The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-21
FATHER YORKE'S SPEECH.
Some Hard Hits Directed Against
Metropolitan Temple Lee
tuTerS.
ROME'S RED SCHOOLHOUSE.
A Claim That the Church Saved Learn.
ing and Favored the Spirit of
Invention.
RoME's RED scHooLHoUsE


The doors were thrown open at O'Clock.
and ten minutes afterward every seat was
occupied. By the time for the opening OF
the meeting, s o'clock, the sidewalks all
round the hall were blocked.
The decorations of the hall consisted
mainly of American flags, and bunting
displaying the National colors. The men,
bers OF the Y. N. C. q. and number of
clergymen were on the stage. P. Molloy,
grand president of the Y. NJ. c. o., pre-
sided.
Miss Kittie Black sang "The Star-span-
gled Banner" and, after few Introductory
remarks by Mr.. Molloy, Father Yoske ad-
dressed the meeting. He said:
The title of this lecture is "Rome's Red
Sehoolhouse." 1t is designed as an answer to
the charges which have been urged against
the church In the matter OF education. have
remarked that my dear friends, the preachers,
generally commence their lectures by what
they call a prelude. am not very certain as
to what is the nature OF q prelude, but think
| will try my hand at one tonight. For the
last month this hall has been the scene OF five
Lectures. The first was an answer TO mine by
Rev. J. A. Lansing. The second was also by
Rev. j. A. Lansing. The third was by General
Morgan land such generally. The fourth was
by Rev. W. S. Bovard, the gentleman who is
now engaged IN delightful controversy over
the least, was that brand new American, Rev.
Donald II. Ross. intend 10 devote some time
to each of these lectures.
Rev. Mr.. Lansing complimented the Chron-
icle on the fuliness of the report which it gave
OF his lecture. Therefore | use the Chronicle
as an authentic record ofwhat these gentlemen
said. Mr.. Lansing deprecates the fact that the
publication OF his lecture brought upon him
what he calls personal abuse. 1t is very strange
that men can come here out of the East and vi
tn perate everything that Catholics hold dear.
and yet when Catholics Try TO defend the honor
Of their homes and their character as citizens
they are accused OF personal abuse.
Mr.. Lansing stated land | read from the
Chronicle that at the battle OF Churubusco, a
convent was captured in which were found
200 deserters from the American army, and
that these 200 deseriers were Irish and Catho-
lies. This extraordinary piece OF information
moved US 10 write 70 the adiutant-ge nerars
office, War Department, Washington. asking
II there were any ofiicial record OF these zoo
deserters, OF their nationality and OF their reli
gion. This is the answer. which shall read TO
YOU:
WAR DEPARTMENT,
ADJUTAST-GESERALs OFFICE.
WAsHTSGToS, Nov. 2. 1895. }
Sir; In reply 10 your inquiry OF the 18th ult
have the honor 10 say that no record IS made OF the
religious denominations 10 which enlisted men Of
the army belong; that in the capture OF the con-
vent at Churubusco, Mexico. August 20, lS47,
1900 persons were taken, and that the official re-
ports OF the assaults do show that any deserters
from the United States army among the per
sons captured Very respectfully,
Assistant Adiutant-GeneTal.
There appears TO be a certain doubt as to the
identity OF this Rev. J. A. Lansing. At times
he is set down as the author OF a book called
"RoTnanisn and the Republic" Ifso, he is the
reverend gentleman who at a public meeting
! last spring accused President Cleveland of in
| temperance and TO whom President Cleveland
| paid his compliments in an interview, in which
! he stated that "this is simply an outrage,
/ though it is not the first time q thing of this
/ kind has been attempted. l cannot avoid a
r-1lf Of ,-zy, ,r-tx1
makes claims 10 decency, and especially one
! who assumes the role of a Christian minister,
| should permit himself to become the dissent
| natGr OF wholesale lies and calumnies, not less
| stupid than they are CT lei and wicked
The second star in the constellation was the
| Rev Hon. General I. j. Morgan, ID. The
record OF this reverend and military gentle
man can be found in the headquarters of the
| Second Division, Department OF the Cumber-
land, Chattanooga, Tenn, July 10, 1865, general
| order %. From these records we discover that
| the reverend gentleman was tried before
court-n,artiai on March %, 1865. on three
charges. First, violation OF the fifteenth arti-
Gle of war: second, conduct unbecoming an
officer and gentleman; third, conduct pTeju-
dicial to good order and military discipline.
The third charge had as one of Its speelfica-
tons that he was mixed up with the un-
lawful selling of one Government mule. Or all
the charges and specifications the gentleman
was found guilty, and the sentence runs:
And the court does. therefore, sentence him,
the said Colonel 7. j. Morgan OF the Fourteenth
from the service OF the United States"
The last but rot least OF the speakers was the
Rev. Donald NJ. Ross. Some time ago the Rev.
Donald II. Ross offered 10 lead his cohorts to
the polls in behalf OF good government This
was q rather strange proceeding, when we con-
slider that Rev. Donald N. Ross is not q citizen
trouble OF going to the City TALL he viii find
that he only took out his first Papers on August
2, 1898, and yet he comes here TO tell Ameri-
cans about the evils which atflIct their country
and how TO remedy them.
After the prelude Father Yorke spoke on
the subject OF education. He said that
men who know nothing about history nave
accused the church of favoring ignorance.
She it was that saved learning when the
barbarians extinguished the old Roman
civilization. During the time that she was
supreme such necessary inventions as
clocks, watches, the printing press. gum
powder, the mariners compass, organs,
hanks, knives, forks. wheelbarrows and the
calendar we're discovered. The first idea
of the use of steam was given by Catho-
lc as was the first idea OF photography
and the electric light. 1t could be remem-
bered that the first electric light shown in
San Francisco appeared before the old col
lege of st. Ignatius on Market street. He
continued:
In the matter of popular education the posi-
ton of the church is very pie. We believe
that the voters in this country should be edu-
Gated. They can only be educated effca-
ciously by q system of public schools. Now,
religion is very good thing, but If ell reli-
gions were allowed TO enter the public schools
they would soon be worse than bedlam.
Therefore, religion is keptout, not because the
American people are opposed to religion, but
because We have too many of them. The
Catholic church believes in teaching religion.
To do so ii establishes its own schools and pays
for them out OF its own pocket. 1t does NOT try
TO bring its catechism into the public institu-
lions, but where it is able it teaches the cate
chism in its own schools and pays for the
teacher.
In university education lis of the universe
ties in Europe are founded by Catholics only
thirty-one having been founded by nom
Catholics since the Reformation. Our OPP
ponents are very fond OF bringing up statistics
of illiteracy, and they only manage to fall upon
poor Ireland and point to that country as
horrible example of what Romanism does.
YET to use the words OF Henry Barnard first
United States Commissioner OF the Bureau of
Education: Until the beginning OF this GEN.
fury the Catholics, who constituted four-fifths
of the population of Ireland, were not only not
permitted to endow, conduct or teach schools,
but Catholic parents even were not permitted
to educate their children abroad, and it was
made an offense punished by transportation
land if the party returned it was made high
treason) in any Catholic to act as school
master or even as tutor in private family"
Still, though they have had only 100 years