Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-10-13
WHOLE NO. 5s4.
TILDEN AND sECTARIAN APPRO-
PRIATIONS.

TlhDEN ANP PPRffATIoNs. fETuAKslAN ArfHo
His Opposition to the Attempt to Save
Our Public School System-A Warning
to the Friends Of Free Schools through
out the Union.
New York Times, Sept. 20.
The attempt of the Democratic
party, under the lead of Tweed in
the Senate and Tilden as Chairman
of the Democratic State Committee,
to break up our public schools by es-
tablishlng a system Of parochial
schools under the management of the
Romish priesthood, and the support
of these schools from the public
treasury had, by Jan. /, 1870, under
various statutes, obtained such a
headway that more than $25o,0oO a
year was taken out of the treasury Of
the city of New York alone, ,and paid
over to converts, parochial schools
and other sectarian institutions. One
of these laws, known as the tenth
section of the tax levy, imposed for
that purpose an annual tax Of some
s25O,ooo upon the City of New York,
and appropriated the money exclu-
sively for the support of parochial
and other schools that were oppo-
nents of the free common schools
Petitions for the repeal of this tenth
section from every town in the state,
and having over 100000 signatures,
were sent to the Legislature in the
spring of 1860. Under the pressure
of this movement said tenth section
was repealed, but the repeal was not
to take effect until after the money
for 1869 had been distributed to the
parochial schools.
Soon after the Legislature met in
the winter Of 1870, various bills were
introduced under the egis of Tweed
to re-establish the appropriations to
parochial schools and sectarlan insli-
tutions, and also subvert the Board
of Education of the City of New
York, and make it mere political
machine, and also, by means of his
so-called 2 per cent tax levy scheme,
to enable the Ring to raise unlimited
millions in the city of New York
through taxation and sale of bonds
for Ring plunder. The last of March.
1871, it became clearly evident that
these measures would pass unless d
tremendous and non-partisan move
ment was made in the city of New
York to stop it. As the Legislature
in both branches and the Governor
were Democratic, it was absolutely
essential to success that the move
ment in New York city against these
Ring measures should be made by
leading Democrats as well as leading
Republicans. A public meeting at
the Cooper Institute, on the evening
Of April 9th, 1871, was decided upon
and the committee having the matter
in charge were instructed to invite
Mr.. Tilden, the Chairman of the
Democratic State Committee, to pre-
side at the meeting. He was called
upon at his Office, No. u, Wall street,
the above measures and their prog
ress at Albany were explained to him,
and the object of the public meeting
and the necessity of having it pre-
sided over by leading Democrat in
order to insure any success against
the Ring In Democratic Legislature
were stated. The attempt to destroy
the public schools through building
up parochial schools with public
money was especially dwelt upon, as
well as the great importance to the
success of the movement of Mr.. Til
den's presiding. He listened atten-
lively to the statements ,and answered
by saying verypolitely but decidedly,
that he could not preside at the
meeting, or take any, part in the
movement. He was then asked ifhe
would allow his name to be used as
one of the Vice Presidents of the
meeting, but he declined to allow his
name to be used in any way in con-
nection with it.
The late William F. Havemeyer
was then called upon by the commit
tee, who found him in the office of
the Pennsylvania Coal Company, of
which he was President, and the OBJ
jects of the meeting, and the necessi-
ty of having Democratic presiding
officer, were explained to him in
terms similar to those used to Mr..
Tilden. Mr.. Havemeyer wanted to
know why the committee called up
on him. He was told because he
was lifelong Democrat, and well
known to the people of the city and
state. He replied that the proper
man to preside at that meeting was
Mr.. Tilden. The committee then in
formed him that they had called up
on Mr.. Tilden, and he had refused to
have anything to do with the move
ment. At this remark Mr.. Havemey-
er threw up his head with a ''humph," :"
and said, che does, does he?" eyes,
the committee remarked, "and even
refused to allow the use of his name
as one of the Vice Presidents" Mr..
Havemeyer then said; 81 am opposed
to sectarian appropriations of public
money. am in favor of the CON-
mon schools, and 1 am opposed to
the whole schedule of Ring legisla-
ton at Albany, and l have no objec-
ton to going before the public and
saying so. l don't want any office,
and am not afraid of iniuring my
prospects" The Cooper Institute
was crowded to overflowipg that eve
ming. Mr.. Havemeyer presided
There was long list of Vice Presi
dents and Secretaries, and the whole
proceedings with the resolutions and
speeches appeared in the Times of
April I, 1871. In view of this posi-
tive refusal of Mr.. Tilden in April,
1871, to take any step to oppose the
Tammany Ring and their infamous
measures to subvert our public
schools, and carry out their schemes
to plunder the treasury of the city of
New York, it was little cool in
him afterward to state on January %,
! 1871, in public letter published by
himself, that, sit is wholly untrue
that at any moment l was timid or
selfshly reserved,or shrank from any
responsibility" It is entirely clear
that in April, as in September, 1871,