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Show Washington and Rome. tjtITH a good deal of unction the IV Salt Lake Tribune pats Itself on the back because from the first it has urged Governor Taft to pursue an aggressive policy in negotating with the Vatican, and, as a result, Taft has brought the Vatican to taw upon the Spanish friar question. Then follows a clipping from the St. Louis Mirror, which speaks of "Yankee craft and Italian cunning in a diplomatic fence at Rome, and Yankee craft emerging with all it contended for." Bosh! More reliable news than that which comes in the way of cable guesses, shows that the negotiations were conducted con-ducted solely on the merits of the 'Question, having, in view the rights guaranteed to Spanish subjects by the treaty of Paris. Nothing transpired to evoke such language as "the triumph of Yankee craft over Italian cunning." Against what is evident injustice, against any proposition which denies to man his natural rights, the Vatican may be always counted. If, instead of to Rome, this Spanish friar question, along with their guaranteed rights, had been submitted to the supreme court at Washington, dare anyone say that the conclusions of Rome and the conclusions con-clusions of Washington would differ on a plain principle of law? j Once upon a time there reigned in France an emperor who was a terror to the civilized world and whose armies ar-mies were invincible. At the same time there resided in Rome, as head of the Catholic church on earth, a pontiff who stood ready to offer up his life in God's cause. This was Pius VII; the other person was Napoleon Bonaparte. For political and sensual reasons the emperor of the French desired to wed an Austrian princess. In order to do so he must first put away Josephine, his lawful wife and empress. "An easy thing to do," said Napoleon to himself. "I will secure a dispensation from the old fellow in the Vatican." Instead of a dispensation allowing him to divorce .Tosenhine and marrv another, the master of Europe received a stern rebuke and refusal from the old man in the Vatican. What followed? fol-lowed? Pope, Pius VII was driven into, exile. Napoleon was excommunicated. But the infallible teachings of the Church remained unsullied, and He who watches the sparrow's fall had a care for the exiled pontiff, j "Bah!" muttered the Little Corporal. "All the old pope may say and do will not cause a single gun to fall from the hands of one of my soldiers!" Then came Waterloo, and afterwards St. Helena. This little sketch from history is intended in-tended for such as prate that "Yankee craft triumphed over Italian cunning." Also to such as imagine that upon a question where the pontiff knows he is right, Leo XIII would yield to President Pres-ident Roosevelt what Pius VII denied to Napoleon Bonaparte. |