Rome Says No

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 6, 1913

For some time there had been before the Congress of the United States an immigration bill, whose purpose was to exclude from entrance to the United States a portion of the hordes of ignorant persons that are now permitted to enter this country. By the provisions of this bill an immigrant, in order to enter the United States, must be able to read the language of his own country, or that of another. This would exclude hundreds of thousands of Roman Catholics. Therefore the Roman Church has been vigorously opposing the measure. Nevertheless, it passed both houses of Congress, and went up to the President for his signature. President Taft vetoed the bill. The Senate, still convinced that the measure was a worthy one, passed it over the President’s veto, though it required, of course, a two-thirds majority to do it. In the House it lacked the necessary two thirds by only five votes. This was enough, however, to kill it. There has been considerable agitation of the question of giving independence to the Filipinos, and it has been known that many Democrats favored this. Therefore Cardinal Gibbons has appeared in print more than once, vigorously denouncing the idea of granting the Filipinos independence, and President Taft has also published his views on the question, which are in exact harmony with those of the cardinal. The Roman hierarchy knows that Rome can control the Filipinos much more easily with the United States in charge of the islands than she could if she had to deal with a Filipino government direct. The treatment which the Roman Church has received at the hands of Mexico, France, Portugal, and even Spain, has made her feel the necessity of having a strong government to do her bidding and keep her own subjects from turning upon her. That is why so many feel that Rome would like to see the United States take control of Mexican affairs. With the United States in control of the Philippines, Mexico, Cuba, and Porto Rico, there would be as many Catholics as Protestants under the American flag.