Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1871-09-30

The MOVEMENTS OF THE IRISH CATHo-
Lies OF NEW YORK ExPosED.-The law
requiring the Bible to be read in the schools
is dead letter in most of the wards in N.
York City. The Tribune has been inves-
tigatigating the matter, and the following
facts are condensed from a statement in the
paper In the sixth Ward the Catholics
make up three-fourths of the population,
and these are controlled by the priests.
Here William Mullany, who has been prin-
cipal of Ward School NO. % for 25 years,
says that the Bible has not been read for 20
years Mt least and yet he reports his de-
linquency every month. There was a dis
turbance about the matter in 1861, and the
salaries of all the teachers in the schools of
the ward where the reading was not main-
tanned were suspended for six months but
the dereliction was finally acquiesced in.
James Campbell who keeps grog-shop at
No. SO Centre street, is one of the school
trustees in the Sixth Ward. The following
remarks of Mr.. Campbell to reporter at
once illustrate his views of the question aud
his qualifications for the Office which he
holds "Whin went into me place here,
an that's agoin' on eight year, the Boible
wasn't bein' read {; an shure, didn't AK
any questions about il. guiss its all right
| it is, and they've fixed il wild the Board NV
said about it. Anyhow, couldn't 'pon
me honor, tell yer anything about it, sur.''
In the Twenty-frst Ward Sara ]. J. Nc
CafTray, principal of Primary School No.
lG, uses Catholic Bible. In the Fourth
Ward Schools there has been no Bible read
ing for IL years. Here again the pay of
teachers was stopped on account of the
ON ission. There was much excitement
and the teachers brought suit for their sal
aries. The suit finally went by default. III
one case q trustee carried off q Bible from
School No. /, under his arms, TO decide the
matter. An evidence Of the real anamus
and intention of the Romanists is found in
the fact that q reporter, visiting this school
found the pupils engaged IN celebrating III,
Catholic festival Of Ascension Thursday bs
singing and other exercises. The teachers
in this ward are nearly all Catholics. In
the Fourteenth Ward there is no Biblt
reading. In school No. 81 this has beer
the case for Is years. The five schools o.
the Nineteenth Ward arc ruled by Catholic
and Democratic trustees, with one cxcep
ton. The priests are trying hard TO built
up parochial schools here, and keep thei
children away from the public schools OF
religious holidays, and also keep them a
home for months together to prepare fo
yearly confirmation or first communion ,
Nothing but the great superiority OF thu
public schools enables them to withstand
the competition of the parochial schools
Some parents even pay the price of tuition
in the latter while they send their children
to the former. In the Twenty-first Wart
two schools still use the Protestant Bibl
The recitation of the Lords Prayer cease,
in 1870. The priests of st. Gabriel's churcl
fight the public schools very hard. The.
induce the children who attend thoi
schools to call all who go to the others lit
tic Protestants'; and one of their preacher
proclaimed in the pulpit that parents VIII
wished their children to ''icarn to steal, O
, swear. or do all kinds of evil, should sen
them to the public Schools" The FIT
Ward was formerly strongly Protestant
but the Catholics arc getting the uppt
, hand. A specimen of what American D'
mocrats may expect from their Irish polit
cal associates is shown by the following r,
, ply of the "IIon." Mike Murphy to til
friends of q staunch American Tamman
Democrat, who had been trustee, an
, wished the nomination again: "Yis, cir
tlemin, this is all very good, beshurc. Bl
the time is passed whin American Dim
, Gratis are again to be clictcd to Offices in tll
t Fifth Ward an, bcdad. ye may make u
yer minds that it won't come again vcr
soon. We don't waLt any American Din
icrats bedad, an We .GOnt. We kin g
! along widOut 'em." These facts show til,
I one Of the first things to be done after I'll
!, overthrow OF the city government will |
5 the reclamation of the schools from the ru
: fans into whose hands they have fitllci
I We are not IN favor Of forcing the rcadin
n of the Bible upon those schools where Ill
4 Catholic children arc in the majority bi
: such trustees rs Mr.. John Campbell an
to retire TO private liie. They have hi
l.. the management Of our schools lor
enough.-1he Independent, Sept ii, 1S7