San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-03-29
WHY THEY OBJECT
To the A. P. A., and Answer to Sec
rotary Smith.

Dan ANloNloJ 4hdiCh ~, IOJo.
Please permit space for a few
words in reply to communication
published in the DAILY LIGHT OF
the 23d instant, and signed Ed. P.
Smith, secretary A. P. A. Council
No. IA.
The assertion that $50 to zoe
A. p. AIS in town are Catholics,
may be misleading. No member
of the Catholic church nor any
Catholic at heart, can be a member
Of the A. p. A, nor are there Odd
Fellows, Masons or knights OF
Pythias who are "good Catholics"
The gentleman does not seem to
know that there are people in this
world styling themselves Catholics,
who no more follow the precepts of
the church, than Protestants, and
that there are others calling them
selves Protestants, who, by their
daily practices in life, come nearer
to the teachings of the Catholic
church, than they are aware Of.
Every well-informed Catholic
knows that the church has had its
enemies from the time Of its foun-
dation to the present day; and will
probably continue to have them to
the end Of the world. But Mr..
Smith, in speaking Of american
ism," does not seem to know, or
has forgotten, that this country
was discovered and opened up to
civilization by people Of the Catho-
lie faith. Such names as st. Law
renee, st. Louis, San Francisco,
San Diego, San Antonio, etc., ETC.,
should remind him OF this. He
does not seem to know, that relig-
ious liberty, guaranteed by the
constitution of the United States,
is due to Catholic influence that
helped to frame it. He does not
seem to know that the interpreta-
tion Of this docu ment by Roman
Catholic chief justice stands today
as the fundamental law Of the
land.
Nay, more-he does not seem to
know that the greatest sys-
tenn of culture and civiliza-
ton as 1t exists throughout
the world today from the time Of
paganism has been developed upon
the principles brought forth from
the cstacombs at Rome, and that
the foundation stone Of this system
was laid by the Roman Catholic
church. He does not seem to know,
that more than two-thirds OF the
great institutions Of learning as
they exist in Europe today, were
founded and endowed by the Ro-
man Catholic church, including
the boosted oxford and Cambridge
colleges. He does not seem to
know, that at the great interna-
tIonal educational exhibit of the
recent Worlds fair at Chicago, over
700 medals andI diplomas were
awarded to the Catholic schools in
the United States alone. That the
Catholics in this country, while
forced to pay their full share OF
taxes in support OF the public
school fund, must depend
entirely upon their own re-
sources to uphold their institution
and that in spite Of this fact they
today possess more schools, acad-
emies and colleges than all of the
other so-called Christian denomi-
nations combined. And now come
the A. P. A. and say: "Any Cath
Ollie is eligible to membership who
believes in education, who be-
lieves in our principles" Oh, how
absurd
If it is necessary that the moral
and spiritual nature of the young
be developed, as well as their in
tellectual faculties, in order to
make them good citizens, (and who
will deny thisO where can we look
to outside of the Catholic schools?
If It is true, that education
alone, without religion, can never
stem the torrent of human passion
successfully, where can we look to,
outside of the Catholic schools?
Or does the A. p. A. intend to lay
the future destinies of this cOun-
try into the hands of those
who have never been taught
morality, responsibility, or &C.
countability, and thereby encour-
age state of anarchy!
Then talk about loyalty to
Americanism p
Iwish to say to the local secre-
tary of the A. P. A., that the
writer is no id foreigner, but
that he was born in this country,
and brought up in American insti-
buttons, not a day in Catholic
school either, unfortunately. Hav-
ing been so fortunate as to travel
and live also in other countries
abroad, and learn the habits, GUS
toms and views OF other people, /
may say that have always been
proud of my country. The sight
Of grand old glory, that noble en-
blem Of great people has always
awakened in me a feeling OF ma
tional pride. IL seems TO me there