Waterbury Democrat., 1902-03-11
FATHER SfANLEYS REpLYTO MR KELLOGG
lie Says the Secretary of the State Board of Charities Has Made Five False Statements-he Also Says That Mir. Kellogg Brought About the Newspaper Controversy
 and He Intends to Enighten the Pulp
 lie Through That Medium.

Temporary home for children in Put nam Tuesday, February IS, 1902, my object being to learn from the au- thorities in charge whether Catholic children were allowed to practice their religion while committed to an ln- stitution, supported by the state. During my interview I was astonished to hear from MT Converse that, IT, respective of their religious belief all children under his care were obliged to go to the Baptist church. The superintendent admitted that this was not state law nor the direction of the county commissioners but simply his own order that the children-Catholic and non-C -Catholic-should every Sun day attend the Baptist church and the Baptist Sabbath school. MT Converse, understand, is deacon of the Bap- tist church in Thompson, where the children are obliged to go to church.
 T was surprised to learn that Catho lie children were obliged to study the Sabbath school lessons of the Baptist church i'll the County home and re- cite them in the Baptist church. asked Mir Converse if he would insist upon boy of fourteen going to the Baptist church. when the boy is q Catholic. The reply was to the effect that no exception could be made for him, as to Mir Converse all denomina- tions were alike, the children at the County home were all one-their unity |-I inferred, consisting i'll their being obliged to go to the Baptist church, whether they believed in it's teachings or not. Again 1 insisted upon the boys right to practice his own religion and that of his parents. l stated his willingness to walk to Putnam in order to attend the Catholic church. MT Converse could not agree to this, explaining that he could not be re- sponsible for the children when he did not know where they were. I asked what the distance was to the Baptist church in Thompson and MT Converse replied that it was q little nearer than it was to Putnam.
 My amazement at the curtailment of the right of Catholic children to attend the Catholic church was with out bounds when over the telephone I learned from MT Converse that he would positively refuse to allow d Catholic child to attend Catholic church, even when I agreed to pay for his transportation, accompanied by an officer from the Windham County home. That this is MT Converse's settled policy is clear from his refusal of a similar proposition made some time ago by Catholic pastor. The County home is as easily accessible from Putnam as from Thompson. Yours Truly,
 70. T. MAGNEL1.'' MT. Kellogg states that ''the state wards ill Litchfield county are in no way under the control of the Gilbert home trustees; they are under the control of the board of management of the Litchfield county home 7 This is the fifth false statement in MT Kel- logg's letter.
 l asked MT Kellogg at a hearing be- fore the judiciary committee of the last legislature, if these children were under the Litchfield county manage ment or the Gilbert home manage | ment. His reply was that they were l under the Gilbert home management. A vote passed by the trustees of the l Gilbert home on February 2S. disap- proving of 'denominational instruc- | ton in the Gilbert home'' is sufficient evidence that the wards of the state from Litchfield county are under the | 1 home.
 MT Kellogg in concluding his letter i declares that the incident is closed now so far as l am concerned.' MT
 Kellogg who unhappily opened this in- cident cannot close it arbitrarily It must close of itself. It will not be closed for some time. We have reached only the first chapter. In- formation concerning the proselyting
 influences of the county home system
 is coming from all sides. Volumes
 can be written on the subject. and vol
 umes on the history of the county
 homes of Connecticut One volume
 could be devoted to the investigation
 already made of the charges preferred
 against the superintendent of the 1 Hartford county home, another on the l Gilbert home. We are inyestigating
 at present an interesting case in the
 county home at Haddam. We will publish the details later
 There is abundant literature treat- ing of the proselyting influence of the
 Baptist deacon who is the manager of the Windham county home.
 MT Kellogg requests me, in his let- I ter, to send my complaints to the state board of charities or to him
 and he assures me that they will re-
 ce1ye careful consideration.
 l have made complaint in such man.
 her, and have not received satisfac
 tion.
 In the future I will present the facts
 through the press to the citizens ot
 Connecticut, who paid $4,355 last year
 Tor the expenses of some of the state
 board of charities and Mir Kellogg
 WALTER J. STANLEY.