, 1874-12-11
gOItE pI0uS FRAUDS.


The arrest mud incarceration Of Father
FonuAS, the young Catholic priest who ab-
seconded some days since with tic proceeds
of Bridgeport fair, bring up the whole
subject Of church fairy, into which this par-
ticular caso resolves ITSELF Tlero will proba-
bly, DO mutual disgust at the announcement
TINT Catholics and protcstants meet OIL
common ground hero; but such is
tho cesc. It is no reflection on the cause Of
religion itself to soy that these institutions
are pious frautls. They are conceived in a
mistaken zcnl, and the few hundreds or
thousands Of dollars realized for tho benefit
Of church organizations fall far short of COM
ponsating for the concomitant evils. Tile
circumstance TINT one priest Inns been tempt
cd to appropriate tho funds of one fair is
not nearly so Ind M TINT hundreds of
fAirs have mislcd hundreds OF men and
women into per11icious PRACTICES first acquired
urtler tho sanction of tle church. At this
very fair, for instnncc, Father FoRnAN received
acute religious perception to distinguish any
difference between stepping up to n bar and
taking drink under the auspices of n church
and doing the samo thing at public saloon.
It is pretty certain TINT a young man who il
persuaded to do the former will not hesitate
to do tho latter. When churches claim tho
privilege of n traffic for tho benefit of re-
ligion which they profess to condemn in sec,1-
lar lnatters the tendency is to bring tho cause
Of religion into contempt II the Protestant
churches caim that they do not set up sa-
loons in their fairs, wo answer that they do
things which aro just rs bad or
worse. Tho most profitable featuro Of
nearly every church fair, Catholic and
Protestant, is the rattle or lottery,
which is in direct violation OF law.
Priests and prelatcs, ministers and deacons,
alilo give their sanction 10 n practice calcu-
lated to develop fondness for gambling
among a class Of young people who might
otherwise never be tempted. Hero VIC hnro
drinking and gambling, confesscdly the most
dangerous and prolific vices Of tho timo, d.
rcctly encouraged and fostered by the
churches under tho plca of advancing the
cause Of religion. If tho cause of religion
| cannot bo advanced without resorting to such
means, it is better that the cause of religion
should come to stand-still. Tho fact is,
/ that religion is injured and t1isgraced
by such practices, and pioty is out
rngod by the frauds porpetrated in
| its name. Another common practice ut fairs
was brought out in tho preliminary ovidonce
Of tho FonuAN caso,-tlht OF putting up
watches, or silver-scts, or canes, to be voted
| for at fixed prico per ballot, md Donated to
| tho "most popular" minister, Or tho most
popular politician, or tho most popular per-
! son, Or, generally, the most arrant de,na-
eoguo. Hore is u church Endorsement Of ono
of tho most pernicious political practices Of
tho day, - the buying Of votes. In the
bridgeport fair, it socn,s tlat money was
ta]ion ont of tho general church fund aud
| vested in yotos for its fayorito candidate.
Titus 1t seems tint tho church not only In
| lorseB tho practice Of candidates buying
votes for themselves. but Of tho church itself
using tho public funds to assist in tho olco-
| tion Of men to whom it is favorable. If
thero aro my other vicious personal or politi-
| foster, wo forbear to mention thonl. The
| catalogue is long enough til 1t is
OF kin with tho church fairs arc tho
church and charity linuers that arc given reg
,llarly for three months in oyory yoar, rAey
also come under tho general denomination Of
"pious frauds." 10 begin with, tho restnur-
atours, tho grocors, tho butchers, artl supply
dealers gonorally, arc asked to cnutriluto, mud
| threatened with cessation at tho patronage
Of tho congregation Il they fail to do 10.
Then tho church dinners aro organized, and
nuke raia upon a)l tho buBinosa men to H.