The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-06-23

RcligisaB Scots and tho Pockets Or tho
People.
A few days since resolution was introduced
In the State Convention to SO change the con-
stitution OF tho State that no appropriations
could be msde Of the peoples money for the
support Of sectarisn institutions but the reso-
linton was 60 vague IN its wording that tho
religious leeches that suck at the public trea-
suries Of the State and city Of New York viii
easily find means to evade the law and oon-
tlnae the process Of bleeding the people.
1t is time some active efforts were made by
our legislators to stop this support Of the
churches from the public funds. We require
law which shall state in the very strongest
terms that not one cent shall be appropriated
for any sect whatever The religion that has
not within itself the elements OF self-existence
should not be boistered up by drawing upon
the purses Of those whose religious tenets are
frequently Numerically opposite from those
which our unthinkng State and city rulers
call upon them to support We have no right
to call upon the Jew to pay taxes to support
the Catholic, nor upon the Catholic to support
the Protestant, nor yet upon the latter to pay
out their funds TO build up the temporal do
minons Of either of the former creeds, espe-
cially when we consider that the appropria-
tons made from our pockets for what are
called Christian purposes are divided with
most unchris.ian fairness. See, for instance,
the appropriations Of the past year by our
Common Council, nearly ten-tenths of which
went to single sect. Truly, our republioanism
is sorely pressed, Church and State being
already upon u with all the terrible evils that,
In their union, have been curse to Europe.
With every dollar we invest from our public
treasury for the support Of . religious institu-
ton we plant o seed for future religious war,
and at the same time we curse the religious
sentiments taught to us by Jesus Christ for,
by such appropriations we build up vast
moneyed monOpolies that finally forget their
religious creed. or only remember it to make
the people accept 1t at the point Of the sword.
If il has not reached that point yet it is fast
verging on it, the first move being TO indi-
rectly make the State support one or more
creeds, and finally, with accumulated power,
reducing the creeds to single one, force upon
suo pcOPAo, ~ Tue OullOb UOA, Wuhs Will oc tu0
ruin Of their republican system Of government.
We want no monopolies Of head and pocket at
the same time for when religion and avarice
become linked they form the strongest combi-
nation Of which human nature is capable, and
know no limit to their envy and bigotry of
purpose. Italy, Spain and Austria all prove
this, and hold themselves up to the world as
nations whose rulers monopolize the present as
well as the future Of man, and even hold con-
troll over the tollgates to Heaven. charging .
heavy price for those who pass through, that
the chains may be riveted the frmsr upon
those who are lett behind.
No Church and State. Let us have some
legislation about il, and shake 1t of while yet
we can. Spare neither Protestant, Catholic,
nor any other sect We want no religion that
is not sufficiently moral TO receive its support
from those who espouse its creed. Have we
no reconstructionists in the State Convention
who have the courage to change the constitu-
ton and save our money from these illegal ap-
propriationsi Let us still have the right to
worship God according to the dictates Of our
own conscience, and not be forced, indirectly,
to recognise the precedence Of one religion
over another.