p. 180 | A GROWING DANGER by Editor

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 6, 1877

A GROWING DANGER.

By Editor

In the Watch Tower department, this week, is given a significant article on the Southern Problem, showing how the Roman Catholic Church, as soon as the ballot was given to the colored people, set herself assiduously at work to absorb into herself all that element, to secure their power. She cares no more about them religiously than about so many swine; but she wants the political power which they will wield, when brought under her control. Hence her scheming and cunning, and lavish provision of men and means to accomplish that end.

The following article gives statistics relative to the increase of this Catholic power in this country, from which, though covering only a period of 50 years, it appears that in this short space they have changed their relative proportion to the whole population of the country from 1 to 29 in 1830, to 1 to 4, estimated, in 1880. Considering the spirit and purpose of that church, what have we to expect in the future? How significant these remarkable figures become, when we consider that, as a subject of prophecy, this power appears in the last phase of its prosperity here in the United States, acting a part with our own government in the closing scenes of time!

The people of this land are slumbering upon the verge of a revolution, of the extent and horrors of which they have no conception. It becomes the people of God to be awake. We quote from the Christian Press, which says:—

“The Catholic World, published in New York, and said to be the most reliable of all the Catholic Church organs, gives the following as the increase of the Catholic population in the United States; and it is probably pretty nearly correct, as it is indorsed in Harper’s Weekly by Father Stack, of Pennsylvania. In 1830, the Catholics were one in twenty-nine of the population; in 1840, they were one in eighteen; in 1850, one in eleven; in 1860, one in seven; in 1870, one in five; and probably in 1880 they will be one in four of the population.

“Their numbers, however, are not so alarming as the fact of their almost perfect organization. The priests, through the confessional, controlling the people, and the bishops holding complete control over the priesthood, as they are altogether dependent on them for place and income, are able to wield their numbers for political purposes as Protestant ministers never can.

“And when they are numerous enough to hold the balance of power, and, as our figures show, they are annually approaching it, they will then dictate terms to one or the other of the political parties, and we know those terms will be in opposition to education, civil and religious liberty. I speak to wise men, judge ye what I say!”