The San Francisco call., 1896-10-30
CHARTER AGAIN
WAS CENSURED
Father Yorke Attacked the
Merchants Associ-
alton.
He Declared That 1t Has Been
Controlled by a Small
Clique.
ALSO MADE OTHER CHARGES.
D: One. of. These Was That Catholic
"a. Organizations Have Been Viii.
= <:-:,. fully Slighted Recently.
ALSO MADE OTHER CHARGES.

Rev. Father Yorke was advertised to
speak at Metropolitan Hall last evening
for the benefit 9fsthe Presentation Con-
vent on Powell$ street on the subject of
THE Church aid Popular Education"
Father. Yorke spike, but upon an entirely
different subject? His speech was directed
against the proposed new charter, the A.
P. A, and wounA up with a signed state
ment, which hef read from printed. slip
and which is given in tull. Before Father
Yorke spoke the pupils OF the Presenta-
ton Convent played a piano trio, the
Misses Devlin gave8a duet and the gradu-
atlpgo class of '97 sang "The Land of the
Free"
Father Yorke was introduced by John
NJ. Burnett, who presided. Father Yorke
said that these were stirring. times. and
therefore he might DE excused if he
changed his subject to "Vital Issues of
the Hour" He then said that at public
meeting and in public prints he had been
held up as an awful example of inconsist-
ency withip the past two days, He spoke
on this point for some time.
g Because man haGe honest opinions and
was not afraid to express them he was
classed among the bosses henohmen and
pointed out to, an admiring multitude as
alnong0the banditti' about to plunder the
City. he said. The highest issue cot the
cam paign was whether men and women
'shalIhaye right to express their opinions
without suffering penalties in this City OF
Saint Francis.
. He had asked what the Merchants As
sociation had in common with the A. 2.
P. An answer had. been printed to his
question which was sosigned as coming
from the Citizens Charter Association.
He would mot caYil about names. The
Merchants Association and the Citizens
Charter Association appeared to him to
be connected: It would be more honest
for the Merchants Association to come
forward to do dirty work in its own name.
The Merchants Association sent ont TO
various organizations a request to assist
in havingSthe votes to be cast next Tues
day honestly counted. This request was
sent by circular to Council No. of the A.
,oP. A. The answer of the Charter Associa-
ton suggested an untruth. The Mer-
chants Association has recruiting SER
. geants. and they 20 back and forth and
get the "beetle- orowed' to do dirty work.
He believed that clique controls the
Merchants Association in the interest of
the A. P. a. Strange that when the
Nj rchants' Association sent out notices
10 the A. P. A. in reference to securing an
honest count the Young Mems Institute
was NOT notified. The Junior Order OF
American Mechanics, which differed only
from the A P. A. in the percentage Of its
. members who were naturaIiZed citizens,
9. was notified, but the League of the Gross
was left out, despite its very large member
ship. Why did the Merchants Associa-
tion discriminateP
Every one of his auditors patroniZed the
Merchants. Association when he or she
visited store of a member of that asso-
ciation. 1t concerned all his hearers to
ASCERTAIN that the Merchants Association,
q like, Caesars wife, should be above sus-
picfon. The Merchants Association could
not afford to be led by clique of dark
g lantern bigots.
There, were those whosuDport the new
charter. which was like crazy-quIlt.
They had been talking and had dragged
his name into the controversy. He did
not object to- being drawn in if he could
have q chance TO talk back. II. n. Gle
e ment, who spoke at thee charter meeting
Thursday night, probably thought that he.
(Father Torke) had made positively his
last appearance last Monday night. He
9(Yorke) had saved a night 10 meet JUST
such "a contingency.
What Mr. Clement had said concerning
an interview. with him (Yorke) was not
2 true.9 There was enough truth in it TO
make double lie, If Mr.. Clement had
Cd1ltQ On a14n \ OIhSJ II WIS III lis
{Clement's)o astral body and he had not
o seem him. If Mr.. Clement wandered
around as & ghost he (Yorke) could not
beeheld 'respon bic. for him.. utitwould
not be possible foEMr.o Clement to have an
interview with him. There were some
people whom no decentman could afford
to meet and among such was: H. N.
Clemepn 'Clemens had gone into lodge
aRd. had sworn to deprive Catholics. of
chance to earn their living. If he (Yorke)
needed any reasoIf for opposing the new
charter, the fact that II. n. Clement
favored the charter.Yould be sufficient for
him GYorke) to oppose it.
Hudelson and Rrice ard Winthrop, Il
they could get out of the custody of the
Sheriff long enough, might make up
committee with Clement as a member to
tell the people Of San Francisco that they
did not know enough to govern them
selves.
He had been .misrepresented concerning
what he told the committee OF the Charter
Association in regard so his position on
the charter He had secured advice from
Robert G. Hayne and had concluded by
reason of that advice that the charter con-
tanned .discriminative and restrictive
features directed against Catholics and I
Hebrews.
The action of. the Supreme Court was
uncertain The court might decide that
schools were unconstitutional; but the
court was made up of men, and there were
such things as politics and influence and
interest. This was not a time when his
:hearers could afford to take any chances,
for they had enemies WHO worked while
they o(his hearers) were asleep. These
enemies were not fair fighters and would
strike man wnen he was down.
e. The provisions of the constitution con-
corning sectarianism in public education
were'constantIy violated at the State Nor
NAL School at San Jose, where Catholics
and Hebrews are compelled to listen TO
services to which their consciences did
not, assent. The. charter meant endless
litigation, a regular fandora's box, and
would break openO the City treasury that
golden shower might fail out upon the
legal fraternity. Every parent had a
right to educate his children according 10
his belief in parochial or private schools
If he wished.
Father Yorke then read the following
as the conclusion of his address,:
=. From the. beginning of this bitter struggle
We have urged on all of the friends OF liberty
70 forget everything for the success of the cause.
1--WE have urged them 10 keep themselves aloof
from all parties and from all personal entan-
" "a 49,