Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1859-02-24
Com M Rnic0tiOn.
commandments.
REV. DAVID JAMES ROCHE,

| communication.
| REV DAVID JAMES ROCHE,
Catholic Priest Of St. Marks Church. KenoSha.
DEAR SIR IL acknowledge the receipt of a
letter from you. dated Jan. 31st, TO which 1 made
no reply, because l considered it Objectionable,
not to say offensive, in that it contained an i'm
piled threat with the obvious intent of deterring
an officer from the legal discharge of his duty
and also that an answer would stir up feelings
that had better lie dormant You have since made
said letter public by publishing it in the Keno
sha Times, and it is now therefore proper that |
should reply The occasion for your letter was
the fact that a respectable householder in this
county who had lost his only daughter, aAd de-
sired to take young girl to bring up in his
family, applied to me for one; with this view
showed him those under my charge, l did not
ask HIM whether he was a Methodist Presbyte-
rian, Spiritualist, Roman Catholic, or what were
his religious prochyities, for the reason that l
had no legal RICH. to institute any such tests
In order that the question may be better under
stood, will state The law and the facts in the
case
On the 356th page of the Revised Statutes,
See. 10, it reads i" When any minor shall be-
come, or be likely to become chargeable to any
town, either because of being an orphan or be-
cause his parents or other relations are unable
or refuse to support such minor 1t shall be the
duty OF the supervisors of such town, to bind
cut such minor AS an apprentice to some respec-
table householder &C.
The duty to bind out is positive, aud the quail
iications Of the applicant for an apprentice
definite, viz; &c a respectable householder of
the county"
No distinction is made as to the limo the mi
nor had been Or may be chargeable. All the in
mates of the poor house are Roman Catholics
and all Irish, excepting one German, his wife
and child have not one sane protestant un-
der my charge. In your letter you object to the
supervisors binding the children to whom they
please, Independent of the faith of the parents.
by which l understand your objection to be to
the binding of the children of Catholic parents
to protestant masters and you say " if such be
the determination of the poor house commission
ers. the sooner and my ce-rehgionists know it
the better"
frankly acknowledge to you, sir, that in bin
ding out miner paupers no religious tests will
be applied, no qualification in the applicant for
an apprentice will be demanded excepting such
rs the law demands. The rights OF an EpiSco
palian, Methodist or Presbyterian are consider
ed equal in this case TO Roman Catholic, and
will l trust, be equally regarded.
The application of your religious test would
deprive every protestant of the privilege of ia.
king an apprentice from the poor house, altho'
he might be respectable householder of the
county" man OF property and great moral
worth. Now, sir, frankly ask you would YOU
advise that an applicant for an apprentice from
the poorhpuse should be questioned as to his
religious faith and if he answers that be is not
Romano atholic, has he right to take pauper
from this house Suppose he replies that the
majority of the Inhabitants of the county are
protestants, and they pay large proportion OF
the expense OF supporting these paupers q
Should he be answered, sir, admit your facts
but nevertheless pretestants have no rights in |
TINS institution but to pay large proportion of
the expenses and should he not be advised to
do 1t quietly and to make no wry faces, lest il |
seould come to the knowledge of certain relip- |
lonlsts, and he should be placed in the same ca.
tegOry with the individual who should DISCHARGE |
his duty as the law requires You will admit |
that 1T Is the duty Of the overseers of the Door Ia
use all lawful means to prevent pauperism,-I
Judging then, from the facts before ms von,d |
not minor pauper, bound out to protestant |
master, be as little likely, to say the least, to
tall again on the public for support as if he were
otherwise bound and in this view of the case
should not the rights of protestants be REGARDED |
as equal to the rights of a Catholic?
Respectfully yours,
j. V. QUARLES.