The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-04-10
FITZGERALD ON THE A. "A.
THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA BILL
PASSED As AMENDED.


All appropriation. for seetsr,an Iu-,,,u-
toas Are Stricken Out-Mr. Fitzgerald
OF massachusetts Attacks tho secret,
Osth-bound Organization by Name.
WASHINGTON. April o.-The bill TO repeal
the compulsory ~pilotago system. so far as IL
affects sailing vessels engaged In the coast
wise trade, was defeated In the House to-day,
after a dnS q debate. by n vote Of III to SO.
Tho amended District Of Columbia Appro.
%prlntion bill. with the appropriations for Sec
tartan In %titutions stricken out, was then taken
up.
Mr.. Fitzgerald DEM, Mass j.. the youthful
sole representative of his party from the New
England States, who had Just returned from
the South, VIII sro he has spent the winter seek.
Ing a restoration to health, addressed the
House, paying his respects to the A. =. A. He
said:
in the few moments at my disposal | In
tend to pay my respects TO an organization ex-
istinR In this country to-day that Is behind
this bill. and has been behind II ever since
Congress came into session. The A. p. A.
organization never made any opposition to the
appropriations for these institutions until the
night before the debate began, and then they
Dombarded the committee room and insisted
upon the appropriations being stricken out.
The animus of this organization is well
known. \ great many members Of this House
have been importuned to oppose this bill, not
In the interest of Justice. freedom. or a broad
spirit Of libernlity and Americanism, but for
the simple reason that II appropriated money
for Catholic institutions. l stand upon the
floor Of this House. born and bred u Roman
Catholic and proud of it. and | deny the right
Of any secret, oath. bound organization to come
before the legal representative of the Amer;
lean people, and by its dark. deep, undcrhand
methods. seek to deprive me and the members
citi1cnship., What apology is there for a Roman
CATHOLIC t." live in this country? Is one neces-
Of this land of ours in 1892. Look at the deeds
Of bravery and heroism and statesmanship
lies. | challenge any member of the \. l.. ~.
organization In this House, | challenge any
zation, to name any sphere in life. or any
public duty. that has been, badly filled or III
performed by MEMBERS of the Roman Catholic
I'm the great war of the Revolution. Wash
inEton had no frmer frienas, no tirmer sup,
his staff. and when we look at the great naval
struggle at that time the first name that springs
Catholic, Capt. John O'Brien, who achieved
the first. great naval victory OF the war off the
Kosciusko or Pulaski or Lafayette was a
Catholic when. the thirteen colonies were
strugsiing for their Independence we're strTg,
rights which frce-born Anne. lean citizens are
enjoying to-day. At that time could you find
any religious fanatics or persons. stealthily
creeping around from one end of the country
to the other in secret order intriguing against
q mans religion? | know we talk about the
breadth and liberality of the American people
In these days. Why. sir. II Is not to be COM
pared with the breadth and liberality and wis
dom that were exhibited In those times.
NJ Speaker. | should appeal In the spirit of
broad Americanism and true charity. II Il
could be done. that this appropriation bill
which has been reported here to-day should be
set aside, and an appropriation made In the
usual form.
Il know. however. that that cannot be done
at the present time under the rules Of this
House; but ! Intend to stand here and utter
my protest as an American citizen and as a
Roman Catholic against the unjust, unfair.
by the organization to which ! have referred
to deprive these institutions of the support
which is legally and Justly theirs. My friends.
If we should have war with England on account
on account of the Cuban matter, where would
the members of this famous organization be
found? They would be found in the same place
and under the same auspices that they were
found in the war OF the rebellion. taking the
steamers for Nova Scotia to put themselves
under the protection of Queen Victoria and the
British flag. Those would be the conditions
that would exist. and those are the conditions
that always exist, when, people try to strike
The vote upon the bill was 1874 to 81. and
only twenty members. an insufficient number
Joined with Mr.. Sulzer Dem, n. " in n de-
mand for the vote by yeas and nays;
Conference was ordered on the Senate
amendments to the Post Office Appropriation
bill.
Consideration was begun of the FILLED
Cheese Bill" imposing a tax upon It's manufsc-
ture and sale. and will be continued tomorrow.