Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-02-17

Mr.. Guy oupOs'i the apI rppriatiOn. sayir.
that he believed thlf there WAS not minister
I'm the city who would NOS ori'iafe FREQ ot charge
on funerals 81 parties OF Dis denomination. He
would guarantee 10 as far as Li, lthc MethoiisQ
/ Church WAS concerned.
The appropriation of $500 was male
Io Tho Ldiior ofHe Dispolch:
Your report Of my remarks in the
Council last night in opposition to the
above item in tine hddcct makes me soy
THAT he ~ believed thai there was not
a minister in the city 1ho would not
oiliciatc free of charge at funerals of
parties OF his ,my) denomination. Ho
would guarantee 1t as far ms bis dhe
McthoAisD Church was concerned" " In
reporting the gst OF a great mass Of
/ discussion and debate (5e,s.ou from I
/ TIL 1880 last nighU I can fully appre-
ciate a reporters difficulty and am not
a; all surprised at an iuaccuacy whon
see that q ten-minutes' speech is com
pressed into a space of seven hues IN
your paper, and l ANA far from making
any complaint OF the courteous repre-
sentative of your paper VINO occupies a
seat at our reporters table.
What / did say, if you Will permit me,
WAS this: After giving at some lon1;h
the ground of my opposition TO the mea-
sure, / said that did not believe that
there was q minister of any Oi the evan
gelical churches III the cIty who would
refuse, if called on in any appropriate
case, 10 olliciate at the burial OF one who
has been 50 unfortunate as to have lived
hi, last days and hours in the almshouse.
that felt that | couid and would under
take to guarantee that the ministers of
my (the Methodist denomination would
do sO.
Ny opposition TO the proposition that
the city shall have an Oaiccr to bee known
as " chaplain of the almshouse was, il
you viii indulge me to say tundamen-
tai not that beglUdged the compare
lively small appropriation nor TINT was
lacking in a sympathetic appreciation OF
the picture presented of the pIuptr
being consigned to his mother earth
"unhonored and unyung, without the
deccncy. as il is described, Of Christian
burial But 1t was because the almshousc
was a government institution, supported
by the taxes paid 10y alI the various pcO-
pie of this city, who in their aggregate
represent q variety of religious belief ;
and the city, whose municipal control
for the time being may happen 70 be Of "a
particular fmth IN its majority, has no
right TO put a man Of that faith in pO-
sition Of influence and pay aul
tax the others TO pay for it,.
| believed in absolute separation OF
Church and State, aud claimed that
all our institutions were founded on it
both State and Federal and ] DO not
believe that to-day there IS right in this
land OF liberty more cherished than reh-
gious liberation and freedom that the
same necessity that would call for the
employment of a chaplain at the aims
house would demand one for the proper
religious training OF the thousands Of
children in the several public schools Of
the city. look upon the scheme as en-
tirely at variance with the genius Of oar
institutions.
Our ancestors enacted more than a
hundred years ago "that 70 compel a
man TO furnish contributions Of money
for the propagation OF opinions which he
disbelicyes is sinful and tyranuical ;
that no man shall be compelled to fire.
quent or support any religious worship,
place, OF ministry whatsoever, dc. And
such laws have never been repealed.
Respectfully, JACKSON Cry.
February -, 1883.