CHURCH AND STATE by John D. Bradley

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Oct 18, 1905

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 31, No. 42.

CHURCH AND STATE.

By John D. Bradley

A SIGNIFICANT picture with a significant title representing a significant occurrence appeared upon the first page of Collier's Weekly of August 26. The picture showed President Roosevelt sitting upon a platform before a speakers' table, with Cardinal Gibbons sitting beside him at the right and John Mitchell, president of the United Mine Workers of America, at the left. The title was, "Church, State, and Labor at Wilkesbarre." The occasion was the address of the President at the great joint meeting of the Mine Workers and the Catholic Total Abstinence Union at Wilkesbarre, Pa., on August 10.

The significance lies in the fact that there was represented what seems to be a developing triumvirate in this country which may yet unitedly dominate the nation—the Roman Catholic Church, organized labor, and a political power which, for political advantage, is ready to ally itself with these forces. The Roman Church certainly is becoming influential in this country from the political standpoint, and organized labor grows more and more powerful through political concessions. That the highest representatives of political authority deem it expedient to cultivate cordial relations with these two forces is evidenced by the occurrence noted and its attendant circumstances, as well as by other and more important things that could be cited.

The President made a special trip to address and be the guest of the Roman Catholics and the organized miners on this occasion, and that, too, at a time when he was occupied with important affairs. This fact was not overlooked by the wily representative of "the church." At the opening of a short address Cardinal Gibbons expressed the assurance that his hearers were "profoundly grateful to the President of the United States for his presence on this auspicious occasion," and said to them: "Your gratitude is emphasized by the consideration that his visit to you is made at a time when he is engrossed by the cares of state, and has grave foreign relations to engage his attention."

As the time approached for this demonstration at Wilkesbarre the question arose as to whether it was the organized laborers or the organized Catholics that the President was to honor by his visit. Considering the fact that the president of the miners' organization and a large proportion of its membership are Catholics, it would seem that the honor was for organized Catholicism, however appearances might be. The part of the Catholic organization in the matter got into the background and the press reports conveyed the impression that it was an organized miners' affair, and this was strengthened by the information that Mr. Mitchell would preside and be "chairman of the day."

The situation led to a statement in the press a few days before the affair came off, from a member of the committee of arrangements, which brought out some interesting inside history of the matter, and showed that the affair had a strictly Roman Catholic origin. It was brought about through the efforts of a Roman Catholic priest who is an officer of the Catholic Total Abstinence Union, and became an organized-labor, as well as Roman Catholic, affair because it required the union of the two to influence the President to be present. The chief worker in bringing the President and arranging the celebration was Father J. J. Curran, of Wilkesbarre. Originally, accompanied by a Congressman, Father Curran went to Washington to see the President about coming to the convention of the Catholic Total Abstinence Union.

"At that time," says Collier's, "the President gave the gentlemen no encouragement at all, but did not say that he would not come. Some time later a letter was received stating that the President would be unable to accept the invitation extended to him. Father Curran then realized that some powerful influence would have to be brought to bear upon the head of the nation if he was to be gotten to the convention at all. Father Curran had made up his mind that if anything could be done, he would do it, and so he hit upon the plan of asking John Mitchell to use his influence with the President, and the result was that the latter accepted the invitation to come as the guest of the Catholic Total Abstinence Union and of the United Mine Workers."

It was then proposed, doubtless in pursuance of the original purpose, which was of course to have the President honor the Catholics as much as possible, "that two separate and distinct meetings be held, one for the miners and the other for the Catholic Total Abstinence Union, and it was the intention to erect two platforms and make the reception of the President individual," but "this plan was done away with by the President himself, who decided that he would make but one address."

It is to be hoped that the President's action was due to the feeling that there are limits to which a President of the United States should go in complying even with the desires of Roman Catholics and in being used for their glorification. At all events it seems that the "powerful influence" of the united invitation of Roman Catholicism and organized labor to go to Wilkesbarre was sufficient to cause the President to change his determination not to go.

The significance of this is that it may be typical of, and an incipient manifestation of, something which may develop into a grave menace to the nation. And that menace is the "powerful influence" of combined Romanism and organized labor—or other special confederacies—"brought to bear upon the head of the nation," and yielded to, in pursuance of favor which will mean oppression and evil to the nation.