Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-09-08
MR.. wrseERrsR RESPONDS.
CONTINUED from First Page.

tackled. If our Board of Education should
rise to the level of such public re6uke, 1
wonder would he say that they were in
fiuenced by "Jesuits." Who knows?
Should he 80 say, he would be merely con-
s;steut with himself, for their action would
be Just as much influenced by Jesuits az
was that of the Boston Protestants. How
much is thatp Why, not at all!
Mr.. Dryden, in to-day's communication,
pretends to give an instance in which "the
Catholic eatechism il openly taught in the
public schools in defiance Of law, while re-
hgious instruction is given by the priests
either at the opening or closing Of the
schools" The general public, knowing
Mr.. Dryden's peculiar regard for thu truth,
or his recklessness. if you like it better,
will with me be 10th to believe, on bis au-
thority only, that the facts ID the case are
az he gives them, or that he gives all the
vital facts, and is not adopting the top. not,
come down" fashion. But land / write
what follows in cold blood and weighing
every word) if it should happen TO be 3
fact that any Catholic teacher in any
public school, while being the paid
servant of the people with the
duty of teaching secular knowledge
only, should, in defiance OF law, teach the
Catholic catechism to his or her pupils,
then say unequiyocally-and every good
Catholic, priest or layman, or Jesuit, will
say with me-tbat the course Of that
teacher is most dishonest and inexcusable,
and that such q teacher has shown him
self or herself unworthy Of any position OF
trust or decency. And now ask the Rev.
Mr.. Dryden will he be as honest AZ / am,
and say to the public that to his mind also
the Boston Protestant teacher, who did
the very dishonesty OF which am sup
posing the Catholic teacher culpable.
has been guilty of an indecency which
rendered just the action of the Protestant
School Board of Boston in suspendiDg him?
There are those to whom have spoken on
this matter who are unwilling to believe as
| do that the Rev. Mr.. Dryden is capable
of this act of common, honest justice. 1t
rests now with him to chow the public
should he change his mind and deign to
answer this) whether / am right or not in
thinking him an honest man who has
learned to justice to do even Catholics, no
matter how humiliating it is to himself.
Mr.. Editor, all friends Of Prof. Ander-
son an 1 the School Commissioners would be
glad to believe that they are not responsible
TOR the fact that the First ward public
school has been dedicated to sectarianism
and resurrected knownothingism. 1t would
seem, however, that those, whoever they
are, through whom the Rev. Mr.. ID. was
given a place on the dedicating pro-
gramme should have forseen his inability
to make public address even in so sacred
place, without attacking goOdly
portion OF his fellow. citizens in
the community, whose rights there,
are no less than his. 1t is to be hoped
that the silence of any Of those public
promoters of education who happened to
be present when the dedicatory address
compensated for by their desire to give a
more public rebuke than could there be
given to this Reverend person who so far
forgot the rights of his Roman Catholic
| fellow-citizens before the law, and the
duty which every man owes to gentle
manly propriety, as to make in building
which belongs to Catholics, Jews and
Protestants alike, an address whose only
place was his meeting house and pulpit.
Let me say here incidentally that Mr.
Dryden dares to say that ito be loyal TO
the Church of Rome is to be dislOyal to
the Republic" Mr. Editor, wish, rs a
loyal American who loves my native coun-
try best after God and my conscience to
say that this assertion is an uutruth so
foul that the only term know which can
fifty characterize it is unwOrth a place in
your columns.
Now, to the question concerning indul-
gences. The passage in Swinton's History,
quoted by Mr. D., would lead the student
to believe that the Catholic Church taught,
as Mr. Travis persisted in saying it teaches,
that indulgences are Licenses to commit
sin" and "pardons of guilt" The CathO-
lie Church-Mr. Dryden persists in nick
naming our religion ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
no such doctrine; and 10 one. using hon.
es. means, can give her teaching even n
semblance to this teaching. Let au honest
Protestant clergyman, who, be says, believee
in fair play for everybody, speak for MS
against Mr.. Swinton, Mr.. Travis and Mr.
Dryden. The Rev. Robert Court, d. D., a
Protestant minister, wrote paper for the
Morning Times of Lowell, Mass He be
gins thus: "What ia an indulgence?
Men who ought to know better have thus
defined il: A license granted, for money,
by Roman Catholic ecclesiastics, to people
who desire to commit sin, enabling them
to do 80 with impunity. In shorter
phrase, il is called leave to commit sin, 1"
Roman Catholic diyines deny this, but
still the false statement appears now and
again in print. Some one to convict mt
of fslsehood, sent me marked paper by
20 converted Catholic" siving substan-
tally the view stated above. In order to
vindicate myself and give information TO
such "a have been asking me in private
whether i was not in error, let me, from
my own limited resources, quote few
authorities, both Catholic and Protestant,
90 to the real doctrine concerning 10
dulgences" Here follows long array of
authorities which would take up too much
of your space TO be printed now, butwhich
I shall bold in readiness should the Occa-
sion come Ia demand their publication.
The Rev. DR.. Court ends his paper IN
this vice: Thus base coin, long in cir
culation, is nailed to the counter Of public
Judgment. The falsshood that man can
buy leave to commit a premeditated sin
will not lift its head in Lowell again, albeit
backed by clerical authority. Ministers
ought TO he ashamed to know 80 little Of
the teachings of Rome. Why, Curry was
lately discovery to Joseph Cook. Some
leaders in controversy have never seen
copy OF the Fridentine canons Pro-
fessors Of controversy, save the mark !!
Wandering stars-converted Catholics and
the like have often found grossly ignor-
ant of the authoritative textbooks OF the
Roman Church. Fair play, gentlemen.
Even the devil has his rights. Michael
would not bring a railing accusation
against even so bad an opponent. / do
not believe in the power claimed by the
Church of Rome. but that is no reason Why
l should lie against it, or lecture against
1t, without taking the trouble to know
what it really does claim"
remain, Mr.. Editor, yours, etc,
CHARLES A. WRGERTBR.
A Parallel Case.