Talk:United States presidential election, 1884

Interestingly, the pastor mentioned (Dr. Samuel D. Burchard, I believe), did NOT say "romanism" as an attack on Catholics--he was referring to Romans and their disorderly behavior, not Roman Catholics. As a 19th century example of "fake news," the newspapers took his comment out of context and slandered him and his candidate of choice, James G. Blaine with it. This seems to have gotten Grover Cleveland elected. Everything I'm finding online seems to be based on the writings of Summers, which goes along with this incorrect understanding. I guess I'll need to dust off some books, unless anyone else has some good resources. --David B ^(TALK) 12:13, 17 October 2017 (EDT)

This is a fabulous historical insight, David! Let's develop it.--Andy Schlafly (talk) 13:15, 17 October 2017 (EDT)

Thanks, I'll get started on it! The problem I have right now is that my best primary resource is an antique book which never had the pages cut. This makes reading it rather difficult. Still, I'll see what I can find. --David B ^(TALK) 13:26, 17 October 2017 (EDT)

David, are you sure that Burchard's "Romanism" wasn't intended to refer to Catholicism? I ask for a few reasons. First, "Romanism' was a common term for Catholicism in 19th century America, and, as a rule, American Catholics tended to be Democrats (This was especially true in Burchards' native New York City, where the Tammany Hall machine was, at the time, largely Irish and Catholic. Second, Burchard had a history of anti-Catholic statements. In a sermon against the Mexican American War, Burchard argued that the war was immoral, notwithstanding the hope that "God will overrule it all [by all, he means the evil of war] for the good of Mexico-that He designs, by these means, to break the spell of a false religion, and to introduce to the darkened minds of her children, the light of a pure Christianity. Whatever the Arbiter of nations, in his gracious sovereignty, may do, have we an unqualified license to commit evil so that good may come?" He calls that last attitude "papal dogma". Later in the sermon, listing the evils that have come to the US (among which, he includes loose morals, not honoring the Sabbath, infidelity, and the driving west of the Indians), he includes as an evil "Isnot the power of the Roman Pontiff increasing?" That all was from a sermon he gave on Thanksgiving, 1847, called "Causes of National Solicitude"

Additionally, in a 1904 Harpers Weekly article by Frank Mack, the AP reporter who covered the speech, Mack recalls, after Burchard said the phrase, turning to his stenographer and asking "Did he really say that?", and his stenographer answering "He did, the old fool.", and then, after Blaine gave his speech, Blaine coming up to him and asking for the copy, and having been told that it had already gone out, muttered "Well, it's too late, then.", showing that both the stenographer and Blaine thought that it was harmful to Blaine's chances. Admittedly, this was about 30 years after the event, so Mack might have been biased by what actually happened.

Was Burchard's repudiation sincere or not? Who knows. Even in the statement, though, he says basically that he'd never make an anti-Catholic statement in mixed company.--Whizkid (talk) 18:41, 2 December 2017 (EST)