Catholic Federation Legislative Influence
By C. M. S.
The American Federation of Catholic Societies
THE American Federation of Catholic Societies is intensely alive to the legislation proposed in this country, and in other places where this government might, through its influence, control or restrict legislation in the interests of the Catholic Church. This was made very plain in the annual reports of both the president and the secretary of the organization. President Feeny reported that the organization had made an earnest effort to defeat a bill pending before Congress which would make it more difficult for illiterate immigrants to come into the United States. The reason for the opposition of this Catholic society to the bill in question is that these illiterates are very largely from the ports of southern Europe, where Catholicism prevails, and therefore are predominantly Catholics. Should the hosts of illiterate Catholics from southern Europe be denied admission to the United States, it would mean that Rome's progress both in numbers and in the accomplishment of her aims would be much less rapid than it is now. Therefore the church will leave nothing undone that she can do to defeat all legislation of that character. The more illiterate the immigrant, the more easily he is controlled by the priesthood. Mr. Feeny's report also detailed how a bill passed by the legislature of the Philippines on the sixth of last December had been held tabled and defeated in the executive commission through the influence of the American Federation of Catholic Societies with those standing at the head of the government of the United States. In addition to this, the secretary's report revealed how a similar bill which was to be introduced into the legislature of Cuba was being attacked by this organization in the United States. Concerning this matter the secretary says:— One of the proposed measures was to nullify and make illegal all marriages7performed by the priest, and the introduction of divorce. Your national secretary conferred with the apostolic delegate, now Cardinal Falconio, on this matter, and was advised to write to the bishop of Havana, Cuba, for particulars and suggestions. Bishop Estrada advised that the Federation take up the matter with the President of the United States and Cardinal Gibbons. In his letter to the national secretary, he said, among other things:— “A letter addressed to the President of the United States, making known to him the disgust felt by all fair-minded Americans at the idea of persecuting the church and depriving the Cuban people of their legitimate desires, and asking him to write to our president here, will do much good. Cardinal Gibbons, I am sure, would lend a helping hand in this affair.” The matter was carefully taken up, and Federation has been advised that a special emissary was sent to Cuba to look into the matter. The bishop of Havana again wrote the Federation:— The divorce bill and the bills to take away the validity of canonical marriage have not yet been considered. I fear, however, that the matter will be taken up as soon as the election period is over, and the enemies of the church get time to harm us. For this reason I should ask the Federation to prove as interested in our future welfare as it proved in the past, and I will keep you informed. It can easily be seen from these incidents how the government of the United States is made a party to the advancement of the interests of the Catholic Church, not only in America, where the government has jurisdiction, but also in Cuba, where it has no legitimate jurisdiction. In this matter the Church of Rome has not hesitated to ask the chief executive of the United States to interfere in the legislation and in the domestic concerns of a sister republic, whose independence she has acknowledged on paper. Neither the President of the United States nor the ruler of any other nation would permit the executive of another country to interfere in the domestic affairs of his nation. But if this published document of the Federation’s secretary states the matter as it is, that is what has been done toward Cuba; and the closing statement in the Cuban bishop’s letter indicates that he expects the Federation will continue to influence the American President, whoever he may be, to interfere in Cuban legislation in the future as in this case. The bishop’s letter indicates that if the proposed legislation should pass, the people of Cuba would be deprived “of their legitimate desires;” therefore the President of the United States must interfere with the legislation enacted by the representatives of the Cuban people so that the Cuban people may have their legitimate desires. It is as if the president of the French republic should interfere with the passage of bills through our House of Representatives, so that the American people might have their legitimate desires. The American people are supposed to get their legitimate desires through their representatives in Congress, and not through the interference of the executive of some other nation. So it is in Cuba; and this work of the American Federation of Catholic Societies in inducing the United States executive to interfere in the domestic affairs of a sister republic shows to what lengths the Catholic Church will go to accomplish her ends, and what specious arguments she will use in that endeavor. Bishop McFaul, in explaining what kind of politics was involved in the work of the Federation, cited a concrete case as an illustration. A bill had been proposed in the New Jersey Legislature, the wording of which was displeasing to certain Catholics. They went to the committee having the bill in charge, and asked that the wording be changed. The committee refused to make the desired alteration. Immediately Bishop McFaul, who is a member of the Federation, summoned the executive board of the State branch of the Federation, and they went before the committee with this threat:— “We represent the Federated Catholic Societies of the State. We are opposed to the phraseology of that tax bill; we ask that it be changed, otherwise we will go back and report to our societies.” The reply was: “Gentlemen, for Heaven’s sake, don’t stir up a hornets’ nest on this question. What changes do you want? We will be very glad to make them.” That’s the sort of politics there is in Federation. And it certainly is high time that we began to know how to employ the prerogatives of American citizenship. That is not government by legislation, but government by demand and threat, and is entirely outside and contrary to the fundamental purposes of those who framed the government; and if carried to the extent to which they propose to carry it, it would be utterly subversive of republican form of government. There is nothing in the Constitution which even suggests government by that process. What this Federation will be able to accomplish in this country will depend very largely upon what its actual strength is. Concerning this Archbishop Messmer, of Milwaukee, says:— Federation can look back with pride upon the work it has accomplished. There are unfortunately far too many Catholics yet who do not understand the purposes of Federation, and know nothing of what it has done. Should they learn of Federation’s activities, they will confess, as others have done, that they were surprised to know that Federation has really accomplished so much. Federation is the strongest and most powerful organization in the United States to-day.—Secretary’s Annual Report. Upon this point Bishop McFaul says:— We are gradually approaching the consummation of our hopes, the unification of the Catholics of the United States. Federation now numbers close to 3,000,000 members.—Federation Souvenir, page 160. Such a union is desirable for the formation of an instrument which will always be ready to voice Catholic sentiment in the State and the nation. We may seldom need it, but when we do, we need it badly, and it must therefore be in such shape that we can immediately put our hand upon it, knowing that it is powerful enough to produce the required results.—Federation Souvenir, page 162. An idea of how the Federation will use that strength and power was given near the close of the secretary’s report in a quotation from an editorial in the Newark Monitor, which reads:— Federation is doing more to bring the different races together in concord and harmony than any other instrument yet devised. And should the occasion ever arise, the word whispered by its rulers will throb through millions of hearts for the protection of faith and fatherland. Religion and patriotism are Federation’s watchwords; they sum up its purposes; they show forth its ideals; they announce its final object. Federation does not crawl in slimy secrecy. It stands erect in the light of day. In a certain sense, Federation is in perpetual session. It is a hand that points the way; an uplifted arm to defend; a giant to swing its strength wherever the cause most needs it. Federation in its presentation to the public is declared to stand for loyalty to American institutions; but there is in the above utterances no breath of loyalty to anything but the Catholic Church and its interests, and wherever they are opposed by anything whatsoever, that “giant” is “to swing its strength.” Furthermore, “should the occasion ever arise,” as it is certain to do in the not distant future, “the word whispered by its rulers” will call into action the millions who belong to that organization, not for the defense of the Constitution or of the institutions of the American government, but for the accomplishment of whatever object the hierarchy may have in mind, without any reference to Constitution or law or equity. This organization Rome proposes to use as an engine of war upon whatever stands in the way of her ambition. Again and again did this Federation declare its “obedience” to the Holy See and to the representative of the Pope in America. A cablegram expressing that obedience was sent to the Pope before the conclusion of the convention. With such an organization in this country pledged to obedience to the prisoner of the Vatican, it is impossible but that the politics and the legislation of this country will very soon be largely8dominated by that foreign influence; and when we know that the Roman hierarchy has declared itself opposed to the most fundamental principles of this government, we are not at a loss to divine the purposes of that organization or the chief objects of its attack. Lafayette said that "if ever the liberties of the republic of the United States are destroyed, it will be by Roman Catholic priests." He saw farther into the future than many Americans seem able to see; and there can be no question that this organization is being used and will continue to be used by Rome to thwart the purposes of the founders of this nation in regard to the liberties of the people. What Protestants are doing to help Rome attain her purpose in these matters will be considered in another article.