Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-04-10
A.P.A.DENOUNCED.
Sharp Attack on That organiza.
ton in the House.
FIGHT ON MONEY FOR CHURCHES


WAsurSGToS, April l0.-The District Of
Columbia appropriation bill, which wns
rccommittcd c1riy in March after pro-
tracted fight against appropriations for
private and scctarian charitable institu-
tlons, wns brought up in the house yester-
day. Tho specific scotarian institutions
erc stricken out and in lieu thereof Is an
appropriation % lump sum for charities
e. be expended under the District commits
sloncrs, with the proviso that no part OF
the appropriation should 60 to institu.
tions in ecclesiastical or scctarian control.
Tho fcature Of the debate was a vigorous
attack on tho A. =. a. by Fitzgerald
Dcm )of Massachusetts
ut has been stated" said he. 'thnt
mcmbcrs of the a. T.. a. organization
never made any opposition at all to appro-
priations for these institutions until the
night before, md then they bombarticd
the committee room and insisted Apon the
appropriations for these institutions be-
Ing stricken out.
ozark, Deep, rnderhand MetEod.-
Tho minus of this organization IA
well known. Members of the house have
bccn importunrd not in the interest Of
justice, Of freedom, or Of broad spirit of
libcrality and Amcricanism, to oppose
this bill, but because 1t appropriated
money for Catholic institutions. stand
upon this flor. born and bred n Roman
Catholic and proud OF it, and deny the
right Of any secret, oath-bound organiza-
tion 20 come before tho legal rcprcsonta-
tiycs OF the American people and by its
dark. deep undcrhani methods seek 20
deprive mo and tho members Of the re.
ligiOn which profess Of the honest rights
md privileges and dues OF American citi-
znnship. What apology IL there for n
Roman Catholic to live in this country?
i one ncccssnry9
Father OF Our Naval Prestige.
Look at the deeds Of bravery and hero.
Ism and statcsmanship that have been
performed by Roman Catholics. I chal-
lCngc any member uf the a. T. A. organi-
2ltiOn In this house, or any member in
sympathy with IL, to name any sphere in
life or any public duty that has been bad
1y fillSd or lily performed by mGmbcrs Of
the Roman Catholic church. In the grcnt
war Of the revolution Washington had no
frmcr friends or firmcf supporters than
the Roman Catholic mcinhors of his staff:
1trugglc which was the prido and the
glory of the American people at Tint
umc tho Drst nnuo that springs to our
lips Is that Of an Irishman. a Roman
Catholic. Cap'nin John o Bricn, who
achieved tie first great naval victory of
tho war of the coast Of Maine.
says a. u. As Are Cowards.
''1t was not asked whether Eosciusko
or Pulaski or Lafayette were Catholics
when tho thirteen colonies were strug-
Cling for thcit Independence. know we
talk about tho breadth and libcrality of
the American people in these days. Why
sir, IL Is not to bc compared with the
breadth and li5crality and wisdom that
wcrc exhibited In those times. My
friends, IL we should have war with En-
gland On account of the Venezuelan mat
Ter. or war with Spain ON account of the
Cuban matter, whcrc would thr mcin-
bcrs of this famous organization bcf
Where would thcy bc foundp They would
b. found In the same place and under the
same auspices that they were found in tho
war ut the rehcllion-takiug the steamers
for Nova Scotia to put themselves under
the protection OF Queen Victoria and the
British flag"