Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1896-04-23

SPEECH
HON. JOIN FITZGERALD
OF MASSACHUSETTS,
In House OF REPREsENTATIv Es
Thursday, April 9. 1895.
bill CHI. n. se10 making appropriations for tn
District Of Columbia
Mr.. FITZGERALD said
Mr.. SPEAKER An enforced alb
sence on account of illness at ths
time this matter was discussed be-
fore mnst answer for my wearyine
you ut this time.
If | understand the present par.
liamentary status of this appropri.
alton bill it is too late for any
amendment to be offered, and the
members of the House must con.
tent themselves with voting in the
affirmative or in the negative when
the vote is taken.
When this matter was discussed
before the gentlemen who advocat.
ed striking out the provisions for
the so-called sectsrian institutions
proclaimed in the strongest terms
their freedom from any religious
bigotry and prejudice, and said
they were actuated by a desire to
rid the Government of all contact
with denominational or sectarian
institutions.
Yet / find during this very week,
when the bill appropriating money
for the Howard University, a pri-
vate UNCONVENTIONAL school, was
being considered these, very same
men, having found q way to dis.
tinguish between "tweedledum and
tweedledee," voting in favor of that
proposition.
Mr.. Speaker, there is no need of
any concealment as to who are the
real instigators of this movement
to take away these appropriations
from the Catholic institutions.
It is an open secret that on the
night before this bill was reported
o committee OF the American Pro-
tective Association waited upon the
members of the Committee on Ap-
preparations and demanded that
they strike out of the bill the pro-
vision granting aid to the Catholic
institutions in the District Of Col
umbia.
They gave no reasons. They did
not deny that those institutions
were worthy in every respect or that
they expended in an economical
and praiseworthy manner every dol.
lar that was appropriated for them
and were doing a noble and Chris.
tan work in this city, helping the
orphans and taking care of the I'M.
fortunate.
The members of this notorious
organization have taken an oath
against the Roman Catholic Church
and its members, and the hand oi
the organization has been clearly
shown here in Congress in the de.
feat of appropriations for Catholic
| institutions in the District of Col.
umbia, and for Catholic Indian
schools.
Appended is the oath taken BY
every member Of the American Pro
tective Association:
] do most solemnly swear that
will not allow anyone q member oi
the Roman Catholic Church to be.
come o member Of this order,
knowing him to be such /; that
will use my influence to promote
the interests of all Prstestants ev.
erywhere in the world that l viii
not employ a Roman Catholic in
any capacity if can procure the
services of o Protestant; that | will
not aid in maintaining or building
by my resources any Roman Catho.
lie Church or institution of theil
sect or creed whatsoever, but will
do all in my power to retard and
break down .he power of the Pope
that / will not enter into q contro
troversy with q Roman Catholic
upon the subject Of this order, nol
will / enter into any agreement with
Roman Catholic to strike or ere
ate disturbance whereby the Ro
man Catholic employees may under
mine and substitute the Protestant
that in all grievances ! will seel
only Protestants and counsel will
them to the exclusion of all Roman
Catholics, and ] will not make
known to them anything of any ma