The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1875-09-10
EBENSBURG PA, FRIDAY SEPTEMBER TO- 1875

lied clergyman of their own religious de-
| nominations or persuasions under such rea-
sonable rules and re gulatioDs as the trus-
| tees, directors directors, managers sup
| erintendents shall make, but no such rules
| shall be SO construed as to prevent the cIer-
| gyman of any denomination from fully adj
ministering the rites of his denomination to
| such inmates, provided such ministration
shall entail no expense on the public treas
| ury.
'SEC. 2. This act shall take effect from
and after its passage.
| speaker of the House of Representatives
"ALPHONso HART,
/ president of the Senate.
| PASSED March 80, 1885,
When this bill first passed Che house OF
Representatives there were siXy Votes for
and thirty-two against it, and among those
! who voted for it were seven conspicuous
! republican members, one OF whom, l am
told, was and is a Protestant preacher of
the gospel. But Immediately afterward
| the idea entered the heads of the party
! managers that some party capital might
be made out of the bill that it might be
made to assist the anti-Catholic and know
nothing cry about to be raised for party
purpose and hence these seven republicans
were induced by party consideration to fore
| go their Judgment and to vote for a recon-
sideration of the bill, and, only four days
after they bad voted for it, foul of them
voted against Is, and three of them omit
ted to vote at al. Now if the bill were a
bad bill, why were seven republicans found
: voting for il, before The party lash was ap-
! piled to their backs? And why did three
| stand out SO far as to let it pass without
their dissent? IF it is a bad law, why did
not the republican stas> convention con-
denim it and demand it's repeal? They
| were ready enough to condemn the legisla-
| ture, but you find not one word in their
platform condemning this law. If it is
bad law why did not the republican con-
vention of Hamilton county, only last
Wednesday, refuse 20 pass resolution do
manding its repeals? Ifit is bad law why
did not some republican orator, from Gen.
Hayes down to the least Of them, or some
! republican newspaper, great or SMALL
point out wherein it ia bad? But you
hear nothing of that kind from those speak
ers you see nothing of that kind in those
papers but you hear and see general de-
clamation without end passionate appeals
without truth or decency, and msrepresen-
tations without stint or limit. You hear
it asserted that however unobjectionable
the bill may he, it was passed in obedience
to piiesuy dictatiOn, and this assertion
is made text for crusade against the
Catholic church aud Wholesale denuncia-
tion of the democratic party. But what
foundation is there for the charge? That
oohpC SotHoiS pIiCSt VI pIlcStS II16y nave
expressed themselves in favor Of the bill,
is, for augh: | know, true that some
Catholic newspaper may have advocated
its passage may also be true but pray,
tell me, when did man lose his rights as
an American citizen by being Catholic
priest? When did it come to pass that
upon measure touching the rights of con-
science, Catholic newspaper was bound
to be silent? And when, in the forum of
reason, patriotism and common sense, did
an indiscreet remark Of a preacher or a
newspaper furnish a just reason for assail-
ing An entire Christian church and an en-
tire political party? And when did they
furnish a just ground for charging the
members of a general assembly, chosen by
the people and knowing their responsibility
to the people, with succumbing to priestly
dictation?
Nine tenths, at least, of the members
who voted for the Geglian bill we're Protes-
tants, or sympathize with Professionalism.
Not a few of them are earnest and active
members of Protestant churches. Some Of
them represented constituencies i'm which
the Catholic are scarcely one in hundred
of the people. Did these men succumb to
Catholic dictation? Were the seven repub-
licans, the Protestant preacher included,
who at first voted for the BILL servants of
the pope? Is there any man, not an idiot
or utterly blinded by prejudice, who does
not see that the charge is absurd, that it is
a mere trick of party managers, who are
willing to leopard religion, convulse society
and sow the seeds of perpetual discord in
order to achieve party success2 Can not
any man in his senses see that if party
ascendency can be obtained one year by
attacking a particular church, it may be
obtained at another time by attacking
some other church. | can remember when
Universalist was not allowed to testify as
a witness in some of the states when it
was necessary to believe in hell fire in order
to give testimony about a horse an
whom, in some neig ghborhoOds, he was re-
garded as foe to religion and worse than
an infidel. There are many people yet
who think that a Unitarian denies the
truth of Scripture, and deserves the frowns
and condemnation of all true christians.
There are still others who regard the
Quakers as enemies of government, because
! they insist upon the gospel of peace and
deny the lawfulness of war. There are
others who regard the Episcopal church
as a sort of adjunct to Rome. And so of
all the sec.s; there is not one against
whom, in the minds Of other sectaries, pre-
judice may not be excited; and It that pre-
judice is to take the form of political war
fare, there is no sect that will be secure
from its baleful influence. The radical
managers now assail the Catholics, know
Jug tucHi W Uc Ill iDluOTUy. NcIo tuc
! Protestants in minority, dare say some
of these same managers would be found
assailing them. No, my friends, the only
safe ground to stand upon is the demo-
cratic principle of equal rights and perfect
! freedom of conscience, embodied in cur
Federal and state constitutions. The
churches are power full and efficient instru-
mentalities for good, and whatever may be
a mans belief or disbelief in theological
! tenets he can not truthfully deny their con-
| servative power over the morals and peace
| of society. But whenever they shall be
dragged into the mire of politics, whenever
warfare upon church shall become high
road to political perferment, you may rest
assured that blow at their usefulness will
have been dealt that will require many
years of pain and suffering before its evil
effects will cease to be felt.