St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1894-10-25
A PATRIOTIC ADDRESS.
DR.. P1u1nb's 4 ddress at Music Hall.

The Importance of courteous dis
cussion in effectually resisting secta-
rian aggression in civil affairs"
The stage was draped with Amer
lean flags and the balcony was eff
fectively trimmed with flags. Miss
Alice Brown sang two solos, ac-
companied by male quartette, and
was enthusiastically encored. Or
chestral music was also furnished.
After the music, prayer was offered
by Rev. H. M. Douglas. The speak
er was introduced by Rev. A. 1.
Davis. Mr.. Davis said the spirit of
reform was in the air aud that great
questions were agitating the minds
OF all. The subject of the address to-
night was relevant to the situation.
DR.. Plumb received a hearty encore
when he began to speak and spoke
for over an hour in an eloquent and
easy manner, enlivening his argu-
ment with many good stories. He
began by saving that sectarian ag
gression in civil affairs was op-
posed tC the theory of our govern
ment, which was a government of
the people, by the people and for the
people. Sectarian aggression should
! be always resisted because it was
practically a union of church and
state. We don't want this on
American soil. 1t is unsafe to legis-
late in regard to religious opinions
and there must be a freedom of
opinion and religion.
The Roman Catholic church is in
terfering in civil affairs in their con-
tention that the Pope is not sub
ject But the American idea is that
all men are subjects and under civil
and military law. We believe that
the Pope is spiritual ruler and not
a temporal ruler. The papal legate
in this country, Mgr. Satolli, is re-
preventative of foreign power, but
he is a subject of all the laws of our
country.
Again, they hold that ecclesiastics
are not subject to civil and military
law. This is another doctrine
foreign to the American ideas of
government. The speaker illustrated
his point here by relating how
Father Phelan of St. Louis held in
his paper that a bishop should be
held accountable to the laws of this
country, but through Satolli's in
luence publicly retracted this idea
later in his editorial columns.
Thirdly, the Roman Catholics are
attempting to break down our pub
lie school system. The Pope is on
record in his encyclical of 1864 as
opposed to our public school system.
The Bennett law has been repealed in
the great states of Indiana and
Illinois by Roman Catholic influence
and attendance at the public schools
is not compulsory in those states.
And it is the general impression
throughout the land that the Roman
Catholics are opposed to our public
! schools. There is a perpetual con-
tentiou for grants of public money
for schools tor the interest Of par
ticular sect. This is a struggle that
must be faced every day. In II
years the Catholic institutions Of
New York have received $9,00O,0O0
of the public money from the Tam
many politicians. Dr. Plumb then
spoke at length about the fight be-
fore the constitutional convention at
Albany and how the Catholics had
defeated a proposed amendment to
the constitution that forbade grants
to the CHART able institutions of any
one sect.
The Roman Catholics also want
to edit our histories. They have at
tempted to distort the facts of the
case in the middle ages and do not
give the credit to the martyrs for
honestly differing with them in
religious beliefs.
DIR. Plumb then suggested the
methods OF resisting this aggression.
All appropriations of public money
for sectarian purposes should be
earnestly resisted. Let all stand by
the doctrine not to divide the school
money. Urge your congressman to
vote tor an amendment to the con-
stitution forbidding any state vot-
ing the public money tor sectarian
purpose Watch the compromise
measures. Be careful about the men
you elect to public office and see that
they are true to American principles.
In Massachusetts, an attempt has
been made for several years to get
an appropriation OF $4,000 for a
Catholic hospital. In a recent leg
islature SO men voted for the
measure When the next election
came around 81 of these men were
elected to stay at home.
All tbaSa diHarepco ~ oniniOn cau