The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1890-02-19
Giving Public Money to Catholic 1nsti-
tniiOnS

In the official report Of the city council OF
Charleston, in the Ne,cS and Courier OF jan
uarv so, 1S90we find the following item IN
the bill reported by the committee on ways
and means, making appropriations Tor tne
fiscal year ending December 3lst, lS9O:
For the payment of the contract
with the Sisters of Mercy for
the support of not less than
seventy-ive destitute orphans. sG,OO0.Oo
This simply means an appropriation of
Sc, 900 from the public funds to sustain
sectarian institution--the Catholic orphan
House conducted by the Sisters OF Mercy.
We suppose it is no news to the people OF
Charleston that the public funds are thus
misappropriated. If we are correctly IN
formed, these appropriations have been
made for many years, and the amounts
have been increased from time to time, un-
til now it requires an annual expenditure
of Sc, 900 to satisfy the greed Of the Romlsh
church.
Appropriations Of public funds to secta-
rian institutions at any time and under any
conditions are undemoccatlc and lndetensl-
BILE; but in this particular case there is not
even the excuse of charity for this mlsdlrec-
ton Of the peoples money. Charleston has
an orph; \ house established one hundred
years ago by city ordinance 'for the pur-
pose of supporting and educating poor, Or
phan children, and those of poor, distress
ed and disabled parents, who are unable to
support and maintain them" This lnstl-
tuition has long been the pride of the city:
We doubt if more worthy one can be found
anywhere. 1t is entirely non-sectarian.
The children of Jew and Gentle, Protes-
tant and Catholic, may be sheltered within
| its walls. It is conducted by board OF
commissioners composed of some OF the
leadi.s citizens of the city and State, who
are responsible to the city council for their
official acts. The immediate management
is in the hands Of Christian women OF the
highest social position. the most unblem-
ished character, and the most thorough
qualification for the delicate and response
bic work committed to them. If such an
institution, conducted with such signal
ability and success is not good enough for
our Catholic friends-or our friends OF any
other denomination for that matter-let
them establish and maintain their own In
stitution. Neither that, nor any other sect,
has any right, legal or moral, to draw funds
from the public treasury to support secta-
rian Institution, even though it be an Or
phan asylum.
This evil ought to be abated, but we have
no hope that the city council will do it. The
Catholics hold the balance of political pow.
er in Charleston as they do in nearly all OF
our large cities. and they know how TO work
the political machine so as to secure their
ends. II any member Of the city, council
should oppose this appropriation he would
thereby sign his political death-"arrant.
Such is the hold that priest and nun have
over the politics and the public treasures OF
this free American Republic
But there is way of reaching and cor
recting this abuse Thank God, the State
Legislature is not yet under the control OF
the strong arm of Rome. Let the Protest
ants of Charleston. if they have the spirit
of American freemen. petition the Leglsla
ture to so amend the charter OF the city o.
Charleston rs to make it forever illegal fol
the city council to appropriate one cent t<
any sectarian institution whatever, Catho
lie or Protestant Even with such al
amendment passed and ratified, 1t Will re
quire eternal vigilance to keep the tranet
and skilful hand OF Rome out Of the pubh
treasury.-.Sohtem Christian Adcocfe.