Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-09-07
REV. DRYDEN RESPONDS


To Mr.. wingerter's Communication In
y Wednesdays Register.
To the Editor Of he Rsgsster:
sIR:-With your permission, desire TO
reply to the unjust criticisms and false
charges that appeared in your columns Of
the 9Th inst. over the name Of Charles A.
wingerter. Mr.. Wingerter in criticising
my address delivered at the dedication OF
the Washington District School building
of this city, on the afternoon Of Monday,
the Bird, asserts that / went out of my way
to make what, he Is pleased to term an
''ill-natured fling ct Catholicity, and in
Inmates that my remarks on Ultramontan-
ism and its unfrienily relation to our pub
lie schools were but perversion OF the
truth. Moreover, he assures his readers
that il was not in thespirit Of controversy
that he wrote but in the interest of truth.
do not question the gentlemsn's motive
in this matter, and certainly he need have
no fears of my discussing with him TINS
question, or any other question OF import
ance. i have neither tine time nor the dis-
position to enter into controversy with
an obscure Catholic layman whose only
qualification is his blind devotion and
towering selfconceit. have no smmunl'
ton to waste on such game.
do not write this because regard the
statements of that gentleman as worthy OF
special recognition, but because the ques-
| ton before rs is one of supreme import
ance and the present condition Of affairs
should be brought to public notice. In
nv address, l used once, the word ultra
montanism, which Mr.. Wingerter says is
used only by "the meaner sort of the
Catholic Church's opponents" MIR. Web
ster says, in speaking Of the use OF TINS
term in respect to religious matters, that 1t
expresses the principles Of such as main
tain extreme views as to the rope
supremacy, and such views are held and
taught to-day by the Romish Church ID
America. In proof Of this, quote here
the words of Cardinal McCloskey. He
says "They 1.-THE Catholics of the United
States) are as strongly devoted to the sus-
tenance and maintenance Of the temporal
power of the Holy Father as Catholics IN
any part of the world; and if it should be
necessary to prove it by acts, they are
ready to do so " In q sermon, preached
by Cardinal Manning, the following SEN
fences were put in the mouth Of the Pope:
II acknowledge no civil power, I am the
subject of no prince; and claim
more than this. l claim to be the
supreme judge and director OF
the cOnscieDces Of mtn; OF the
peasant that tills the fields, and OF the
prince that sits upon the throne; of the
household that lives in the shade Of privacy,
and the legislators that make laws for
Kingdoms; ! am the sole, last supreme
Judge of what is right and wrong" This
is the doctrine of the Roman Catholic
Church, and this is, according to Webster,
INSTRUMENTATION" Aud Leon Bouland,
in an article entitled "Romanism and the
Republic" and published in the July
number of "The Forum" says: II do not
like the role of an alarmist, but believe
see danger ahead, and am willing to ex.
pose myself to some ridicule in the hope OF
arousiug my tellow-citizens to sense OF
the danger which, as / believe, threatens
the American Nation from the Roman
Church" Behold, he continues, the In
Vulnerable churches, cathedrals, monas-
tsries, nuueries, seniDaries, colleges and
universities which cover the American
continent from East to West, and from
North to South" 'See the army OF priests,
bishops, archbishops and cardinals, all
thoroughly trained, under the most perfect
discipline, and swearing implicit obedience
Ito the Constitution of the American
Republic? No. Swearing obedience,
in all things temporal ard spirit
ual, to an Italian pontiff, who Lives
in Rome and issues his orders from the
Vatican" Such has been the growth OF
this system among us, that we are now be-
ginning to understand the words OF that
eminent French Catholic, Lafayette, who
said: ''If the liberties of the American
people are ever destroyed, it will be by the
hands of the Roman clergy" In my adj
dress, to which Mr.. Wingerter takes ex'
ceptiops, called attention to some of the
dangers which threaten our free school sys'
TEN, and as chief among these l mention
ed ''ultramontanism." But Mr.. Winger.
ter informs the public that in this matter
/ was trying to deceive the people. l re-
neat, again Romanism is the sworn enemy
of our public school system and is trying
!, in every possible way to accomplish Its
overthrow The purpose of our free schools
is to make good citizens, citizens who will
obey the laws and remain loyal to the gov
eminent. The purpose of Catholic schools
is to make subjects who will remain Loyal
to the Romish Church. And to be loyal
to the Church of Rome is to be disloyal to
the republic. What does the Pope of Rome
care for the blessings of American liberty,
or American citizenship? He claims abso-
lutte and supreme authority in all things
temporal as we'll as spiritual, and everyone
who has sworn allegiance to the Pope,
whatever may be his private or personal
feelings as an American citizen is bound
by his oath to support this "Ultramontsne
system" as against the State. This they
may deny, but is true nevertheless. The
orders have gone forth from the Vatican
and the war upon our free schools has be-
gun. The attitude Of this system to our
! schools is not only one of non-spproval
but of decided hostility. Says Pspal
Encyclical: "XLVII-Public schools open
to all children for the education of the
young should he under the control of the
Romish Church, and should not be subject
to the civil power, nor made to conform to
| the opinions OF tue age. Gays the Cln-
einusti Catholic Telegraph: ut will be a
glorious day for the Catholics in this coun-
try when, under the blows of justice and
morality, our school system will be SILVER
ed to pieces" And wherever they have
the power in this country they are trying
to curtail the efficiency and development
of the public schools so as to fill the sec
tartan schools with the children for whom
the public schools have no provision. At
Barton, Wis, the Roman Catholics
attended the annual meeting en-
masse and passed resolution
that no public school should be maintained
for q year. At Melrose MINI, the priests
succeeded In getting the public school
year shortened, thus giving the parents the
option of letting the children remain idle
or sending them to the Rnmauist's schools
And in Stearns county, MIMI, the Cath
Ollie cstechism is openly taught in the pub
lie schools in defiance of Law, while re!ig-
ious instruction is given by the priests
either at the opening or closing of the
schools. These are certainly startling
facts and must convince the most apathetic
that very serious danger mensces the
system of which the nation is justly proud,