Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-02-22
NO MAN SHALL DENY
The Inherent Right of the FAM
lily is Supreme.
FATHER PULcHER SPEAKS OUT
At the Dedication of ST. Mary's School
He Tells Why Catholics Pay
Two School Taxes

ored SO long and so industriously. Was
dedicated. The building stands on
Turner street. II is zIxs6 feet in size
and two stories high. IL is equipped
with ali the latest paraphernalia used
in school work. cost SIT, 900, and, As the
custom is with all Catholic institu tons,
Was entirely free from debt when ded-
ica ted.
The ceremonies began at O'Clock.
when all the west side Catholic societies
marched from the Casino to Bishop
Richter's residence and escorted him to
the cathedral. The procession was
headed by = band, and on the return
march was gained by other societies.
Al the church all the Catholic societies
of the city. with the exception OF 81.
AlphoDsus', were present. The mar
shals of the day We're VIM. Drueke,
Frank Platte. w. Voss, II. Ottenwest.
Chae. Drucke, VIM. Henze and Andrew
Bott. The societies we-e drawn up IN
double columns before the school build
ing and waited the arrival OF the bishop
and priesA from the church. At
o'clock several thousand people had
gathered in the ne,ghborhood and were
anxious!y awaiting
The Dedication Ceremonies.
A few minutes after the procession
marched out of the church. 1t con-
sisted of the altar boye, the incense
bearers and the surpliced choir; then
came Bishop Richter, preceded by
Fathers Schmidt and Clark, and fol-
lowed by Fathers Puicher anu P0ganis,
all dressed in their ecclesiastical robes.
The procession marched into the main
hall of the school building which was
gayly decorated with AmericOn flags
and streamers. Above the tenn porary
altar erected in the hallway, Was pic
ture of Washington draped with flags
and evergreens.
The bishop knelt in prayer. after
which the choir sang "Laus Deo." The
bishop then, with the assistance OF the
attending priests, performed the Latin
dedicatory ceremonies and pronounced
the benediction upon the building and
those who will shortly occupy it. A
chorus of school girls sang in German,
"The Lord Is Mighty" Following
this, Father Schmidt stepped forward
IN the portlco and addressed
the immense audience which had
assembled outside the sch0olhouse.
His address was In German, and was
short and earnest. He said the new
school would begin its work with as
strong q corps of teachers as could be
found anywhere In the city. A strong
effort would be made TO give the beat
and most thorough instruction IN all
| the things whether academic or per-
| tanning to the tenets OF their religion.
He exhorted every Catholic in the par
ish to send his children to the new
school and have them instructed in the
Gods religion of their fathers as
we'll as in the secular studies of the
day.
Another chorus of school girls sang
'Praise the Lord" Father Pulcher
then stepped forward and addressed
| the audience IN English. Among other
things, he said: II should prefer TO
give you q simple translation of Father
Schmidts speech; but lave
AFsw Words of say Own
that would like to say also. The ques-
uon is sometimes asked why any peo-
pie should be SO ignorant and unreas-
| enable as To pay their proportion OF
taxes and then make 40 effort 20 de-
\ i've 0nl tNACfib AiVtii w ah
outsider it may seem ridiculous that
any class should pay tax aud then
| pay another for the same purpose
two taxes for one privilege. Yet such
ls the case with the Catholics. Imperial
| England awards the money collected
| for school purposes, irrespective of
creed. Protestant Ontario does the
same. These people sneer and laugh
4 ~ h.,.. no ,.n "a ..ow N dn,thln
proportion of taxation. We do so, but
| we do not do il with grace. This Is a
| free country. but If you don't pay your
taxes you will see how free il is. Your
property will be sold above your head,
| whether you like ii or not. Al present
| there Is a great famine IN Russia, and
we are sending them supplies 10 relieve
the starving peasants. suppose we
| there, and when the agents be.
the peasant wnat his religion IS.
suppose the peasant said he was prot.
estant, and the agent should say well
and good; but suppose he said he was
Catholic, and the agent refused him
anv show in the relief. Would this be
just? Would anybody, Prtestant o;
1 &StAOttG cutiiilk W tttlBH tttif tfffo
| dragged into a case like that? should
say and every sensible man would say
that the relief could recognize nc
creed. Yet when we come into our
own country, the land of the free, we
find those whose business IT 10 To relieve
INTEL sctual starvation recognizing a
creed and a distinct religion in theil
management of the public school sys
| 40 -, soh
flaws in our existing institutions. | ar
| here TO congratulate st. Nary's parish
1t has butt beautiful church and hai
now completed beautiful school, bott
free from debt. How has this been done
By contributions from Catholics wht
were already paying their share o
people think that we Catholics are big
ots TO do this.
The state Has No Right
But We hold that the etafe has n,
more right 10 educate our children thar
10 feed them or nurse them. IL l hsf
a family and man came into m,
house and presumed 10 tell me wher.
must educate my children | wouif
ssed nlm out the minute he made tn.
statement if had to use brute force 1,
ASSIST me. The family is the suprem'
and sacred unit. It vas in erlstencl
fret. The state may govern tue peo
pie ss whois anu make laws 20 GOV
ern their conduct. but il has no bus
ness with the inherent firhfs of thN
family. We are masters of education
and u - wrong 30 take u from u.s.
am Baptist. or q Luther.a, or
Methodist. ! have the right 20 easseat