The Irish standard., 1886-11-06
VOICE OF THE PEOPLE.

10 the Editor OF The Irish Standard.
DEAR S1R,--As Catholic education is Of such
importance to the individual and the public,
would respectfully ask you to give space in
your influential paper to- the following remarks
on r1e subject:
There has been for some time, there is at
present, and will be for some time, hence,
such agitation on capital and labor, and such q
general munditication of the body polite. that
Catholics have been, are, and are becoming
more amalgumated with the several reforipa-
tory societies, az to be fast losing their indi-
viduality and forgetting their own grievances,
which ere far more unjust and Migrant than
any other society or congregation i'll the
Union. The most remarkable and at the same
time the most destructive element in this inn
portant subject is the notorious fact that the
bulk of the Catholic people are willing to stand
by and see themselves robbed OF their money
by taxation (for taxation without an equivalent
return is simply legalized robbery: their chill
dren deprived of the professions and high Of
fees OF society for want of q substantial cdu-
cation according to their own conscience and
for which they pay sufficient stipend i'll taxa
ton; no matter whether they own property or
not, they consume taxable commodities and
themselves forced to educate their neighbo;'s
child Now, Mr.. Editor, what wish you would
impress on your readers and the public in gen.
eraI, that Catholics have not, nor ever had,
equal rights with their fclinw-citiZens; nor will
they until they take q determined stand and
declare by their numbers, their votes and their
intellectual capabilities that they must, snail,
and will alter the constitution, or rather per-
feet it, by inserting clnnse containing the
| Statutory provision that Catholics will hence
forth be educated according to the advice and
direction Of the Hierachy of the United States.
This is, indeed, u 1neritorious work for you or
any manufactor Of public: opinion to engage in
and it seems to the duty of those in such
positions to use their boundless influence in
sucil an important cause; for it. is indeed a
Cause which is immcasurably superior to any
other now advocated by you, Home Rule not
even excepted. You deserve nationa! rcpu-
tation for your able and disinterestcd efforts
in the advocacy of freedom for ireland. But
what is Ireland compared to the Catholic
Church--not worthy OF comparison. Now. you
see, Mr. Editor. this is cause which no mall or
| newspaper need be afraid to espouse, for it is
just one, potent one, and one that must
sooner or later revolutionize this country from
the Atlantic to The Pacific from which the pee.
Pile will arise with as loud Halleluiah as in
censed the horizon when the shackles fell from
millions of slaves. But our emancipation must
not be effected through the unnecessary loss CT
life and property, but must be achieved
through intellectual strength and moral in
tiucnces. together with constant assertion OF
Our inalienable right to educate our children rs
we choose.
For this purpose every town of any magni-
tude in the county should have society for
the compilation. publication AID dissemination
Of Catholic literature, that ii should be Catholic
not only in name but in reality. That it might
each the Catholics Of tho country that it is
their own fault ii they educate by their herd
earnings the non-Cetholjc child, who, when he
is educated will and dare taunt them and their
children with their ignorance. No We have
borne this state of things long enough Let
us assert ourselves! Let us declare we are
men, the peers, yes, even the superiors of any
in the universe, which we can be, if we make
use Of the graces and blessings and healthy
doctrines inculcated in the Catholic Church.
| Hoping, Mr.. Editor, you will publish this
| feeble appeal, and hoping you will give the
subject your personal consideration, and prom
! ising to trouble you again on The same subject,
when shall give some logical argument why
Catholicism should maintain in the United
States its lawful position as the educator of
youth. remain,
| Yours sincerely,
| P.J. MAHER.