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Newspaper Page Text
c ' THE A. P. A. REVIVAL The increasing circulation of The Menace, published at Au rora, Mo., indicates that the country is about to pass through another of those campaigns against Catholicism, which ap pear about once in 20 years. First it was Knownothingism, and then about 20 years ago it was A. P. A. ism. This time it is The Guardians of Liberty; and The Menace is the organ of the movement, which is apt to take a political turn before it reaches its full height and then subsides. In its issue of Feb. 8 The Men ace claims a circulation of 486, 998, with a net increase for that week of over 10,000. The character of the anti-Catholic campaign is quite similar to that of 20 years ago, the charge being made that the Catholic church is trying to capture and catholicize this country. It is even assenea inai ine purpose is to move the Vatican to Washington. In the last issue of The Menace it is charged that the "scheme" to get an immigration station in Chicago is "a papal plot pure and simple." The Menace goes on to say "all the money would be handled by the Irish papal con tractors and grafters of the Windy City, and the immigration station would be practically for the exclusive use of their own kind," and urges citizens to write their congressmen and senators asking them to oppose the plan. Whether this movement will reach the proportions of the A. P. A. movement of 20 years ago re mains to be seen, but the growing circulation of The Menace and the character of the attack indi cate that it is making some head way, just as the movement 20 years ago did. The seeds of social and political discord sowed in that fight lasted for years and developed a bitter crop of hatred among friends and neighbors. In places politicians rode into office on the political side of the movement, and men joined in order to get office. When the movement subsided and the excitement died down many of the politicians who fanned the flame quietly slidback into oblivion. Such movements give oppor tunity to political demagogues, and there are always credulous but well-meaning patriots who are easily led to believe most anything against the church rney don't belong to. But when these movements subside and the fev ered blood is cooled we can all turn our eyes to Washington and see that the flag is still there, and that it floats over a people at least religiously free and a country dedicated to religious liberty a republic that will interfere with no man's religious belief and per mit no church to control its des tinies. No creed could thrive in this country that sought to influence adversely any citizen's hqnest pa triotism ; and we can feel entirely safe to mind our own business as American citizens and let each of our brothers worship God accord-