The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1874-07-05
derning Star and Catholic Messenger.
BIsoTRY AND PREJUDICE IN THE LowEH
HOUSE OF CONGRESS.
SHARP DEBATE ON A SMALL AUTHORIZATION
TO THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR.
Ben Butler Praises the Sisters in New Orleans.


Senate amendment to the Sundry Civi
Service bill allowing S25, 900 to the Little
Sisters of the Poor, but said Committee had
agreed to appropriate to the Women's
Christian Association the sum of $25 600
The following is the special report to the
Chicago Tribune on the appropriation bust
meas:
"Mr. Randall's amendment was ag,e.d
to, and the Senate amendment as amend. "
was concurred in, approp,iating S25 90
for a building for the Women's Christina
Association of the District of Columbia.
On the motion for like appropriation for
the Little Sisters of the Poor, the Commit
tee on appropriations recommended nom
concurrence.
"Mr. Z. r. Hoar advocated the amend
ment. He said that objection had been
previously made to this appropriation on
the ground that the property would be
under the charge of Bishop, or of church
authorities. He had inquired carefully into
the matter, and found chat no such thing
was true. This was corporation of the
District of Columbia, and under no ecclesi-
astical authorities whatever, although the
Sisters were Catholics. The property was
held in trust for the sacred use of home
for aged persons, and it could not be
diverted from that use by any authorities
without the intervention of Court. In
the administration of this charity there was
no discrimination on account of sex, color
or religious belief.
"Mr. Garfield, Chairman of the Commit
tee on Appropriations, stated the grounds
on which the Committee recommended
non. concurrence. He agreed with what
Mr.. Hoar lad said as to the worthy charity
of these Little Sisters of the Poor. He
agreed that they administered their
charity without the slightest regard to
denominational differences. The only
ground on which the recommendation was
made was that this was an organization ex-
clusively of the people of one depomina-
tion. The chartered members were wholly
OF one religious sect, and of one society
within religious sect. He assumed that
there was not q nom Catholic woman in
America who could be one of the corpora-
tors of that Home. Att any rate, he assumed
the Society would not act in conjunction
with any corporator as joint controller
who was not of that sect. The Committee
on Appropriations had therefore made the
point that Congress- ought never to commit
itself to the aid Of an exclusively sectariap |
institution. He would take the same po.
sition in regard to q Protestant Church or
to the Church to which he himself belonged.
Church and State ought to be absolute, so
absolute that no church property any
where, in any State or in the nation should
be exempt from taxation. L. Church
property were exempted from Church taxa
ton, there would be to that extent
Church OF State over the whole country.
Having said so much, if the House thought |
the point not worthy of consideration, he
should be very glad to see these Little |
Sisters Of the Poor helped. If the amend
ment for the Women's Christian Associa-
ton were in favor of any one sect, he
would have voted very quickly to strike it |
out.
"Mr. Butler (Mass.)-Do you believe
there is a single Catholic woman in the
Women's Christian Association
Mr. Garheld--I know of no reason in
the world why any woman, Catholic or
otherwise, cannot be in that Association if
she desires, and simply because it is not n
corporation whose coiporators are of any
one religious sect.
Mr.. Butler-Is there n single Catholic
woman in the Associaton9
"Mr. Garfield do not know that
there is /; but there is nothing exclusive in
it.
"Mr. Butler--Is there any more exclu
Nion in the one corporation than in the
otherf
"Mr. Ga field-Very much more.
Mr. Batler-In wbatR
Mr. Garted-In this, that the Associa-
lion known as the Women's Christian AS. {
sociatlon, does not assume to belong to any
Church, but here is an Association whose !
very title, Little Sisters of the Poor ia 8
descriptive OF an order within the Catholic i
Church.
"Mr. Cessna want to know whether
Or net .PTotestants as we'll as Catholics re- '
ceive the benefits of this institution. +
Mr.. Garfield understand that its t
are taken without regard to '
eligious denominations. q
Mr.. Cessua-Then these Little Sisters, Y
ught to have the money. q
Mr.. Parker tMo.) expressed regret that d
Ir. Garfield had put himself before the c
House and country in the attitude he had q
ssumed to-day. His speech had led him f
Parker) to the belief that there must be a a
ankling somewhere in the gentleman's il
reast and prejudice against these Little Il
isters,' because of their religious faith. Il
ie himself wac not q Catholic nor much of I,
Protestant, but he would call the atten- fl
ion of the House and the attention especi- fl
!iy of the gentleman (Garfie.d) who led a il
VISION OF the army during the war, to the h
lct that when these Catholic nuns were on Il
Ie battlehelds gathering up the wounded ci
nd dying, and bringing consolation to their OF
'inds, and when they knelt before tbs G.
yiDg, none stopped to inquire what their ca
'ligiOus faith was. The white bonneted or
IN was seen carrying consolation to the tn