Elizabeth daily monitor. [volume] (Elizabeth, N.J.) 1868-1880, 1873-10-21
THE CATHOLIC UNION.

The Irish Catholic Benevolent Union
has been in session in st. Louis. On
Friday, Father Phelan, Chairman of
committee on resolutions, submitted the
following, among other resolutions
Resolved, That the present system of
public schools, ignoring all supernatural
authority and making God, the first
knowledge, the last thing to be learned,
is curse to our country, and flood
gate of atheism and of sensuality and of
civil, social, and national corruption.
A long, spirited, and somewhat acri-
monious debate ensued ON the resolu-
ton. Mr.. Kelley, of Virginia, thought
the resolution should be recommitted
to the Committee with instructions to
modify it. He was by virtue of his Of
fee, as Mayor of Richmond, President
of the Board of Public Schools. He
had been elected Mayor by a constitu-
ency which was about 80 per cent. Pro-
testant. The Bible was not read in the
schools in Richmond, and he had the
assurance of the Board that no religious
instruction was taught in them. He
was not in sympathy with the resolu-
ton, nor could he vote for it without
stultifying himself, which he did not
propose to do.
Father Phelan, of st. Louis, defend
ed the resolution, and said We have
nothing to do with Richmond or its
schools. If religious instruction was
excluded from them, as Mr.. Kelly said,
they were the most Objectionable of all
schools. The public men of America
were educated in the public schools,
and were exhibitions of the system, and
they were the most corrupt and dishon-
est of any country in the world. Men
can steal in this country with impunity
provided the amount is large enough.
That the children of the CO. airy go
heels over head to the devil must be at
tributed to the education they receive
in the public schools, which does not fit
them for the temptations of the world.
In these schools men of science are
honored and eulogized, but the ma me of
Jesus Christ is not allowed to be men
toned with reverence. These children
turn out to be learned horse thieves,
scholastic counterfeiters, and well post
ed in all schemes Of deviltry.
Mr.. Hardy, of Pennsylvania, de-
nounced the resolution, as it contem-
plated union of church and state.
President Dryer said the resolution
meant no such thing, and he did not
wish such an impression to get abroad.
He advised that the resolution be chang.
ed so as to simply favor Catholic schools.
Mr.. Hardy proceeded, and said that
the Catholics had gained great victory
in driving the Bible out of the public
schools. H8Gz
Father Graham, interrupting, said
that the church did not drive the Bible
out of the schools. Its purpose was to
put them in correct version of the Bible
and the Catholic catechism.
Mr.. Harley = Exactly. Now I ask
you is it just or right that we should in
troduce our Catholic catechism among
Protestants when we will not allow Pro-
testants, who are in the majority, to use
the Bible in the public schools
Mr.. Chance, of Delaware, thought
this was fling in the wrong direction.
They might favor Catholic schools, but
should not denounce Protestant schools.
Father Butler, of Kansas, spoke to
the same effect. While he did not like
to differ with his brother clergyman,
Father Phelan, he thought the resolu-
ton went too far. 1t should not be for
gotten that the public schools of this
country had served as a model for Ca
tholic parochial schools, and in that re-
spect had done good. The main differ
ence between them was one of religion
only.
Father Phelan again spoke, and said
he thought the delegates from the East
had not studied this subject enough.
He frankly confessed that the Catholics
stood before the country as the enemies
Of the public schools, and the reasons
were embodied in the resolution. They
must say they would as soon send their
children into pest house or bury them
as let them go tor the public schools.
They were assured they would lose the
faith. They were afraid the child who
left home in the morning would come
back with something in its heart as
black as hell. ss.--es sssr
Father Mangin said the public school
system is nuisance. The words in the
resolution are none too strong.
Mr.. Chance moved to recommit the
resolutions, with instructions to report
one favoring Catholic schools, which
was carried by about two-thirds vote.