St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-10-16
CLEVELAND INDICATED.
The Truth About the Liberty of WOr-
ship Bill
Told by Leading Catholic of New York
State.
Boston Pilot.1

Boston Pilot.
The following important letter, which set
| ties forever the charge that Governor Cleve-
land opposed the freedom of worship BILL
has been sent to the Plot by the Hon. Chas.
Tracey, of Albany, a man whose position,
character or religious earnestness cannot be
questioned. To the Catholics of New York
state it is not necessary to endorse General
Tracey; but in this letter to the Pilot he
! speaks to the Catholics of the whole United
States, who have been informed publicly and
! secretly, that Governor Cleveland was a
bigot, and a man adverse to freedom Of re-
| ligion for Catholics
The Hon. Charles Tracey was the first
! secretary of the Catholic Union in New York,
and with the personal encouragement Of
Cardinal McCloskey was active in the forma-
ton of Catholic Unions elsewhere. He was
a member of the Papal Zouaves, and was
made prisoner at the taking of Rome; for
this service the Holy Father decorated him
with the cross of St. Gregory the Great. He
was member Of Governor Tilden's staff,
and was commissary-general of subsistence
OF New York State during Gov. Robinson's
| term.
Without further preface, we give General
Tracey's letters:-
! GOV. CLEvELAND's LIBERTY OF WORSHIP BILL.
Editor of the Pilot:-In company with
other Catholic men have devoted consid-
cradle time to making an investigation
respecting the treatment Of the freedom of wor-
ship bill in the New York state legislature of
! 'S3. We called upon a number of competent
and reliable persons, who gave information
! on the subject. In almost every instance
our informants, whether clergymen or lay
men, evinced great anxiety to be spared the
| disagreeable experience of having their
names dragged into print in connection with
d matter which has already subjected worthy
| gentlemen to unmerited abuse. After hav-
ing made all necessary inquiries, the conclu-
sion we arrived at, l am happy to be able to
state, on my word of honor, was that Gov.
Cleveland took no steps, either directly or
| indirectly, in favor of or against the passage
of the bill. All statements to the contrary
are incorrect, being made by persons who
wilfully mistake facts, or who have been
misled by false reports.
We learned that the bill, just passed the
senate, was being considered in the assem-
bly, committee when a member of the legis-
/
stated what in his opinion the managers of
| the Randall island refuge would be called
upon to concede VIXEN the bill became law
The counsel of the house of refuge, who was
| opposing the bill, here interposed, and said
he looked upon this demand as reasonable,
! and it might be regarded as an olive branch
! extended 10 the interests he represented
| lnasmuch as the object the friends of the
bill wished to attain was mainly to obtain a
change in the rules of this institution, a
feeling sprang up that there might be no ne
cessity for passinga general law. 1t was
determined to endeavor to effect compro-
mise. At a conference held in New York
soon after, at which there were present
prominent Catholics, member of
the assembly committee and two managers
of the house of refuge, distinct statement
was made Of what the Catholic authorities
demanded. Immediately thereafter spe-
cial meeting of the managers of the house of
| refuge was called.
At this meeting resolution to grant the
concessions was defeated, and one of the
managers was deputed to inform the Cath
Ole authorities of that action; but, through
some misunderstanding, the manager thus
deputed failed to deliver the message. It
has been alleged that the managers did not
act in good faith. They assert, however,
that they had hoped TO make concessions,
but found the demands different from their
! expectations. At all events, there is no
! doubt that the progress of the bill was much
delayed by the representatives of the board
! holding out hope Of concessions in the ref
uge to our people, and afterwards failing to
announce promptly the decision of the
managers.
After this delay, all efforts to get the bill
! before the assembly failed. Members of the
| legislature state that this was not due to any
underhand work, but that toward the close
of the session assemblymen having bills in
charge do not look with favor on effolts to
advance other bills out of their regular order
| 1t was stated to Us also that prominent Cath
| olics had given expression TO doubts as to
! whether Catholic interests called for the
! passage Of this bill. All practical Catholics
/ will of course agree that the Catholic children
| in the Randall island house of refuge
should be given proper facilities for hearing
/ mass and receiving the sacraments, and all
are in duty bound TO protest against the
present system.
! 1t is well, however, to call the attention Of
our readers to the freedom OF worship bill
in the form it was presented to the legisla-
/ ture. 1t is as follows:
THE FREEDOM OF WORSHIP BILL.
AN ACT
TO SECURE INMATES OF INSTITUTIONS roR
THE CARE OF THE POOR FREEDOM
OF WORSHIP.
The people Of The State Of ye1c York reprsse,ltef
IN Se,,Gte and assembly do enact as tollolrs:
! Sec. l. The free exercise and enjoyment
I OF religious profession and worship, without
! discrimination or preference, shall be allowed
to all persons in the next section of this Act
mentioned
See p It shall be the duty Of the man
/ ayers OF every house of refuge or society for
the reformation OF juvenile delinuuents. or
I protectory, and of every institution for the
support of the poor receiving public aid, ex-
/ cept asylums for the insane, to permit at
reasonable hours the inmates thereof TO be
visited by clergymen of the denomination to
which they, or, if infants, their parents, be-
I long, and the religious services of such de-
/ nomination to be had according to its rules
/ and discipline, and to afford ali proper facil-
tiles for such visits and services, but without
expense 70 the managers thereof, and sub
/ iect TO such reasonable regulations as they
/ shall prescribe.
/ Fec. 3. This act shall apply to all such in
/ situations as care for persons who would
otherwise become charge upon their re-
! spectiye counties, as bind fOndlings and
orphans, and also TO the institutions to which
/ prostitutes, or fallen women, OF juvenile de-
/ linguents, may be committed, or in which
I they may be cared for.
! See. 1. This act shall take effect on the
first day of July, eighteen hundred and
/ eighty-three.
Many earnest Catholic lsymen and not .
/ few of our clergy have talked much about
| this bill Without having read il Would it