The San Francisco call., 1896-05-28
First of a Series of Lectures
Under the Auspices of the
Y. M. C. U.
THE CHURcHs RIGHTS DEFINED
Opposition to Parochial Schools At.
tributed to Protestant Evan.
gelical Preachers.


house at Metropolitan Hail last night on
the subject of "Belated Patriots" His
lecture was the first of a series of three to
be given under the auspices of the Young
Mems Catholic Union. In introducing
the speaker of the evening ex-President
Ed Luby spoke as follows:
There are dangers to our liberties and we
must not shut our eyes upon them.
Every Sunday regularly, as the Monday
morning papers tell US, Catholics are made the
subject OF hbelous and scandalous attacks.
OF purpose assailed, and our loyalty to our
country denied. False doctrines are imputed
TO us, which, if true, would have left the
Catholic church by this time without enough
worshipers to I'LL this hall.
During this state of affairs the duty of the
young Catholics is plain. We must do the
utmost TO disseminate the truth. Let me state
night here that all who are opposed TO us are
not to be put in the same category. 1t must be
considered that they have been reared IN an
atmosphere so dense with Ignorance that they
are not to be blamed. We should endeavor to
bring to their knowledge that the Catholic
church is not as it is always described.
We carry no concealed weapons with which
to strike our adversaries while we are feign-
ing sympathy with them.
Mr.. Luby referred to the work of educa-
ton being performed by Catholic societies
and continued:
Inc 1OunB mems C6t1OUc Union mas taken
no small part in this and will continue with
fresh zeal and renewed determination. But
in this we must have your support, which
must be given as long as the danger con-
unues.
Thanks were rendered to Fathers Yorke,
Ferguson, Cavalier, Rlordan and McKin-
non for their part in the work. As each
name was mentioned it evoked long and
hearty applause. Father Ferguson was
then announced to speak on the subject
of "Belated Patriots" He began as fol-
lows:
We read in ancient history that the old re-
public OF Rome, the great commonwealth of
antiquity, was once saved from an attacking
force by the cackling of geese. In our time
history may again repeat itself. The future
historian OF the great modern republic may
yet chronicle the fact that in the second CEN
tury of its existence it saved from the old
man in Rome by the cackling of the modern
gosling.
the old stand. They are still bent on saving
the country, whether it will be saved or not.
Reference was next made to the alleged
recent organization of a society in Chi
cago to be called the Burglars and Thieves
Protective Association, and the speaker
declared that one of the qualifications of
membership was that the applicant should
have three prior convictions against him.
He then mentioned the various patriotic
organizations of the United States, and
last on the list was. the American Pro-
tective Association. To the last named he
declared one of the qualifications for men,
bership was that the applicant should
have beaten three landladies out of board
bills. Proceeding he said:
1t is strange that the dangers which threaten
the peace and security of society and excite
fears in the minds of conservative men for the
safety of the Republic receive no attention
from them.
M.
the concentration of wealth in the hands of a
few, the illegal encroachments of capital upon
labor, the rapid growth of trusts, all these pass
unnotlced.
They want TO protect us against evils which
exist only in their own disordered and belated
minds.
When this society first came into exis tence
it will be remembered, Mr.. Sovereign of the
Knights of Labor said that ii was hatched on
Wall street, New York, by American and
Canadian capitalists. The great object sought
was to prevent all united action on the part of
labor. To divide was TO conquer. None knew
the truth of this better than the Canadians.
They made it plain TO their eonferes that the
Introduction OF a religious issue was the
safest and only sure means of breaking up the
union which then existed amongst certain
trades.
times which would lead us 20 believe that Mr..
Sovereigns statements are true.
1t cannot be denied that the American mil
lionaire, the average one ct least, is not above
entering into such a combination. He has the
strongest objection to increasing the wages of
an American workingman, but he is willing to
the gambling debts of titled and foreign
princelings, broken-down lords and dukes, IL
they will only.marry one OF his freckle-faced
daughters. 1t is the additional cost of sup
porting and paving the gambling debts of the
constantly increasing sons-in-law that is fast
impoverishing this country. There are no
strikes In foreign countries OF late years. The
times in other countries are better than they
are here because the money has been taken
from here and is being spent over there.
Any one acquainted with the ways Oh the
needy politicians who direct the A. p. A.
knows that they are ready and willing to be
the tools OF corporations
To plot for the discharge OF employees, some
frail and DELEGATE girls struggling 10 support
widowed mothers, because they worship at the
Catholic altar, is without parallel for baseness
The other day met gentleman who had
recently returned from a trip to one OF the in
terror towns of the State. While there talking
to a merchant one afternoon the conversation
turned on three men who were talking on the
sidewalk just in front of the merchants store.
f'That tall man." said the merchant, "1s q
resident OF this town. l know MIN wen. L
have reason to remember him. DE owes the
house $500 for grocery BILL He is the presi-
dent OF the A. P. A. The other man on the lar
side was sued last week for debt, and the case
is pending. He will pay nothing II he can get
out OF 1t. He has been three times sued for
rent within the year. He is the treasurer of
the A. P. A. The one nearest couldn't get
credit in this town for shave or night
Yet it is such men who are endeavoring to
antagonize Americans OF different religious
creeds. 1t is such men as these who pose be.
fore the American public as the purifiers OF
politics and the only legitimate protectors OF
our institutions. Our blood Thought Liberties
are to be preserved. our grand political system
is to be upheld and perpetuated by men whose
regulations are pale blue and pink on the
edges and red and yellow in the center. 1t is
such men as these who would try to make the
American public believe that the educational
system OF the country is menaced by Catholics
1t is such men as these who have in season and
out of season misrepresented the attitude OF
Catholics toward the public school.
Father Ferguson then declared that the
Catholic church had no quarrel with the
public school, but simply asked to be al
lowed to attend to their own business, and
added that no Catholic had ever denounced
those schools in such terms as had the
Protestants themselves, and asserted the
right OF Catholics TO have their children
educated as they saw fit.
He argued that the present outcry
against the parochial schools was due to
the fact that the opportunities OF proselyt-