St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-03-15

The drawing and mag nett c rowers
lgnatius Donnellya as an orator were put
to the test last night, and, as usual, the
disagreeable night for people to be
abroad could not be imagined, but
the sloppy streets and disagree
able, snow-laden atmosphere did
not deter large audience of
ladies and gentlemen from Drawing the
elements to listen to Mr.. DonEelly's lee
ture on the "a. p. A." and the ''Scho oil
Question:" which was given for the
first time at the Lyceum theater last
night. As usual, he handled both SUD
iects with the skill Of the logician, and
in commencing he said he was not
partisan on either side of the questions
in controversy, but that he looked upon
them as an American citizen with per-
feet impartiality.
He came, he said, as a peacemaker,
preaching the creed of brotherly love,
aid he then procee ded with an able and
ell cQuent defense of the public school
system. saying that he considered it as
the height of folly to wrangle over the
bones Of dogmas. He said that the
public school is the poor mans college,
and, that while all the colleges and
universities could be done away
vive the destruction of the pub
lie schools single generation.
The great bat quiet revolution in tolera-
ton, intelligence, learning and the
broad spirit of American freedom, as
brought about by the public schools.
was el0Quently depicted, and he drew a
vivid contrast between the patriotic
spirit of our country and the crnelties
enacted in past ages by religious hatred
and fanaticism. The progressive spirit
OF the times was portrayed in glowing
metaphor, and he said it could not be
stopped aIy more than the atmosphere
could be shut out by barbed wire
fence. Regarding the parochial schools,
he said the Catholics, Epscopalians and
other sects had often segregated their
children in private schools OF learn
Ing, but that such a thing as
a division of the state school fund would
be unconstitutional and impossible. and
that no man dared 10 make such a prop
OsitiOn on the floor of the legislature.
If such proposition were ever made,
it would be opposed by ever good Cath
ole.
The A. p. A. was given some keen
thrustS, and he time and again pierced
this pernicious fallacv with the sharp
rapier of his ridcule, of which he Is the
accomplished master. 1t is inconceiv-
able, he said. how any human intellect
could be SO degraded as to believe in its
So-called principles.
Archbishops Corrigan and Ireland was
alluded to, and, while he condemned
the attitude of the former, lie compli-
mented the latter in the highest terms.
The oath of the A. p. AS was read,
and in referring to this he said it YVES
Satanic device and it deprived men
of the right of sPlf-defense, the
origin of the order being traced to the
British ariStocracy. John Bull being
dealt some pOnderouS blows between
the eyes. In this connection he gave
President Cleveland and both political
parties smart rap.
He alluded 10 the part he had taken in
congress in securing the establishment
Of national bureau, still part of The
general government. He believed the
worst thing that could happen to Cath
ollcs was TO go out OF keep out of the
public schools, as the schools brought
tons together and created mutual
good will between them. and so
did away with those suspicious.
doubts and biogtries which made one
creed hate and fear another. He said it
was impossible to exclude the spirit of
the age from the minds of the people;
that spirit meant advancement to
higher civilization. You could no more
shut out the spirit Of the age than you
could shut out the atmosphere with a
barbed wire fence. Nothing that was
nf N raliDfnn had nRpichp Il
great many side issues and supersti-
tons might have fallen by the way, but
the essentials of truth only shone out
the more resplendent. He drew an
amusing picture of attempting to re-
store today the belief in witchcraft,
ghosts and hobgoblins. You could not
put the nineteenth century back into
the stomach of the fifteenth, he said.
He showed that the ''apaism" was
based Oh fictitious terrOrs; that the idea
of a sixth of the people rising up TO
massacre the other tive-siXths was eX-
tremely absurd. He said the A. p. A.
society proposed to lessen man or a
woman's chance to get living because
they belonged TO the religion that they
were born in; this was to punish
one for an accident, for nine
tenths of all who belong to
any church held to the creed of their
pdlcHlS. I1C lIldb tilO n. L q. a.
was established to divide up the Pop
ulsts, and that part of their oath was
that they must not enter into any
''strike" that would help Catholic.
and as no one could tell when a strike
was ordered whether it would or would
not help Catholic to job, the result
was that there were to be no more
strikes, no matter how low wages might
be depressed by the employers. This
arfatx-
MIR. Donnelly made an appeal for
mutual good will and liberation and
brotherly love. I'VE were all Amer
leans" he said. "This is Gods coun-
try. and the basis of Christ's doctrine
was love for our 'neighboI.' no matter
how widely he might differ from US in
creed or nationality. Christ prayed for
those who had crucified Him. He did
not tell His disciples 10 organize secret
society TO prevent their children from
making living"
Mr.. Domnelly said there was in this
country room for but two parties-One
representing popular rights and the
other representing the wealth of the
nation. There was no room between
these for an organization of intolerance
and prescription. Ii Catholics proposed
anything wrong, vote them down. Ii
any attack was n.ade on the public
school system. fight 70 the last gasp, but
don't train up the children TO hate the
children in the next house simply be-
cause accident made their parents of Il
particular nationality and the parents
trained up their children i'll certain be-
llefS as to world from whose bourne
no traveller has returned.
"HovH can we maintain one national
ity," asked Mr.. Donnelly in conclusion,
against foreign or domestic foes if
the land is honeycOmbed with sectarian
hatredS and the whole people eager 10
get at each others throat? While the
religions are squabbling over the bones
of old prejudices, the lion of universal
unbelief is ready to leap upon and de-
YOUR them ALL"
The lecture was frequently inter-
rupted by applause, and the audience