The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1876-04-02
Purltans In Politics.

natural outgrowth of Puritanism. On thu
contrary, it rather rejoices in the fact, /
! fact it be, and branches off into an eulo
gium of Puritan civilization. The Pari
tans it claims to have been "pioneeri
of civil and religious liberty in this coun-
try, the promoters of better civilization,
education by free schools -
We are not sure that this is intended to
be funny, but bave to suppose so in charity.
1t would be very harsh in us to take the
RepublicaR as in earnest in such monstrous
absurdities. Pioneers of religious liberty
The men who burned witches and Quakers,
who expelled fellow Protestants of other
sects, and fettered the consciences of their
own brethren by the most impertinent,
domineering, aggressive religious legisla-
tion ever known, called the blue laws !!
Why, SO far as religious liberty was con
cerned, they were a race of serpents, for
when they were invited into Maryland and
welcomed there by the Catholics who really
established religious federation on this con-
tinent, they schemed until they obtained
political power in that colony and i'm
'AASNASS'y eSSN eh"o PS"SA w PAOSSiioo 0hu
persecute the hospitable hosts who had
given them shelter when flying from the
fanatical rage of their fellow Puritans.
Better civilization and free schools
That will do at a distance, but what do
their own statistics show In Massachu-
setts the last report of the Board of State
Charities contains the following paragraph:
nafa cd
doubled since the close of the civil war, while
undeteoted and unpunished crimes have in
creased at least as fast. There is
hardly State in the Union, or country in
the civilized world, where atrocious and fa-
grant crime is SO common as in Massachu-
setts."
Recently, Gen. Chamberlain, warden of
the Massachusetts State Prison, testified on
oath to the effect that there was in the city
of Boston regularly organized society of
criminals, with President, Vice President,
Secretary and Treasurer. Speaking of
this society the Boston Post says:
at is indeed matter for serious apprehen.
sion when crime has 30 far gained on the COM
munity as to defy it with regular organize
tion, secret though it may be. There must
have been prevalent laxity of the public SEN
timent previous to the taking of this signif.
can't step by criminals, and, in fact, inviting
We doubt not that the Republican will
recognize the Chicago Tribune as of the
true fold, and, indeed, mighty leader in
the Radical camp. Well, in a recent
number, now lying before US, that paper
speaks very plainly of the atrocities and
lnfamies recently brought to light as ex-
listing in the Massachusetts STATE Aims.
uOQEe. l.as mo - |
were admitted to tie establishment at va ,
rlous times, with an average of 900 {
inmates all the time. OF these, 325 died in
the course of'the year, there being no con
taglous diseases among them. The other
developments were of too gross a character ]
to be here explained. The Tribune con-
cludes thus:
lightened Common wealth of Massachusetts
suggests that there is something radically
wrong In the organization of the great public
81 cHnarities, and that one of the metest works for
the time ls their reorganization on such plan
That they will not in fact be great public nui-
sances and crimes.
The Republican says that in the New
kngland States campaigns are not con-
1ucted with shot guns, but the Mass4chu.
~ ,
5 hardly State in the Union
where atrocious and fagrant crime is so
common as in Massachusetts,.
We Confess" says our neighbor, .'to an
'bidpg faith i'll New England.
'uri'anism is cold ard sober, but it is ,
lealthy." Common report does not sustain
he assertion us to sohliety, and as to integri !
y and moral health, here is some pertinent
estimony taken from the columns of the
\. y. Herald Published several days before
he late election in New Hampshire
One wonders whether al this talk of buying
iotes and vo'crs which he Leais unblushinplv
epeated on every hand is not after all. o6ly I
'aik, notwithstanding the people at the Demo
'ratc headquarters here declared that ten pcr
G"t o. me roters Of Netc Hdmprhire are purchdsa-
''e. Such condition of public and political
morality never entered into the Utopian
ireams of philosophers anywhere, and vet am
afraid that S000 to 10 600 of the SO 600 states .
men OF the granite hills annually sell their
Iotee for money. If they do not, all | have TO &
ay is that the people of this State 90 to
great deal of trouble to give themselves bad
lame. O"u