The times., 1897-08-31
THE ISOLATION BUILDING.
To The Eaton Of The Times:

utnCe i1OSpiai; WHICH W as SdpihNe'U ~
Mcssrs Burke and Roys. BY reference to
the act making appropriations TO provide
for the expenses of the government of the
District of Columbia for the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1898, and for other pur-
poses, it viii be seen that Congress ap-
propria.ed for two isolating buildings, to
be constructed, in the discretion of the
Commissioners of the District OF Columbia,
On the grounds OF two hospitals, and to be
operated as part of such hospitals.
30,O0O."
And further on in the same act will be
found the following provision:
And IL is hereby declared to be the
policy OF the Government of the United
States TO make no appropriation of money
or property for the purpose of founding.
maintaining or aiding, by payment for ser
vices, expenses or otherwise, any church
or religious denomination, or any institu-
ton or society which is under sectarian or
ecclesiastical control; and ii is hereby
enacted that, from and after the 3oth day
OF June, 1898, 10 money appropriated for
charitable purposes in the District OF
Columbia shall be paid TO any church or
religious denomination, or 10 any institu-
NAph Va fNfitN1N ~ 1hNh 10 hbHSA 'NNNs%'ANN -
ccclesiasi icaI control"
1t seems To me that by entering into
the contract objected to by Messrs. Burke
and Boys, the Commissioners have, as far
as in them lay, violated not only the first
and fourteenth amendments TO the Consd-
tuition, but also the spirit of the very act
making tie appropriation.
Ia their remonstranc-, a copy of whicn
D. no Iii Is fur
nishad me, they state the case substan-
TALLY as above, and then say:
We have the honor to demonstrate
against the use OF the said sum of money,
or any part thereof, for the erection OF
said hospital ON grounds belonging To Provi-
dence Hospital, and we submit tie follow
ing reasons:
/. IL is we'll settled principle of law
that any permanent structure erected on
private grounds become a part of the
realty and belongs TO the proprietor OF the
land. Hence an outlay of said sum in the
erection of said hospital on said grounds
! is gift of so much To Providence hospital,
which is private corporation.
=. Providence Hospital and grounds ire
the property OF religious sect or church
the worship of that particular sect or
| church being openly practiced there, to
the exclusion of all other forms OF worship;
and consequently tile erection of such hos
I pitaI on the said grounds is a gift, or ap-
preparation of public funds, TO secta rian
/ uses.
3. An appropriation Of public funds TO q
| religious sect, or church, aids in the
/ tablishment of such sect, church or re-
Iigion, and is violation of that clause
of our national Constitution found in its
/ first amendment: Congress shall make
! no law respecting an establishment OF re-
| IigiOn.' The appropriation OF large sums
/ of public money IN aid of any one re-
/ ligiOus sect tends TO establish that sect,
| church or religion, and we submit that
| such course long con ntinucd would finally
result in the establishment of that sect,
| church or religion, enabling it in time To
! define its own limits and to set limits
| TO all other seCts churches or religions, and
| also to set limits To the powers of the
state, as the Church of Rome has hereto
fore done in most OF the European and
| South American governments.
4. In the year 1911, James Madison,
| then President Of the United states,
vetoed bill granting a parcel OF land
| TO the Baptist Church al Salem Meeting
| house, in tile Mississippi Territory, for
! religious purposes, assi gning as a reason
| for said veto. ''Because the bill, III re-
serving a certain parcel OF land OF the
| United states for the use of said Ba ptisu
| Church, comprises a principle and a pre-
cedent for the use and support o. religious
| societies, contrary 10 the article OF the
| Constitution which declares that Congress
shall make no law respecting a religious
! establishme In the same year he We
| topd another church bill, which called for
! no appropriation of either money or land
A certain Protestant Episcopal church in
! Alexandria, d. c., had petittoned Congress
| for d charter OF incorporation. Congress
| passed the bill, but Madison vetoed it,
! giving three reasons therefor, two Of
which are clearly applicable in this case:
II. Because the said bill exceeds the
rightful authority of government as limited
by the essential distinction between the
civil and religious functions in general.
-. Because it violates i'll particular the
article of the Constitution which provides
that Congress shall ma ke no law respect
ing an establishment of religion.''
3. Both the Senate and House OF Repre-
sentatives have recently declared that it is
the policy of the Government to appropriate
no more public funds to sectarian uses.
8. 1t ought ever to be borne in mind
that the founders OF our republic and the
trainers OF our Constitution adopted the
great principle of the entire separation of
church and state-a principle never before
adopted by any government, but suggested
| to our fOrefatherS by the history OF u thou
sand years. They had not been 50 long sep
rated from old England, our mother coun-
try. and the continent OF Europe, rs 20
have forgotten the sanguinary rule of bloody
Mary in Great Britain, or the horrors Of
the French revolution of 1883 both caused
by the intermeddling OF a greedy and
naughty priesthood in civil affairs. To
| prevent any possible complications between
the civil and ecclesiastical powers in this
| republic, the first amendment to our na-
tional Constitution was made at the first
session Of the first Congress in 1871. That
clause of said amendment above quoted
was interpreted on two occasions by James
Madison, then President OF the United
States and a profound Jurist: and we ask
only that the honorable Commissioners of
the District of Columbia may, in the mat
ter cf this renonstrance, act according to
his Interpretation. We, therefore, whose
names are hereunder written, enter this as
our formal remonStrance against the erec-
tion OF the said hospital on said grounds;
and this we do in the name and on behalf
or the American Protective Association
and other kindred patriotic associations in
the United States.
! hope you will publish the foregoin 6
because it presents a very interesting ant
important question, which will certainl,
be fought ont in the courts if the Commits
sioners Insist upon executing the contrac
with Providence Hospital. j. B.
Unemployed Printers Excursion.