The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1869-04-11


issue took the shape simply of nativism In
this city, and Catholics, rs such, were mo-
prescribed here, though they were else.
where. 1t mas been left to our day and tc
the Methodist organ, the Christias Adro.
cate, to introduce the element OF religion
into the election.
That paper, in it's issue of the 9th ult.,
has an article with the heading 60 Catholics
after the public funds" in which it under
takes to handle the petition recently made
to the Council for pro rata distribution OF
school funds among all the scholars of the
city. a el
1t is surprising that a public journal, dis
GUESSING public issues, cannot satisfy itself
with dispassionate argument Of the ques-
ton on its merits, especially when it as
sumes its own position to be so evidently
in accord with reason, but must direct its
efforts to misrepresentation of fact and all
kinds of side issues.
The task before the Adroeate, or any other
opponent of the petition, was simply to an
swer the reasoning of Catholics and others
in its favor. That reasoning does not attack
tally unnecessary to do so; it merely says,
Many people cannot allow their children
to frequent the public schools because they
believe it to be wrong. We will concede
these people to be in error, if you choose,
though they have as good q right to be re-
spectcd in their opinion as you in yours
but even if in error, it would be wrong in
them to do what they believe to be wrong.
Therefore the public schools are shut to
them. But your own policy says that all
children ought to be educated, therefore
you ought to aid, somewhat, in their eGu-
cation at any good schools to which their
parents may choose to send them. Justice
to those parents, who also help to raise the
school fund, DEGREES the same thing" Ill,
Instead of attempting to set aside this
and to answer its arguments. the
Christian AdUooate shirlxs the main issue
and raises numerous imMaterial ones 1t
has recourse to personalities, political
threats, and appeals to prejudice. This
cheap kind of logic is generally at the COM
mand of every shrew and termagant, and
is also generally not worth noticing. But
when great interests are Mt stake it is
sometimes proper to put u stop to such
clamor, in order that justice may not go
astray in the confusion.
The AdcOeate has found ont, in it's deep
researches into the philosophy of this grave
question, that the Common Council con-
-s'Neesc1.aUs osstrnsO evenly
Catholics. We were certainly not aware
of this fact before, nor do we now see what
it has to do with the discussion Of the cues
ton; but the Adrocate makes use of it as
the basis of n threat. 1t threatens the
Council, and through it the Catholics of
New Orleans. After asserting that the
committee to whom the petition was re-
ferred and the Council itself are Catholic, it
continues:
fupou any pretense they take any part of
the public funds to build up their own church
schools they viii see moro light in the fall cleo
lions than was ever vouchssfed them before
Does the Christian Adrocate really think
against Catholics in New Orleaneq If SO,
it's knowledge of politics must be extreme
The Catholic vote of this city
is too strong to be weighed in the balance,
by politicians, against the indignation of
the Methodist organ. s-., .as
Ne, neighbort Let your discretion get
the better of Four-wFatfh.- .fhe only way
in the werld to unite the Catholic vote here
or anywhere else, is by outside pressure
There is no inside Conference in it, -Catho-
lies feel that they, have their faith merely
to get to heaven, and not as a means to any.
worldly end whatever; consequently they
are always perfectly Indifferent as to how
other Catholics may feel on political ques-
tions. There is NO unity of the Church out
side of Church matters.
! If, however, an effete Professionalism
sould possibly revive the aggressive bigot- I
" of its early days sufficiently to organize
! political prescription against Catholic
candidates, simply as spch, it would GER
'ainly succeed in uniting the Catholic vote,
md thea it would remain for political man
lgers to choose between the solid phalanx
Welding that vote and the scattered shreds