CHAPTER VIII POLITICAL INTRIGUE OF THE ROMISH CHURCH. "Education has nothing to do with politics, but everything to do with that intelligence and true worthiness which are the true basis of all politics."-Horace Mann. “The dangers from political corruption and from foreign influence against which Washington so beseechingly entreated us, have increased and are increasing, and ought to be diminished."-Hon. John Jay. "What business has the Pope to go into politics? What has politics to do with the Pope? The papacy was founded by St. Peter as chief of the Apostles. St. Peter never once in his epistles ventured to talk of politics. For 300 years his successors had confined themselves to the Gospel and it was a great misfortune for the Church when a change took place."-Dr. Edward McGlynn. The political power of the ballot, constantly increasing by foreign recruits, Rome means to preserve and use for the attainment of her despotic ends. In confirmation of this statement, allow me to give you here some authoritative utterances. The St. Louis Globe says: "It is the duty of every Catholic to vote for a Catholic candidate; for one who is not opposed to the Catholic religion; who is not an enemy of the church; and it is the duty of every faithful Catholic to vote against those who are enemies of our church and of our holy faith. Catholics must use the ballot to promote the cause of the church; a Catholic must be a Catholic in his social and in his political life, as well as in his religious life." And the Review says: "Catholics must get their politics from where they get their religion-Rome." Do you wonder that the question is often asked: "Can a Roman Catholic be loyal to Rome and America at the same time?" We must not forget that, "When parties become evenly balanced an enemy has a great advantage in being able easily to turn the scale, and secure his own ends by the votes of the very people he ruins. In this state of things he does not need a majority. A very small minority has often overturned governments. Greece was ruined by the intrigues of Philip of Macedon in the use of Grecian hands. OUR GREATEST DANGER. In our own Republic the period has arrived when it becomes American citizens, as lovers of liberty, as the friends of purity, religion, and social progress, to pause and consider the state of things about them. We have two great political parties struggling for political supremacy. In the height of the contest, a foreign Church, which has troubled every nation in whose bosom it has existed, thrusts itself into the contest. Holding in solution the worst elements in society, the whole might of its corruption is thrown on one side. With the scum and filth of great cities it turns the scale in elections, and as the price of its vote demands the offices at important material considerations, or, still worse, a change in the management of our institutions. That this foreign element has become predominant in our politics is deplorable and alarming, especially as the foreign purpose of revolutionizing the policy of the nation has been distinctly announced. That America could take into her bosom an alien element, and allow herself to be used to introduce a foreign policy in the interest of the tyrant on the Tiber, seems incredible, but the stern facts stare us in the face. The Pope is a power in our politics as really as Philip was in those of Greece. Party policy is dictated at Rome. Is it not time to pause? Is there not reason why Americans, on questions that concern the Roman policy, should see eye to eye, and that they should stand as one man for republican principles? United we stand, divided we fall!"" "A thousand years scarce serves to form a State; An hour may lay it in the dust." As lovers of liberty, we need to be wide awake. Drowsing and nodding, we leave Rome to capture our outposts. By proving true to our trust, we can defeat any foe. Failing, however, in our duty, and proving ourselves unworthy of the golden opportunities that are afforded us, we can confidently look forward to a result such as Mr. Froude describes, when he says: "So much can be foretold with certainty, that if the Catholic church anywhere recovers her ascendancy, she will again exhibit the detestable features which have invariably at tended her supremacy. Her rule will be once more found incompatible either with justice or with intellectual growth, and our children will be forced to recover, by some fresh struggle, the ground which our forefathers conquered for us, and which we by pusillanimity surrendered." Here we have a note of warning. This is strong language, but it comes from a bold man, and one who is not afraid to pen the truth. His language is not too strong, estimated by its true character and not by the garb under which it appears to ordinary observers. Romanism is the natural enemy of all the principles which are indispensable for the welfare and healthy development of our nation's life. DECLARED OPPOSITION TO OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS. We are For a time we had to contend with a covert foe. glad to know that this is the case no longer. The Roman Catholic hierarchy have come out in open and declared opposition to our American public school system. The 1st Provincial Council, in 1829; the 2nd Council in 1833; the 1st Plenary Council in 1852; the 2nd Plenary Council in 1866, and all the councils that have been held since that time have uttered their vilest anathemas against our public school system of education. I propose now to show it from their own authority. If there are any here tonight who think there is no conspiracy, that there are no enemies in this land, I want you to hear with your ears and with all the openings of your soul what some of their leading men have said. Archbishop McClosky, of New York, said: "I can answer that, so far as our Catholic children are concerned, the workings of the public school system have proved, and do prove, highly detrimental to their faith and morals.' Bishop Hughes, in 1858, said: "The public school system is a disgrace to the civilization of the nineteenth century. I hope to see the day when New York will look back upon it with shame and horror, that such a gross and miserable delusion could ever have been suffered to take possession of the public mind," STATE USURPATION DEMANDED. The Tablet said in 1870: "There is no help but in dividing the public schools, or in abandoning them altogether." Not long ago the Catholic Review said: "There is no longer a school question for Catholics. It is closed. The door of discussion, which was slightly ajar prior to 1884, was closed, locked, bolted and barred by the Plenary Council held in that year, which directed that Christain schools should be maintained by all the parishes in the United States not prevented by extreme poverty from carrying them on. The decree is a law for priests and people." The Tablet, which is good Catholic authority, says: "The education itself is the business of the spiritual society alone, and not of secular society. The instruction of children and youth is included in the Sacraments of Orders; and the State usurps the functions of the spiritual society when it turns educator. The secular is for the spiritual, is subordinate to religion, which alone has authority to instruct man in his secular duties, and fit him for the end for which his Creator has created him. The organization of the schools, their entire internal arrangement and management, the choice and regulation of studies, and the selection, appointment and dismissal of teachers, belong exclusively to the spiritual authority." That is, to the Roman Catholic church. The attempt of the State to take care of the children, and provide for their education as American citizens, is a usurpation of the rights exclusively belonging to this gigantic despotism. We are usurpers, because we have ventured to say from what books our children may be taught their mother tongue and other lessons of primary education. Usurpers here in our own Protestant free country, because we have dared to select other persons besides priests, sisters and nuns to teach our children. Usurpers, because we have not meekly submitted to the dictation of this audacious hierarchy ! GIVE UP YOUR REASON AND BE A CHURCHMAN. I honor even the infidels, Voltaire and Tom Payne, for their independence, for when there was but the Roman Church, and that church said, "Give up your reason and be a churchman," they said to the church, "Mind your own business. We will not give up our reason; we will not put our senses under our feet; we will not say that white is black, and black is |