Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-07-20
JUICE WHEELER is now holding specia
term of the United States Court 10 Rutland
Sectarlan BlgOlry.

LETTER FROM A CATnulII PRIEsT
| To the Editor of the Free Press ami HINES:
| The following letter will speak Tor Itself,
but perhaps needs few words of explana
ton. 1t has been my habit To distribute to
the children of the schools, in my visits aS
superintendent, illustrated paper Of moral
and religious tone, but entirely free from
anything of controversial character
| Knowing that there were children of Cath
olics in most of the schools. have examin-
ed the papers carefully to see that they con
tanned nothing against the Roman Catholic
| church. and laid aside one or two on account
ofa reference in them to Martin Luther.
Hearing few days ago that the priest in this
town had complained publicly to his people
that was distributing papers hostile to their
| church, wrote to him postal card, say
| ing. as kindly and courteously a. | could.
that il there had been in any of my papers
an attack upon the Catholic church, was
very sorry, and that 1t must, have been an
accident, a. had taken pains TO avoid put
ting into the schools anything that opposed
the Catholic church. 10 thiscard | received
the following reply. Il omit parts OF the let
ter because of t' length but this is the
substance OF it. in his own word~l:
My Dear Sir Il have received your postal
| card and have thought would give you an
answer. You say that it il only by an ac-
cldent that this paper fell into the hands of
one of our Catholic children. Well, |
would be very glad if | could believe that
it is 50. But all things considered | find
| that the accident has been repeated at least
twenty times in the same day. and in the
| same place and this accident was fully
caused by you. who came from your home
with bags full of papers, having the firm
purpose to find place for them. and hayin
come to school house You gave them with
your own hand to thirty children. twenty of
them being Catholics. II all this is purely
| accidental | am at a loss to known what an
| accident is. But you say that
| yourself find it uniair-mUre than that
sir, it IL hypOcriticll. un Just. IN
lawful. The constitution of this country
and the laws Of the State forbid anybody to
teach religion in school. Nobody has
right u distribute papers ul any kind, which
treat Of religion. will you please rcmem-
Der this hereafter and not ubligc me to take
the means that the laws put into our hands
| to defend the cOnsciences of our children.
| | like peace and don't want to hurt any
body, but am priest and priests are ap-
pointed by God to watch over the flock.
They know their duty and they feel that they
are bound by it and they will accomplish it
cost what it may When you let US and
our flock alone you will fni us simple as
doves but If like wolves You attack ~,
then like serpents we will defend ourselves
and the wounds We will make like that of
the serpent shall bo hard to heal
\. kEgLIpnu.
| y. S-Please, SIR. remember once III
while tho laws concerning the public schools
IN this country.
| This letter needs no comment. Ii seems
that papers of any kind winch treat of
religion" are opposed to the Roman Catho-
lie church and must not he qir,a To ang
schoidr an or SchoOLs, Pr1ieVdm ~ Cdihr-
hc uHdcr p,ndity Of The drH lar
trust 1t will be many long year before
the constitution oi the country, or the
laws oi the State" will contain amy such
provision ~ that Thank tod there Is no
such law now IN FREQ America.
&. e. loWKky,
Supt OF Schools IN Charlotte.