The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1877-01-19
Hands on! Equality for all
No Legislation Ina favor of
Sects OF Creedse

Hands OF! Equality for all .
No Legislation Ina favor of
Sects Or Cree1ss
From the E Crook Ign Union, Nov p, 1876.
The New York press have re-
Gently called attention TO the action
of the New York board of alder
men in passing over the mayors
veto q resolution ordering the city
TO pay for sewer connection Justly
chargeabie to the new Roman Cath
Ollie church. | do not think the
Times, or any one else, should feel
the least surprised at the subserv-
ieney of the party that to-day rules
New York to the will of their Rlas-
ter, who so suthoritatively says to
one, 600, and he goeth, aud to an
other, come, aud he cometh." But
if, as the Times says, ''the public
mind is getting more sensitive on
this question:" then it is one of the
most encouraging signs of the
times. For it is high time that pub
lie attention should be directed to
this subject. Have we in Brooklyn
clean record on this question
Have we not bent our shoulders to
receive the heavy burdens which
Z" Mother Church knows Sc well
how TO lay on them?
If the men and women of Brook
lyn who still revere the memory of
Calvin, Luther, Melancthon, Ridley,
Latimer, Cranmer, and all those
martyrs who, in dungeon, or on bat
tie fields, have yielded up their
lives for freedom of conscience,
should be told of the grants and
privileges which the city of Brook
Ign, in its municipal capacity, has
given to the Romish church, every
tongue would cry, "Shamei" and
every eye would flash with fire.
When these reverend gentlemen of
the Romish church come to the
American people and plead for
special favors, we should ask them
the meaning of these words of their
archbishop of st. Louis: elf the
Catholics eyer gain - which they
surely will at no distant day-an
immense numerical majority, relig-
ious liberty is at an end" Now it
seems to me TO give grants and fa-
vors to q powerful organization
whose Intentions are SO boldly, so
defiantly declared to be to destroy
every vestige of religious freedom
in AmericS, is like barring our own
Threats to the knife Of the assassin.
But if the American people are get
ting sensitive on this question, then
we may well know that they still
hold to the traditions of the Faith
ers," and that the enactment will
surely be passed and enforced, s'that
no grants shall be made by the State
to any religious organization what
soever. Equality for ali before the
law! The church Or ecclesiastical
organization that cannot support
itself by voluntary contributions,
should pass away, as not being fit
ted to the needs and wants of the
present hour"
Congress shall make no law re-
speeding an establishment of relig-
ion" This glorious enactment, this
charter of our religious freedom, is
in principle violated every time a
special privilege is granted to any
religious sect, be it Roman Catholic
ism or Brigham Young's Mormon
ism. But l shall be told ''this is not
fit subject for discussion" at is
religious question and should be
kept out of the secular press" s'This
is a liberal age, and the Catholic
church is no longer what it was in
the fifteenth century," Those who
say these words know very little Of
Catholic periodical literature. Let
them glances occasionally at the
Freeman's Journal, the Boston Pi.
lot, the Catholic Review, the Sun.
day Democrat, ETC., and they will
find what they intend TO do when
they get the power so plainly sci
forth that he who runs may read.
"There is ere long to be a State re-
ligion in this country, and that State
religion is to be Roman Catholic
These are the words of Father
Hecker. This summer I saw some
boys playing in vacant lot, near
where | am new writing. One OF
the Christian brothers that teach al
st. Johns college, who was passing,
called to some of them, and l heard
him say, as they approached: go
home; you know you are forbidden
TO play with heretics." Our public
oAO ADS VIAL tIGO O1 IGC re-
public. They tend to make the
scholars home gorgeous. There is
no religious strife or contention, no
unkindly feeling between the boy
or girl that attends on Sunday the
Methodist or Baptist church. But
when one class of our children are
educated apart by themselves, ell
exclusive of one religious faith, and
kept apart from those of a different
one; taught to believe all that think
differently from them are heretics /;
taught history and philosophy by
the light of their own church-let
me ask if this is a right and proper
training for the future American
citizen? And it is in support of
such schools that the cry goes up
for ga division of the school fund !"
Never! Let the voice of the Amer
lean people be engraved in consti-
tutional law. 'sNo grant shall be
made or given by the State to any
religious organization whatever"
w. WALCoTr.