The record-union., 1891-03-15
Reply to Justice"

EDS. SUNDAY UNION: If "Justice"
pretends to say that Catholic priests do
not interfere in politics, then she has read
history to very little purpose. I repeat
my assertion that not only is it claimed,
| but that the Church of Rome as doing all
in its power to undermine our public
school system. For proof I refer Gus
tice" to the address Of Rev. Father Glee-
son at the Inauguration of st. Mary's
College in Oakland, August IL, 1889
Also. to sermon of Priest Mccarthy, re-
ported in the Boston Journal, Decem Der
%, 1887, in which he says the public
school is a national fraud; it must cease to
exist, and the day Will come when it will
cease to exist" And Father Walker of
st. Lawrence's Roman Catholic Church,
New York, calls our public schools "nur-
series of vice" Pope Plus TX, in his en-
cyclical of 1864, condemned those institu-
tlons which Americans hold dearer than
| life itself-free speech, free press, a free
church, free schools, and free govern
ment-as the liberty of perditiOn, impi-
Gus, absurd and erroneous doctrines, de-
testable sentiments pregnant with the
most deplorable evils.' To-day ''21 per
cent. of the entire tax levy of the city of
New York, and per cent. of the entire
expense of the city government, is paid
H..
Catholics pay but 10 per cent. Of the taxes
| of the city. They receive from the public
funds ten times as much as all other de-
nominations together" And the same
state of affairs would probably prevail
here were it not that church property is
not exempt from taxation.
That there are Catholics who are loyal
to the best interests of this Republic, none
but a marrow minded" person viii pre-
tend to deny, but they are an exception,
! not the rule. That the Catholics have
built splendid temples of learning, and
have done much for the advancement of
education, is also true, but it is only for
the benefit of the privileged few. For
example, see the poorer classes of the
| Catholic countries of Spain, Portugal,
Mexico and the States of South America,
still cropping in the darkness of igno-
rance and superstition. In striking con-
trast to Protestant Germany, Switzerland,
Norway, England and the United States,
whose people are the best instructed in
the world, because they each have ma
tional system of education. That as
rule l am ignorant of many Of the GUS
toms of the Catholic Church, / do not
deny, and that the women of that church
''have too sacred a regard for their duties
as wife and mother to meddle much in
politics" is doubtless true, and very
much to their credit. But if ancient and
Church does possess great influence over
its members, and ifequal suffrage should
become law in this country, and if it
should be to the interest Of the Catholic
Church for Catholic women to vote, and
the priest should so direct they would
vote. Since there are nineteen States in
the Union in which unnaturalized for
eigners are allowed to vote, tits Just pos
sible that there are 'two-thirds'' or nearly
so of the male voters who have no right
to vote, and if they were deprived of the
privilege the country would be none the
loser. For the information of those who
think I ysee everything through the
spectacles of some narrow sect" [ will
say that lifelong to no sect whatever. i
subscribe to no creed but the broad one
taught by the founder of the Christian
religion: ''As We would that men should
do unto you, do ye also unto them"
= = MRS. e. p. d.
Lake House, March u, 1891.