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Show CATHOLIC SOCIETIES ARE tfOT IN POLITICS (New York Kveninq; World. Oct. 2H. 1M0I.)-A 1M0I.)-A letter fiotn C'ond LI. I'allen in yesterday's yes-terday's Kvcikmp World dceyiiijj tho report re-port that the American t-v,i-ration of t'atl'eiic societies was ' throwing its invidious in-vidious iiinl elnsritv for all this is one of Mr. Koo.-eveli lias'lirougiu forth the following fol-lowing response from Thomas K Alin.i-huii, Alin.i-huii, president of the organization: 'Jo the KiM.ir .,1 the i-.v in'iir World: At fir.f I blvsh. Mr. Onide'j:. fallen's letter in yesterday's Kv-'ning Wmld lias the appearance of being merely tin- flutter flut-ter ul his wounded democracy. The gentleman's '. repute, however, and his known character, put the matter in a different light. Several communications ! on the same subject recently in the pub- : lie press came under the writer's 11 nice. 1 One of these wa-" the narrow muting of J a bigoted Republican: the other, the ri- j dienlrms coddling of an over-zealous j Democrat.' -nie irresponsible inoutliings of Tom. Kick or Harry warranted n rcc- , "gnition or' reply and 1,10 attention was i paid to them. The federation shrinks j from clnan notoriety and hopfd to be absolutely silent during the campaign. The iy.srp now forced upon 11s ly the I -'harp insinuation of Mr. Fallen .-uggests j the propriety rather the necessity of a , t.ine.y word. Permit mr therefore as national prcs 1 Went of the l-Vdera:ed'('arhMlie Societies, 1 an authoritative statement. Net a Political Organization. The American Federation of Catholic Societies js not in any sense organized for political purposes: it luis absolutely . nothing to do with, and i- in 111 way j interested or meddling in the partisan campaign now on for tho presidency. ; J Further, lit me repeat what has been ! frequently said to Catholics as well as j non-Ciitholies: The aims of the federation i are essnit'ail.v religious; to brin;; about j lii rough the instrumentality of education J a more correct unrlerstanding of ( atholi-j atholi-j city, to cultivate among Americans of all 1 . denominations .a broad, kindly, sane re-: re-: spect each tor the other's religious con- ; I victiotis and rarity for al! this is one of the chief aims of the American Fedora- 1 tion of Catholic Societies. Divided in its membership between both political parties, the unalterable motto of the federation always has been, is now and will ever continue to be: '"Hands off. absolutely, from all partisan politics. We want nothing whatever to do with it." j By the "distinguished western gentle- , man" referred to. we take it that Mr. Palien means the archbishop of Milwaukee. Milwau-kee. That gentleman, it is true, is closely close-ly identified with the federation movement. move-ment. Without discussing whether his interview, in-terview, lately published, favoring the president's election, was wise or otherwise, other-wise, he distinctly said that he spoke only for himself.. I'nnuestionably he meant to be so understood. The archbishop fully realized that not only had he no authority to speak for the federation, but he knew I the Catholic societies would always re- j m spectfully rebuke any man. churchman j i or layman, appealing for their support in I the interest of partisanship. I No "Clerical Domination." It is just as well to correct here the t often prated about but purely imaginary 5 notion concerning "clerical domination." Any interference, or even suggestion of a i partisan nature, meddling with their civic I rights, would be so emphatically repudi- I ated by Catholic laymen that it would never be repeated. Catholics generally re- I spect their spiritual directors most be- s cause their clergymen, of all others, med- fe die least in American politics. I Just a word further. The Catholic so- Z cieties resent any such designation as the li "Catholic vote." " in affairs purely Amer- ican there can rightly be but. one kind of vote the vote of-American citizens, with- I out any prefix whatever, either of race or J creed; and cast .always with the. sipgle i patriotic ob.iectthe best interest of our i. common country, as each voter for him- (j self -intelligently, untrammeled and con- t scientiouslv sees it. THOMAS B.'MIXAIIAN, Pres. etc. & |