The Virginia enterprise., 1908-12-04
let Us Have a ''Square Deal. -
By REV. JAMES HOGAN.

let US nave q ''SQudre Oedl. :
II BY REV. JAMES HOGAN.
+ I wish to make a few remarks tha
are intended solely to give the cor
rect view on one or two points tha>
may be easily fnisrepresented there
by causing a wrong impression tc
be made on the minds of some o1
our citizens. wish to state that
undertake to do this at the reques,
OF many composed of Catholics and
nou-Catholics. wish to do it in a
reasonable, fair minded and unbi.
ased manner, simply as an Ameri
can citizen, without prejudice. =
We all have work enough to do
here7nFthe upbuildinE of our city
and in the betterment of the Cir
cumstances of our community.
There IL room enough for every de-
Sfrable citizen here, and 1 believe
others such would be welcomed,
put unity is strength.
! As l understand it a large mum
Der of our Catholic citizens-per.
haps l should say allz-and a good
pumber of our non-Catholic fellow
citizens, are justly pained that the
question of religion should be
brought up in our public schools.
It is a known fact that it has been
brought up. Where the blame lies
I shall not presume to say.
Questions have been treated in
the schools at various times of a
purely religious nature, from a sup
posedly historic point of view,
which neither instruct, enlighten or
edify the non.CathoIic children and
are an outrage to the very instincts
of every Catholic, whether child or
adult. For instance, it ia given down
as fact in the textbook written by
West, that some of the Roman pom
tiffs dug up their predecessors, tore
from their graves their bodies, mu.
tilated them in the streets of Rome,
and having publicly disgraced
them threw them into the Tiber. 1t
is also stated that at some time or
other boy pope, ten years of age,
styled IAN immoral little wretch"
was placed on the chair of Peter.
You will find all through the book
such remarks as "the' church was
corrupt" "the authorities of the
church were rotten" and 80 on.
One reading over matter like this
in book form would be led to believe
that the author lived in the days
that he wrote of instead of the pres.
ent, was an eye witness to what he
states as fact, for contrary to the
expectation and the invariable rule
he mentions no names. gives mo- re-
ferences, quotes no authority, men,
tious no; dates, which were once
recognized az the eyes of history.
So without the eyes we are lett in a
hopelessly blind condition. And this
book is placed before the receptive
minds of the youths 80 easily i'm
pressed with right or wrong, in our
public schools, which are supposed
to educate the children in the truth.
And in it the author speaks as
though he were the sole infallible
guide who car, neither do or say
wrong.
OF course l need hardly mention
the fact that anyone with even an
ordinary share of intelligence who
will search history can prove that
the truth is not given, and that there
is misrepresentation on every page
Of the book. History does not sub.
stantiate these statements, and by
history mean that which comes
from an unprejudiced and intelli.
gent author, no matter whether he
ie Catholic or protestant. We as
Catholics are not ashamed of the
truth just as it is nor are we afraid
of the light, past or present, tina,
reveals today any work of the
church in any age. There is nc
enemy the church breads save the
one who goes secretly and disguised
to stab her when she is not aware.
What are the facts in the case tina,
10 rumOred around town? What did
the Catholics look for? What dc
they want? Are they attempting tc
put forth their hands to get control
of the public schools? Let me state
to start with there is no seIf.respect
ing citizen here who is not proud o1
our public schools of this city. No,
can he be called seIf-respectine