The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-09-22
Rev. DR. Synnott Again Pays
His Compliments 10 the
H0boken Priest.
CAN SUDSTANTIATE HIS STATEMENTS
Where He Got His Facts-Invites
Trial and States His
Defense.

not Bishop WlRger was responsible Tor
the criticism of Father Corrig IN. OF Hos
boken. is out in another letter, in which
he answers the Hoboken priest.
DR.. Synnott Is professor Of moral the
oloGy. canon law and Hebrew at Seton
Hall College. He is a mi Der of Bishop
WigRer's council, having been elected to
that position at the Diocesan Synnott held
last June. He received his title of
Doctor of Divinity IN 1888. after six
years. study at the University OF Inns
bruek. Austria. He was the first ma tive
born American to receive the degree
from this ancient Institution of learn ing.
He also holds the hon orary degree of
Master of Arts from Yale University
and is the only Catholic clergyman to be
thus honored.
Among other things DR.. Syn mott
says:- 2 s
IF / was surprised to fnd tina Father
CorriRan attributed certain CRITICISMS OF
his course 10 Bishop Wigger, l was much
more surprised and panied to fud that
the reverend gentleman did not dIscon-
tinue his assault on his Bishop afte- re-
ceivtng the positive and public ASSURANCE
that the Bishop;was In no wise Responsible
for what had been done
A sUBsTANTIATE HIS STATEMENTS.
"AI u time when am called on to
substaittate anv statements made by me
! shall. TRUST, be able TO show that they
wsre hot made without good authority.
1n my reference to the troubles In Ho-
boken, / spoke in some what dlsparagin g
terms OF Father Corrigan's finan cial
status. Let his empty school bear te sIi-
mony to his ability. Financial greatness
i'll pRtoras fields consists not SO much In
contracting heavy debts as ia paying
Them; not so much In erecting maguifi-
cent structures as In keeping them run
ming In proper order. 1t seems to me
that the man of The parable who started
out with great expectations to build
himself u tower, neglecting, however,
first to count the cost. was not remaIk t.
able for his financial ability.
IF Father Currtgan's receipts have not
diminished, why does tie close his school?
Ii his pt ople had full confidence In him.
would they not rally around him now ?
In other places In this diocese, where the
people are no richer than III Hoboken,
and where the expenses must be propur>
liouately great. beloved pastors ..are keep
ing their schools open in spite OF hard
times and the general financial depresi
sion. Aud from all sides accounts are
coming of largely Increased attendance
in The p%arochial schools aud of universal
enthusiasm In maintaining them. In
equipment and efficiency they are max.
lug rapid progress. SO that from these
primary schools our pupils, in many
places, pass without difficulty TO the pub.
lie nigh schools.
Fathers orrigan, by hints aud fnsinua-
tions and almost by direct statement,
endeavofs to have It appear that his
Bishop Is in some unexplained way
responsible for my structures. Father
CurrigaB's methods of locating RESPONSE
biity are not i'll strict accord with the
principles of moral theology which [
teach to thr young men from whom, as
Father E figan has dscreed, I AIN 5000
to part yer. Itch these young men
that II will never incur The moral
responsI dty for anothsr's act When
they do not ~foresee, kuow or intend " hat
another Is going to do. l tell them they
can never do through another what tn ey
do not in any way encourage or approve,
D that they canuot possibly BE- part.
ners III q conspiracy without having at
least some fnkling OF lis existence. l
tell them this, subject. of course, To cor
rectfon from Hobeken. Father Cortigan
would himself nave been the first to
acknowledge the justice of those rules
had not his an:i'episcopal ire become so
terribly effervescent. When the ~ecclss-
~iastieal equinocIial gales ave subsidized /
am sure tina he will fix these self 'evIdent
principles more clearly in his eminently
logical brain.
WdEHE lie 6OI His tACIb.
Il have already stated, aud I again
state, that ] used absolutely no syllable
Of information that came to me only In u
private aud confidential capacity. There
are, / believe, two documents to which l
referred. both of which are now before
the public. The first unfolds the great
plan which Father Corrlgah hoped 10
nave introduced in Hoboken. This docu-
meat was delivered to the Bishop, and
being a public matter, in no way con-
fdenLal or privileged, could be shown TO
anyone by the Bishop. Surely Father
Corrlgan would never wish to have SO
important q matter, affecting not only
Grace, but also the whole State and the
whole diocese (the interests Of
which he has so much at hearty
rushed through as u legislators say
without full discussion aud debate. He
is in favor of the fullest discussion ut all
times-for he is q true American despite
the vile utteranees of Mr.. Cahensty-
and he could never wish TO have his
little plan matured in sectusiou and pre-
scented as an accomplished fact TO an
astouisaed public. Ii auy cue else had u
quiet little scheme in the maturing State,
theu the great Hobokeu rector would,
clearly see that the Interests of the
country at large. his W patriotism, his,
loyalty to the Pope. his love for his
Bishop. his hatre [ OF Cahenslyisin, all
demanded the widest possible publicity;
and his conscience, SO tender aud deli
cate, would never rest until he a taken
souie bold, aggressive stSp. A man of a
character SO exalted. 80 noble, could not,
/ am confident, wish to Rave his plans
kept secret.
even had he SO wished was Bishop
Wigger obliged to heed his .wishP The
matter was a public Que, IL affected the
diocese and the State; 1t might have the
most momentous consequences. The
Bishop. before approving II. was justi-
fled iu irving it tue fullest possible iu-
vestigt don. aud examination. 1t would
not be proper or correct, as Father Cor
rfgaD himself has frequently maintained,
for the Bishop to decide In tiese grave
matters without deiiberation aud BON
sultatfoD. Father Corrigsn's plan has
been frequently discussed in my pref
ence. There vas no official secrecy Or
privacy the conversation. Each one
present had the option OF usiuR his
D prudence. Why Father Corrigan SO
harps or the divulging of his plans 1 am
at O loss to understand 80
MGR. SAToLLPs T
"The same remarks hold good with re.
gard 10 Mgr. Satolli's letter to Bishop
WigRer. That letter was not marked
confidential. Had it been, Father Corii-
gan's conscience. which gives him so
much uneasiness, would never have
allowed him to publish IL. II was a letter
on q public matter. 1t was, in fact. as /
knew at the time. an unsealed letter. de-
livei,d TO the Bishop by Father Corriean,
and probably copiel before delivery.
Those To whom the recfu1eutfp of the letter