The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1875-05-20

An abnormal specimen of Normal rhetor-
C! 1t must have taken six school marms
10 hold the hair On his head as he reached
his climax.
Now mark the good taste Of this .em.
ployee Of the State; this pensioner on
the bounty of.the Legislature, who has
already absorbed into his own pocket
about $40, 900 from the heard earnings of
the people Of Minnesota, publicly rebuk-
ing Senator for Us legislative action in |
the performance Of his public duty. But |
we seek no parliamentary immunity.
We come now to the gr1r0nse7a of the |
attack, the covert charge conveyed in the
word sjesuitical, that we have advocat-
ed reduction Of the Normal schools to-
one, because of some religious opposition
to the public schools. This dirty
fellow does not dare to make
the charge plainly, but he supplements it
by sending letter to the Zumbrota In.
dependent, signed observer which is
in the nature Of an explanatory appendix.
Thus:
Every one who watched the motions Of the
Legislature in 1872 knows taat general on.
siaught was made upon the Normal Schools,
public schools, county superintendents, etc,
by the Catholic element in that Legislature.
Donnelly was the leader and abettor then, as
he is now. Squirm and twist as he may, with
his old, worn out scheme tor normal depart
ments in high schools, here is the gist Ct his
dwellings.
Now, in the first place, we were not a
memberJof the Legislature in 1872; we
we're not in St. Paul but one day during
that winter; we we're not in the State
capital during the entire session; and we
never took part in any movement against
Normal Schools, or any other kind of
schools, during that time.
| In the second place, We would say that
mans religion is something between
himself and his God: and the individual
who tries to create prejudice against any
one on account of his religious convictions
is an I'M American, bigoted scoundrel, who
would pick pockets if there was no peni-
Tertiary. We have never obtruded our
religious views upon the world; We are
content to let each man think for him.
self; and we have no desire to make con
verts to our views. Our attention has
been principally concentrated upon tis
world an: we have thought that the best
way to earn the approval of God and O
any better order of creatures hereafter, is
by lifting up and benefitting our fellow
creatures here. But we do not think il
right that any large body of Christian
people should be held responsible for oul
views of public policy, and none but ,
knave would try to make them so. Fol
Prof. Phelps knows perfectly well thai
VIC are not member of the Catholi.
church, or Of any other church that ".
think for ourselves in religion as we'll a
in politics. General Berry, of Winona
made the same unjust insinuation in thu
Senate, in 1874, and charged tina
our course in relation to Normal schools
was part of general conspiracy Of tn.
Catholics to overthrow the publ
schools; and we answered him then a
. we have answered Phelps now. And SO
we repeat, Phelps knew when he mad
, that insinuation about sJesaitism." tina
, his charge was false and an injustice t
the Catholics of Minnesota, who are Il
more responsible for our acts than az
q the Mohammedans.
But it is way they have in Tinons
The Winona Republican, the other day
, denounced q temperance lecturer as "a
! arrogant, conceited, vulgar and scurrilou
old humbug;;' and forthwith the Norm;
!. school people got up an indignation NEE
; ing, and pro .ested that this was an al
sault on temperance, Christianity an
!. civilization itself. Nothing but the fat
4 that Sinclair was canny Scot and
: Presbyterian to boot, prevented thel
!. from resolving that the whole thing WI
e q papistical attempt to overthrow frs
4 schools and uproot society.
I But enough for the present. We sha
). recur to this interesting subject agai
and again and until We have convince
!. Phelps that he cannot inaugurate reli
i ious war to .perpetuate his individu
a stealings.