Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-09-08
WHEFIING W va MORNING, SEPTEMBER {, 1888
MIR. wINaKRTRR RESPONDS

MIR. wINGKRTRR RESPONDS
To Rev. Drydsn's Communication In Fri.
| days Register.
10 the Editor efAe Register:
SIR:-The Rev. Mr.. Dryden this morn
ing takes up about column and half Of
your space with o communication In
which he makes o general charge, if
understand him rightly, that the Catholic
Church is opposed to free school system.
desire to say here ~ plainly % know
| how that the Catholics in the United
States are not opposed to free school sys-
tenn. We do End fault with certain defects
in the public school system as il exists at
present amongst rs; but We are not opposed
to the public school system itself More
over, We show our sincerity by going down
in our pockets and supporting schools 10
which Catholic parents may consistently
send their children. It may be news to
some of your readers to learn that Gath
olics, in addition to paying their share Of
the public school taxes, support their own
schools which furnish moral. a. we'll % mere
intellectual education to 600, 900 pupils at
/ - -
hundred thousand, or Q million, but Of
nine million dollars per annum.
Mr.. Dryden pretends to quote passages
from Catholic sources in support of his o.
sertions, taking good care, however, after
the manner of his kind, to give no details
Of day and date. He makes one exception,
however, within the first forty lines. This
is in my own case. With my communica-
tion, suppose, before his eyes, he writes.
"In my address I used once the word ul-
tramontanism, which Mr.. Wingerter says
is only used by the meansr sort of the
Catholic Church's opponents" Mr.. Edi.
tor, this sentence contains an untruth.
What did say is this: that Mr.. d. ap-
piled to Catholicity that ill-nannered
nick name OF which the meaner sort Of the
Catholic Ohurch's opponents are 80 fond"
| never said or intimated that some Of the
less mean, or even some Of the honest, op'
ponents Of Catholicity are not also fond Of
it. This early example Of misquotation
will show the public how reckless and
careless Ito put it in the most charitable
light Mr.. ID. is even when he might avoid
mistakes by using his eyes. What won
der, then, that he should do Catholics 80
great injustice when he takes his citations
ut second hand, or from doubtful authori-
ties, or from those who are no authority at
ALP For example, his last straw" Du-
pin. For / think the public knows now,
in spite of all Mr.. DIS vain attempts to
disprove the fact, that Dupin is no moro
Catholic authority than the Rev. Mr.. Dry
den himself.
Mr.. Dryden disclaims all intent to enter
into controversy with me, because, III
understand him) am IAN obscure Cstho-
lie layman," and, therefore, o foeman un-
worthy of his steel. My ambition has
ever been TO be an honest American and
pure Christian gentleman. And may be
allowed to so far trangress propriety and
Christian humbleness as to remind Mr.. d.
that NO one has ever impugned my char.
acter as such. If in that capacity, am
game" too worthless for Mr.. DIS "am-
munition," the public may perhaps be sur
prised that the Rev. gentleman attributes
to me, instead of to himself,
the quality Towering self oonceit."
Let me say in my turn, as have before
said, that have no desire to take part in
a controversy. Surely not with any per-
son or persons whose soul object would
seem to be to win their point by fair means
OF foul. The public school question is .
most of our fellow-Americans are ignorant
of the real stand We take on the question,
and are also PR JUDGED against us owing to
Just such fanstical ranting rs that Of the big
ots in Boston and every other city, Wheel
ing included. However, no well instructed
Catholics will hesitate to discuss this or
any other Catholic question on the condi-
tions to which any honest msu ought to be
willing to submit, namely: that he and his
opponent take any one mooted point and
keep to it honestly; that they take their
authorities at first hand; that they garble
no quotations.; in fine, that they tronsgress
no law Of honest polemics, or, IL should be
added, of common logic. When l say
that these are the only conditions under
which l or any other honest man would
desire controversy, the public will un-
derstand why l expect none with the Rev.
Mr.. Dryden.
As said in my first card, my object 10
writing was simply TO call attention TO an
unfair narration Of the Boston school affair
which was published by word of mouth
last Monday afternoon in North Wheeling,
and reproduced in your columns Tuesday
morning. The narration was unfair, be.
cause il was after the top not come down"
fashion; because II omitted very important
facts, and insinustsd others which were
without foundation. The Rev. Mr.. Dry
den is careful to deny only one Of
the very important facts which l
brought forward, and which put
an aspect on the affair, entirely different
from that which he gave to his hearers.
He denies only that "the school board
threw ont the book because IL grossly mis-.
represented the Catholic doctrine OF indul-
gences;" and he tries TO prove his point by
extracts from whom, think your Dupin!
But of indulgences, more anon. The nara
ton was unfair for these reasons: Mr.. ID.
contained 6 majority Of Protestants-( lin
to-dsy's paper be even says-"The Roman
Catholics Of Boston threw ont the book ;
he omitted to state that the Protestant
clergyman on the Board voted to eject the
book, and suspend the teacher; and
that he (Mr. D. cannot prove thst the
4 Jesuits had anything TO do with the mat.
ter. The Rev. Mr.. Dryden's narration W.
unfair, also, because IL was calculated ID
leave his hearers under the impression
First, that the suspended Mr.. Travis va
q superintendent, and not q teacher, teach
ing lin defiance of lsw," and, Secondly,
that the demand of the ''rs6ned" and
"Eberty loving portion Of the community
was 90 we'll backed BY the honest and
broad. minded men Of the city that tn,
Board WIS obliged to sccede to IL. This h
not o fsct. Neither Mr.. Dryden nor any
one else can truthfully a.ert st this pre-
ent date that either the book has ben
again accepted by the Board, or the teach
or returned to his former position.
In his communication Of to-day tht
lRsv. Mr.. Dryden says 'the Boston School
Board, evidently under Catholic control,
threw out etc, etc. do not know why
be thus speaks Of the Protestant Board n
evidently under Catholic control. II b
means that IL must Be under Cstholit
control, for the rsason that IL did an Ac'
which was dictated BY common decencJ
and mere justice, then he psyss yery
high compliment TO Cstholicity, foe which
.l.-L k;ru. hnk hA al~o