Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-19


had thrown upon it the duty of man
aging its own properties; the church
came To the state and asked the au-
thority for creating a corporation sole
Cor the purpose of managing its prop
erty. The State thought it then proper
to grant the request.
To-Day the situation is very much the
same. II resolves itself. as the commit
Zee viewed the question, into simply
this that the church as an institution
now comes to tho State and practically
asks for certain moditca tons in their
charter IT was made plain to the COM
:nittee that these notifications are
notifications which have the approY-
nj of The highest church authority. the
came authority Which is supreme in
dicta ting all questions of a spiritual
ne ture. and the committee felt that the
State would be carrying out to the
highest degree its policy Of non-inter-
ference if it accepted or if it granted
the request which is made by the
church authorities.
In addition to that ! will say that
i would also seem to me that to ques
ton that authority would involve jim q
degree an absurdity. because the indi-
,.i1ralg ,,,I,o cvarcisa tbc a,,tl,orif,, h,
~ o,,.n tI,is to,,no,,,1 action ara
as | understand it, the same individuals
aud the same powers who exercise all
The spiritual authority which is I'M
questioned. And while we may not
many of us understand fully the bear
;hs of all these questions because We
:. -S.,.t.e
- at,
.o,,.,,,',.ai lit mi
n. -, -.
,t,anf,,. ,,,,irtt,,ai ~, 49,
It ,f..1, -, -, -, .,id j., .d,,f,,,e4,
- ~, ,n.t,ir,,+fon torsotr ono ,,.I,io,,
yrhi1e nany ~ nc r,,, rot no conp,,,-
rico,tt.or .,.ot NO ,o,o,,pizo -i,or &c a.,
onci.=,+ f,eti,t,ti.n ~ +irsti+,,tior viii,
a nnoot rr,dit,l,lef ,eoord and an insti-
tntioo which eivas nropisa of en- oreat
nrop,inonoei and ca oreat ,.al,ta to tho
f.t,,re ucalfara of tho world tb,t = cor.
tain F,nglis, writer said of bor oebe
may still .evist in nndjnoinishad yi,5t,t,
when some traveller from New Zealand
sEaII in the midst Of vast solitude
take his stand ON a broken arch Of
london bridge To sketch The ruins of
Il.
The motion will nrevail.
Mr.. DONOVAN of Lewiston. MIR.
Speaker | regret very much that the
gentleman from Berwick tMr. Spencer
considers the Catholic church and its
members menace TO society | ask YOU
sincerely to ask yourselves what would
be the result if the Catholic church and
its members should drop out of exist
ence. Those of you who have u knowl-
edge of the history of the Catholic
church must know what it has accom-
plished and what it is now accomplish
ing. 1t needs no word from me to tell
YOU The institution dates from the
Christian era. and its good work has
gone on; but | am sorry to be obliged
to acknowledge that there is little
friction now i'm the diocese of Maine
Those of you who were present at tile
bearing on thea 18th day of February
must have understood the position of the
Catholic church. but perhaps many OF
you were not present. | wish to say.
Mr.. Speaker and gentlemen. that | have
been practieing medicine in the city o.
Lewiston since 1866 At that time there
were hut few French people in the city
IT,
public work began in Lewiston which re-
quired larger number of people than
could be obtained there. and the Cana
dian people came down from Canada in
large numbers. That was the beginning
OF the establishment of French colony
in Lewiston. / have nothing to say
against those people | look upon them
as good, frugal and law-abiding citizens.
They gave me their confidence in a
measure, as much as | deserve probably,
and they gave me their money also; and
| would be unfair if | tried for one mo-
ment to kindle a spirit of disrespect or
hard feeling towards that people. /
have many warm friends among them.
But what is the cause of this disturb
ance? 4 few-I would almost call them
Iebellious, although | know IL l did [
should be sorry-a few seem to wish to
manipulate their own affairs in their
several parishes. Now, would that be a
step in the right direction? What is this
corporation sole? 1t is an instrument
created in the year 1887 by Bishop
Healey, of revered and pious memory;
with the aid and assistance of his coun-
sell Judge Putnam this instrument was
drawn so that the bishop should become