The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1870-02-12
Alarming Waste of the Public Property.

DR.. Lieber, Chairman of the Committee
Of the Union League Club on the appro-
priation of pubic money to sectarian pur-
poses, has made report which deserves
the most careful attention. The laws of
1869 appropriate an amount equal to TWEEN
ty per cent. Of the excise moneys received
in the city, to be annually distributed for
the support of schools educating children
who can not he accommodated in the pub
lie schools. The truth is that there are no
such children, because all can be accemmo
dated in the public schools. The report of
the special committe of the Board of Edu
cation for the last year shows that the av-
erage number of vacant seats in the schools
is more than 80, 900. At the time of this
distribution we called attention to the blow
that it struck at the common school system.
That was its object. 1t was to accnstom
the public mind to the diversion of the pub
lie money for sectarian purposes, prepare
tory to the effort to destroy the whole I'M
>ectarian system.
The Committee state that the donations
from the public treasury of the city of New
York to religious sects amounted, during
the year 1869, to more than $500, 900, of
which sum single sect received more than
SOC, 600; and that sect of course comprises
the smallest number of taxpayers. In
1866, for one dollar, the city government
gave to the archbishop Of this sect lot of
land in the most desirable part of the city,
which is now worth 100000 In 1862 it
gave the same sect whole block of ground
for 1888 50. by changing lease into a fee:
and in 1864 paid the sect 1000 for the
privilege of opening Madison Avenue
through this block, and gave the same sect
SIS. 92S 81. to pay its share of the expense of
1,n nn1 st.,fa Ines
given is now at least 81, 800, 900. In 1916,
for one dollar, the same sect was presented
with part of another block and in 1857, for
an annual rent of one dollar, with the rest
of the lot, now worth at least another mill
lion and half of dollars. The city govern
eminent has thus given So, 200, 900 worth of
real estate to single sect for sectarian
purposes.
Every sect in the city had an equal right
to similar donations, but no other has re-
ceived such. And these gifts of the public
property have been made as brides by a
political party. Here, in the city, the facts
are understood. The control of the city
government is in the hands of the leaders
of the Democratic party. The mass of the
Roman Catholics of the city are Irish; and
to retain the Irish in the Dsnocra ic party,
and to propitiate the favor of the Roman
Catholic priesthood, the property of the
people is squandercd. With the people. of
course lies the remedy. Governor Hoff-
mans honest Legislature. with its Tam
many managers is as likely to repeal the
law of last year as it is to adopt amy other
measure Of economy or to declare for any
other form of equal rights. Indeed, the
power that has done these things in the city
now controls unchallenged the legislature
of the State; and those who support it is
not only supporting this wanton waste of
the public property, but encourage the
fatal blow that the same power aims at the
free schools, the yery otadel of American
Institutions HARPER; Weekly,
sB- AT the cor. Of Sd & Orange sts., in
the City Of Wilmington Del, there is an
establishment from which issues weekly
thousands of pounds of an article which to
every housewife is like good news from a
far country" That establishment belongs
to Moore & Bro;-that article is Whining