The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-02-03
SPIRIT or THu PRESS.
Editorial Opinions OF the Leading Journals
upon Current TopiOs- Compiled Every
Day for the Evening Telegraph
HOW LONG WILL PROTESTANTS
ENDURE?

HOW LONG WILL PROTESTANTs
ENDURE?
From the NJ Y. Times
There is a steady and insensible change
going on in this State in the seat of political
power, which involves most important con-
sequences and which our readers ought to
carefully weigh The population of this
city and the surrounding counties, owing to
immigration and the prolific power of a
laboring class, is increasing at an enormous
rate. The interior and agricultural counties
are growing in a much less rapid degree. 1t
is true that in the last decade our metropolis
has greatly fallen off in growth, compared to
the previous; but this has arisen mainly
from the fact that the middle classes
are transferring themselves to the adjacent
counties The increase of Westchester and
Kings is still immense, as compared with
that of st. Lawrence and Oneida. 1t is also
the lowest laboring classes which increase the
most rapidly, as is the experience every
where in the civilized world Our political
power follows population, and the result is
that the governing power of this portion of
the State, and in consequence the whole
State, is fast centring itself in the ranks
of the lowest and most ignorant class of the
whole communicable Irish Catholic laborers
and tenement-house population of New York
and its vicinity, led by shrewd ma
tive demagogues. Each year gives this class
q greater numerical value. They work to-
gether as a compact battalion under able and
audacious leaders. They control in the city
administration enormous sums of money.
Where they are deficient In votes, they can
create them. The timid or the ambitious
Americans who have. belonged to the same
party organization, have not nerve or princi-
pie enough to separate themselves from these
useful associates, whom socially they despise.
Thus it happens that this accumulation of
ignorant voters in one corner of the State
controls more and more every year the in
terror counties. Were it left to itself il could
do little, as even the plundering of the city
treasury would soon be checked by the honest
yeomanry of the rural districts. But this mass
of voters here is in affiliation with q large
party in the country, the majority of whom
are directly opposed to them in all their ideas
and habits. Party links, and the hopes of
emolument and Office, bind the two opposing
wings together, and the Democratic party of
New York State is simply the tool of the Irish
Catholic laborers and their demagogues in
this city.
The course the latter have marked out for
themselves is simple and clear. They had
first to get absolute possession of the Govern
ment and income of this wealthy capital
This they have done. Next, they aimed at
founding the Roman Catholic Church, so that
it could not be easily shaken. This they
have nearly accomplished by State and city
grants of land and moneys. The amounts
which the various Romanist churches have
received, either from the Common Council or
the Legislature, during the past few years,
would be incredible, were we not SO hardened
to such appropriations.
Their next blow was aimed at the free
schools, in carrying through the appropria-
tion for ''sectarian schools" Though but
partially effective, this blow will be repeated
either this or some succeeding year, with
more complete success. Already some of
our ward schools are supplied entirely with
Catholic teachers, and everything is ''expur-
gated" from the books taught which might
seem to smack too much of liberty of con-
science and of thought. Many of our cti-
zens will undoubtedly see the day--unless
some great revolution breaks forth-when
the Board of Education of this city will be as
thoroughly Roman Catholic as Tammany is
now.
The next blow-perhaps the most insulting
of all-has been aimed, during this session,
in the bill for hereditary religion" BY this
it is assumed that every Protestant charity
dealing with the enfants perduS of our streets
is engaged in spreading a false religion, and
therefore must annually expurgate Cor crimi-
nate) itself before the Legislature, under q
penalty of one hundred dollars for each Of
fense! AS correspondent suggests, the
natural amendment to this act would be
provision requiring every Protestant house
holder to make an annual statement under
oath, that he had never invited his Roman
Catholic servants to family devotions, or
otherwise interfered with their religious
belief"
These incredible insults to the courage of
our Protestant bodies would never be given
by these demagogues if our own leaders had
not shown themselves in the whole question
such utter towards. When the most eminent
public men of the country are afraid to
speak word for one of the grandest events
in the history of liberty, because the priests
will dsnounce them before the ignorant
Roman rabble, what can be expected but that
such tools of the priests as Senator Norton
and his associates will propose such insult
ing acts as this in the Senate of the New
York Legislature? If our Protestant bodies
do not arise and show some manhood, they
will deserve to be thus Etramped on and in
suited by the delegates of the Catholic masses
in these counties. And they may be certain
that the treatment they have thus far re-
ceiVed from the Tammany ring is mild and
considerate to what is in store for them.
AGAINST SUBSIDIES.