Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1875-12-16
THEGREY NUNS.

THE GREY NUNS.
The Post, few days since, denied in
the most positive. manner that their
was any truth in the declaration put
forth by us that the Legislature ofNew
York had specially empowered the
graduates of the Grey Nun School to
have certificates to teach in the Public
Schools Of that State, just as though
they bad graduated from the State
Normal Schools, and challenged the
proof of our assertions. We bave
looked the matter up, both to fortify
our statements, and to inform our
readers of the full scope Of the facts.
The Roman two daily Catholic organs
in this city, the Dispatch and Post,
have been free in their denials that
there was anything in the declaration
that the Democratic party and Catholic
Church were joined for the destruction
Of our school system. The law in ques-
tion passed the New York Slate Legis-
lature, and received the approval Of
Governor Tilden May Is, 1875, in the
rush and whirl of the closing days of
the session. That it had in it elements
of wrong is shown by the time thus
selected for its passage. Governor
Tilden, without consulting the Super
intendent OF Public Instruction, signed
j.. 1t is now part of the legal code of
the State, by which a certain Roman
Catholi Sisterhood is constituted State
agency, with large and valuable fran
chises in respect to the Public Schools:
We give the essential parts of the act :.
CHAPTER 353. An Act to amend 324
of the Laws of 1874, entitled An Act
to incorporate The Sisterhood of Grey
Nuns ia the State of New York"
Passed, May Is, 1875.
SECTION /. Chapter 324 Of the Laws
Of 1871, entitled: San Act to incOr-
porate The Sisterhood of Grey Nuns in
the State of New York." passed April
6. 1871, Is hereby amended by adding
thereto as follows:
SEC. The said corporation is here
by authorized to grant diplomas and
honorary Testimonials, in such form and
under such regulations as its Board Of
Trustees may determine, to any person
who shall have or may hereafter be
graduated AT ANY SEMINARY of learn
ing of said corporation located within
this State; and ANY GRADUATE to
whom a diploma may be awarded may
Ia nr
of, in the Department OF the Public In
Public instruction may thereupon, In
his discretion, issue certificate to the
effect that such graduate is QUALIFI-
ED TEACHER of the common schools Of
this State.
SEC. s. This act shall take effect i'm
mediately.
Here It will be seen that this corpor-
alton is authorized to grant diplomas to
whom 1t may choose, and upon what
conditions it may please and if it shall
please to do so entirely regardless OF
any literary or other qualifications,
there is no power to prevent.
And yet these diplomas are to he
used instead Of any other as full legal
certifcation Of the holders fitness for
s'teacher in the common schools ol
this State" This law was prepared by
somebody, and it was incorporated into
the act Of which it forms a part by
some member Of the Legislature, with
a knowledge Of what it was for. As.
sume that most of the members of the
Legislature did not comprehend it
owing to the hast with which it was
passed, the law also bears the signature
of Gov. Tilden, for whom the plea Of
haste cannot be made. Why did he
sign such law? Was in part of the
price he was to pay for favors received:
or deposite to be drawn upon In the
future? The New York Observer says
of this law:
"If we are asked why this special
privilege is conferred upon the gradu.
ates of the Grey Nunneries, we have
the answer ready, for it requires nc
great amount of astrteness to discover
It: 1. These graduates could not pass
an ordinary examination in the studies
required to fit them for the prinsi BAL
ship OF public school. 2. 1t brings all
the Grey Nun schools in the State di
rectly into conflict with the norma
schools; 80 that, il q young woman
wishes to be teacher, she is told, You
need not go TO the normal school; come
to US, we will give you certificate
and you can then teach in any com.
mon school of the State; and, 3, it en-,
ables the Grey Nuns, that is, the Rom
ish priests, to food the country with
women from the nunneries to teach
the public schools, and thus to make
silly girls into devotees of the Church
OF kome. These are the obvious rea
sons why special legislation was obtain
Ell to enable the Roman Catholic
Church to fuist its members upon the
schools of the State, when no Other
sects ask for such special indulgence
and no other seets could, by any posi-
bility, obtain it, II they should ask fol
it's
We probably would not have beer
at the pains to collate these facts but
for the irppudent challenge of the Post
But having done il, we submit that
we have a stronger case than we ex.
pected to make. The law thus enacted
is painfully suggestive. 1t shows that
no laws, constitutional provisions, OF
rights Of others are to be respected II
they stand in the way of this onslaught
on our public school system. What