made in "The
History of Missions in South Amer
ica." The statement has reference to
the Decalogue as taught in the Ro
man Catholic church. I believe, with
the author of the article referred to,
that we should take the greatest care
to be scrupulously Just to the Roman
church in all our references to its doc
trines and practices, but I can not
agree with him In thinking that there
is any injustice in the statement re
ferred to. He says that it implies
"that in the version of the Command
ments which they teach leave this
(the Second Commandment) out." I
have italicized the word "teach," for in
that lies the whole difficulty. It is not
n question of the form of the Deca
logue in the Vulgate, nor in the dif
ferent authorized vernacular versions
of the bible. It Is a question of the
form of the Commandments as taught
by the Roman Catholic church. Ro
man Catholics in general know noth
ing of the Commandments except
what they learn in the catechisms au
thorized bv their church. This is
especially true in regard to Roman
Catholics in South America. They are
not allowed to hava the Bible, and
perhaps the majority of them could
not read It If they had It; so It is use
less to speak of the form of the Deca
soon
logue in the Vulcate, or the versions
of Sclo de Miguel and of Torreg Amat.
But all, whether they can read or not
have to learn the catechism before
they are confirmed. Tbe following Is
a translation of the Commandments as
found In the catechism ommonly used
In Spanish-speaking countries:
THE DECALOGUE.
The Commandments of the I.aw of
God are ten: The first three belong
to (have reference to) tbe honor of
God, and the other seven to the good
of the neighbor:
The Kirs To love God above all
things.
The Second Not to swear (take)
Ills holy name in vain.
The Third To sanctify the feasts. '
The Fourth To honor father and
mother.
The Fifth Not to kill. '-,
The Sixth Not to fornicate. , i ,
The Seventh Not to steal.
The Eighth Not to raise up false
witness, nor to He.
The Ninth Not to desire the wife
of thy neighbor.
The Tenth Not to covet another's
goods.
From this it will be seen that not
only has the Second Commandment
been entirely suppressed, and the
Tenth divided to complete the num
ber, but others have been tampered
with in such a way aa to seriously Im
pair, or entirely destroy their force.
This was done, too, by the express au
thority of Pope Pius V. (1566-1572,)
who being, according to the doctrine
of the Roman Catholic church, Infal
lible in matters of faith and morals,
has committed the whole body to this
version of the Commandments. Very
sincerely yours, A. R. MILES.
Medellin, Republic of Columbia, S. A.
Jetiuitism at Work.
Father Ilyacinthe is engaged in a
controversy with the I'nivers. The
ex-priest states that he was visited by
a counselor of the Roman congrega
tions, who proposed that he should ex
ercise his priestly functions, at the
same time remaining in France as a
married priest, by entering into one of
the eastern religious congregations
where marriage of the clergy is tol
erated. Only one condition, he declared, was
attached to this, that Father Ilyacin
the should give bis adhesion to the de
cree of the Vatican council proclam
ing the infallibility of the pope. This
he refused to do and the negotiations
fell through.
Pere Hy acini he cites the Prince
Odescalchi as a witness of the offer,
but the prince has not yet made pub
lic his version of the affair.