The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-03-08
THE APPROPRIATION FOR TIE SIS
TIERS OF MERCY.

THE APPROPRIATION FOR TIE SIS
TIERS OF MERCY
TO THE EDITORS OF THE NEWS.
Four years ago number of gentlemen, re.
cognizlng the charitable and merltorious
services rendered by the Sisters of our Lady
of Mercy to the public, In sustaining at their
own expense hundred orphan children, and
believing them TO be justly entitled to munich
pal aid, addressed a petition to the Mayor and
Aldermen praying donation In support OF
the children under their charge. The petition
was signed by OF least seVen.eigbths of the
Taxpayers. 1t was submitted to Council. The
iacts were Investigated by q committee, and
after due deliberation Its prayer was granted,
and an appropriation of siI thousand dollars
annually was accordingly made. When the
appropriation was then under discussion IN
Council no voice was raised to denounce it as
sectarlan, nor to deprecate 1t as dangerous to
the public liberties, or perilous to the puollc
schools. The spirit of sectarian rancor, which
would now assail and If possible revoke It:
was then silent before the potent voice OF
almost the entire community. The only OBJ
lection that was made upon lts discussion was
that the bounty granted under the ordinance
could, aud would, be claimed 10 perpetulty,
and with this construction, accepted by the
advocates of the measure, II passed and be-
came law.
1t was not Catholic petition, nor Protest
ant; 1t was undenominatlonal. 1t wGs not to
aid the Catholic Church, but 10 relieve the
orphans 1t had Its orlgn cepp down In sense
of right and justice, and worthy considera-
tlon OF the claims OF noble order Of women.
The Sisters of Mercy are not sectarlan 10
their feelings; nor are they sectarlan in their
charity. Their ministratons are cheerluly
rendered to oil alike, irrespective OF class or
creed. Their home Is the asylum OF the desti-
tute and the poor. The testimony Of every
people among whom they have lived and
worked Is etanding tribute to their zeal and
sef-sacrl6clng devotion In the cause of charity.
He alone is sectarlan who would charge Them
as being sectarian. Who has ever heard of
Protestant orphan turned away from their
doors! What protestant or Jew has ever
been refused their snccor In disease! But
while the measure was prompted by these
generous Impulses its authors and advocates
did not fail TO dlecern that the appropriation
would be wise and useful as a measure OF public
economy. At the time OF the original passage
of the ordinance the annual appropriation to the
City Orphanhouse, containing not over Two
hundred and seventy-dve Inmates, amounted 10
lars per capita per month tor every orphan 10
the establishment, while the Sisters VIII an ap-
propriatlon of only six thousand dollars nave,
In the past year, maintained one hundred and
ten orphan children at less than six dollars
per capita per month, and tha principal rea'
son of this difference is that IN the sisters ~
slititutIon there are no salaries, while Inc
other is operated and managed by salaried ON.
cIaIs. 1t is no doubt true that under pru-
dent Administration or our ClIy affairs the COST
OF supporting the City Orphanhouse has been
considerably reduced, until from forty thou
1873 has been brought down to twenty thou
sand dollars. But even this Is In great de-
gree due 10 the obvious contrast In the
amounts expended by the two Institutions
which coerced retrenchment. It is silly aud
preposterous then, In view OF this state OF
facts, TO say that all lhe Sisters orphans, II
transferred to the City House, could be sup
ported along with the rest for an additional
s,lm of tWo thousand dollars. The statement
OF the proposition carries It's own condemna"
tIop. As q saving measure to the city, IL 10
so plain that The blind almost may see.
It Ia useless to Disguise H.; 1t Is not economy
nor care for the city treasury That is at the
bottom of the late opposition and protest.
Behind the mask OF economy, then, is the
ance. It ia the bitter and ill-concealed sect
rian, who cries out against thi5 measure, Sec
tartan II Ia the wolf crying WOLF File upon
the man who In our city would, for the small
pit.ance OF six thousand dollars, boon 10 Ia
dies whose lives ars dedicated TO poverty,
open the bitter fountains OF religious
discord and scatter broadcast me seeus Oh re re,
Catholics done TO deserve the charge Implied,
that by their conduct the lioertles OF this
country are endangered, and the safety Oh tne
common schools imperillpd! venture to
saw Ia their behalf that II application were
made for bounty aud aid for any object equally
as worthy as the Sisters asylum 0y any por-
tlon of our citizens, they would be the last 70
made, and by them refused, !et the
tongue OF eander and malignant envy
remain silent. Is It crime that the
Catholic should desire that his children
should be trained In the faith OF his fathers,
and has he ever here been heard to murmur,
that he could not share the Denent OF Ine
taxes wrung from him In the education Oh MS
children, except at the saerlnce OF MS lalen
Has he not remained silent under the ooloqny
of sectaran domination, while the minis
ters of hs church alone were thought un.
worthy of an Invitation 10 preach the Gospel
of Divine Truth In the City Orphaohouse IL
ia In no complaining mood that these renee.
lions are made, but merely 10 presenG the
contrast OF our altitude with that OF lnose
who WOuIQ arFdlRu duu ooeoh uo' A-Ss ~ ~
remembered that after the war, when tnelr
asylum was left detaced by the horrid scars OF
war, a Congress, composed principally OF
Prolestanls, deemed the Sisters OF Mercy
worthy of gralulty OF $l2, 900. Let It be re.
membered Llat the mayor und aldermen OF
oIlr sister CITY Savannah, unsolicited by Cath
olIcs. as an act OF even justice, have contrlo'
uted TO the support of their schools: -, u.-
merely cite these as examples OF lloerailty,
that it should be- well Tor some In our MIDST
to study and practice. AT the same Tune iet
them not be alarmed by visions OF Catnohc
invasion OF ,he public treasury. They, at
Ieasl. can boast that their hands have never
been solled by pnblic plunder. THIS IS
weed that has been transplanted here. AS
class exclusive, they have never yet asked
bounty OF their corporation. and 1t Is to be
hoped that their prosperity may be sucn as 10
dispense with lavora.
Bnr The cause of the Sisters of Mercy is not
their cause alone. 1t Ia the cause OF every
hiph-mlpded anG liberal citizen; 1t Ia the cause
OF virtue; 1t ia the cause OF justice; It is the
cause oil charity. FlsDEA'
REAL ESTATE SALES.