Knoxville Whig and chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1875-1882, 1875-03-24
ATTACK ON PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
" Woe 10 Parents who send their
children 10 Them"

children 10 Them"
Rev. Father Walker, Catholic
Priest in New York, made a vigorous
attack last Sabbath on the Public
Schools. a report Of his remarks we
find in the Herald as follows
In announcing yesterday that next
Sundays collection would be for the
benefit of the parochial schools he
took occasion to denounce the public
school system of New York in the most
bitter and injudicious manner "Woe
be TO the PARENTS shouted he in the
manner of one hurting anathemas,
woe be TO the parents who send
their children to these public schools |!
Woe he to those who secretly favor
them in their hearts! | would not
like to he in their places on the day
of judgment. The public schools are
the nurseries of vice. They are God
less schools, aud they who send their
children to them can not expect the
mercy of God. They ought not to eX-
pect the sacramento Of the Church in
their dying moments. | hope you and
| will live to see the day when il will
be understood that parents who cons
NIT this great sin will he refused the
sacramcnis of the Church. What!
let them die without the rites Of the
Church - you will ask. Yes, | say
so. | would as soon administer the
sacrameuts to a dog "a to such Cath~
olics. Did not Jesus Christ suffer one
of His apostles to die without the rites
Of the Church in despair? So would /
let these wretched Catholics perish
Catholics They are no Catholics.
They are Catholics of the pothouse
politician stripe-men who deceive
and betray the poor, ignorant, inno-
cent Irish emigrants when they arrive
in this country men who make their
poor countrymen, when they are only
few months in this country, perjure
themselves to become citizens men
who have no faith or charity in their
hearts. You may say, 'Ah, but
know good men and women, good
| priests and bishops, good fathers and
mothers, who were brought up in the
| public schools True, but they are the
rare exceptions, one in "A thousand or
ten thousand. You will say also. But
some Of the teachers are Catholics
What of it2 What do they know
about the vice all around them, the
contamination and vilainy? They
don't know it; they never see ii. But
we priests know it. Go look at the
water closets in some Of your public
schools and see the vile scribbings
aud markings on the wall, and you,
| will realize the vice and in fanny that
| prevail at these nurseries of crime.
tell you, Catholics you do not realize
/ the dangers tOyOur children The great
effort of the enemy of Gods Holy
Church in these days is to get control
of the education of the youth in the
! hope Of thus cOunteracting the blessed
| influence of the priests of God. The
enemy has abandoned every other
effort. Look to it, then, that you fall
not victim to his iusidious arts"
The preacher then alluded to the
wonderful growth of the Church, and
the inquiry Of taxing Catholics for the
support of schools they did not want
aud could not send their children TO-
He said there were 600,0 900 Catholics in
this diocese alone, 200 more in
Brooklyn diocese and hundreds oI
thousands more in Albany, Buffalo
and Ogdensburg. If all these banded
themselves together valliantIy to de
mand their rights, think you they
could fail ? No; they could not. They
would soon show their strength am
triumph like their fellow Catholics il
Ohio.
The remarks of Father Walker mad,
a profound sensation among those whC
heard them, and opinions differed very
much as to the wisdom or soundnesl
of such radical utterances.