The Portland daily press., 1889-02-07
ELoQUENCE IN THE STATE HOUSE.
fcoNrINUED FROM FIRST pAoE.l


ICoNTINUED FROM FIRST PAGEl
street Baptist church in Portland; Rev. n.
T.IWhitaker, of Portland; Gen. ]. j. Perry,
of Portland; Hon. M. P. Emery and Bon.
A. A. Little, of the Board of Trustees; Rev.
Father Plante. Of Augusta; Rev. Father Nc
earthly, of Gardiner; Rev. Father Doherty
of Augusta; and Rev. I. p. Linehan, OF
Portland. -,t
Bishop Healy first addressed the commit
tee, and was listened to with marked and
courteous attention.
BISHOP HEALY's REMARKS. ~.
After apologizing for his presence in the
legislative hall. Bishop Healy explained
why he was there. 1.-THE requests of clergy
men, the repeated requests of parents and
my interest in the children of the Reform
School," said the Bishop, 'haye compelled me
during three years to make efforts in their
behalf with the trustees of the Reform
School. But finding by the recent report OF
1SSSsthat all had been In vain l feel obliged
to appeal to the justice of the legislature.
The immediate reason of the appeal will be
found in paper on the desks Of each mem.
Der of the legislature called the bylaws OF
the Reform School on Religion" and there.
fore this appearance is none OF my seeking
The Bishop began by declaring that he de-
plored the legislation which conveyed boys
Tor petty crimes TO prison Instead OF the
Bible punishment OF stripes. be gave his
experience In regard to Reform Schools, and
told of his visits with Geo. Il. Haskins of
Boston. founder of the Home of the Angel
Guardian, reformatory for boys. in 1854.
also In 1887 In visiting the Catholic Reform
Schools for boys in Ireland, England and
Belgium, also Of his connection with Father
Haskins In Boston. with the House of the
Angel Guardian and of his own experience in
founding the Temporary Home for Destitute
Catholic Children. From all this experience
the Bishop deducted two propositions. First
that religion Is the only influence
that can reform wayward boys or
girls. exterpate secret vices and make them
submissive to their lot whether in the school
or out OF 1t.
The second proposition was that the COM
monwealth cannot impose one particular
form OF religion where sects exist without
Infringing upon the sacred liberty of con-
science that the commonwealth has no vo-
cation or sufficient knowledge to make a
religion as can be seen by the bylaws of the
Reform School on religious service in that
institution. The trustees have inserted
something which they say is non-sectarian,
meaning that 1t infringes upon the religious
that it is opposed to the Catholic religion and
also that of many Professionals. The rule
that no sacrament can be administered with
in the institution and no creed taught strikes
at the liberty which Catholics or Protest
ants believing in sacrament should claim,
and to say that boy from to 20 years old
undergoes no influence opposite to his re-
liglous belief when he is declared from every
thing connected with 1t Is an absurdity
Wnen we consider how constantly your peo-
pie need to be reminded by sermons, by
books, by other publications. 1t seems to me
ridiculous TO think that children should be
able to retain their religion when deprived
OF all these aids. Take the case of one who
desires baptism, believing from the Bible he
cannot enter heaven. will the institution for
bid his being baptized? Take the case of a
dying boy, does the institution forbid the
administration of the sacrament as the super
intendent may? In very many places the
government encourages private reforsnato-
rles by giving not the building or salaries
out simply the price of subsistence of each
child the institution receives, and
thus any religious body is enabled to
institute its ewn reformatory subject to
government inspection. The Bishop related
his visit to prisons of solitary confinement
for Juveniles at Paris near the famous ceme-
terry of Pre- la Chaise. He said that by word
and by letter he had asked for nothing ex-
cept the religious service and instruction of
children and Catholics only. Again it is
objected that it would disturb the order.
nave declared by letter and now declare by
word that we ask for no chapel. but only a
separate room at such times as would be con-
slstent with the good order of the house."
The Bishop offered to produce the preced-
ing superintendent of the Reform School to
prove that the Catholic religious services
had been OF the greatest service to the boys.
Inc refusal OF this same privilege in the
House OF Refuge of New York had been re-
sented by the Catholics and had produced a
division. among Catholic Democrats. He
observed in conclusion that he represented a
population OF nearly $4,000, one-eighth of
the State; that in this institution it cannot
pc known now many Catholics there are,
they had no representation ON the board of
trustees; they had no Communication with
these children and asked in the name Of
American citizens, in the name of freedom
OF conscience, that such matter shall not be
ieIt TO the arbitrary viii Of any superinten-
Gent. In conclusion he called attention to
the report of 1888 where under the head Of
bylaws approved by the Governor and
Council, are printed in the same type regu-
lations which to the ordinary observer, to 8
out OF 10 men, would be taken for part and
parcel OF the bylaws, and that by those reg
ulations introduced BIZ the trustees or super
lntendent everything of sacramental service
even Tor the dying, might be refused at the
VIII OF the superintendent. He expressed
the hope that the legislature would by en-
actment grant the liberty of access to these
and to all children who claim to belong to
any. special religious sect and concluded by
saying that the respect, the honor, and the
welfare OF the commonwealth of Maine
demanded it.
DIR. wHITAKER's REMARKS.
Following Bishop Healy came Rev,
N. t. Whitaker, d. D., of Portland.
He began by saying that mas
much as every system is respon-
sible for its own imperfections we may dis
cuss this question without attacking its de-
f.As
sumed by Bishop Healey is that unless the
Catholic boys in the Reform School have
Roman Catholic instruction they have no re
liglous instruction. His objection to the
present management is that priest is not
recognized as priest but as man. as other
clergymen are recognized. Mr. Whitaker
read from article 1T of the constitution of
Maine which says in substance that freedom
OF conscience shall not be interfered with.
and then quoted the decision OF Judge Sell
den to show that this did not apply to in
mates OF the Reform School because such in
mates are criminals and have no legal
status. Mr.. Whitaker quoted from severa
Roman Catholic authorities to show that the
Roman Catholic church holds that
freedom of conscience means the right
OF the church to control and rule
all peoples and individuals, and that the Prot
estant idea Of freedom of conscience is an
absurdity. He then showed that the Reform
School Is already non-sectarian the same
privileges being granted to Roman
ism that are granted to other religious bod
les. The change desired by. the Romanists
would take the wards of the State and com
pei them to submit to the sectarian teachings
of sect which is in opposition to the spirit
OF the Constitution. Inasmuch as Roman
ism claims that all baptised children, be-
cause of that rite, are Roman Catholics. who
ever the administrator of the baptism may
be, and also that in consequence. She can
compel Them If she has the power, to sun
port the Romish Church, such ami enact
ment as Bishop Healy desires, would pro-
duce confusion and injustice. Confusion in
the management would arise
where one of the parents
of child was not Catholic and where mar
pntaop cnuld NOT ha aSoortoinad