The Irish standard., 1915-10-02
NO PLACE FOR CATHOLICS.

CAVEAUd AaEms WHICH real estate men
picture as the front yard of heaven?
Beware. il you are, for at least certain
sections Of that state, notably sur
rounding settlement called Fort Lau-
derdale, are rather the back yards of
hell and are populated with that spe-
cies of ignorant, bigoted Protestants
that would disgrace any village of
cannibals in the heart of darkest Al
RIGA.
Experience Of a Catholic Settler.
A certain Catholic farmer of Ne
braska, named Murphy, lured by real
estate advertisements, settled in the
neighborhood Of Fort Lauderdale. His
daughter, to be with her father, re-
signed her position as public school
teacher in Nebraska and went to
Florida. She was promised a posi-
ton as teacher in the Fort Lauderdale
public school" by the superintendent
of education. Then something hap.
pened. Fort Lauderdale learned that
Miss Murphy was Catholic. Imme-
diately there was q protest which
wound up in a great mass meeting to
decide whether a Catholic should be
permitted to teach in Fort Lauder
dale public school," A vote was TAX
en- of the Citizens" attending, result
ing in seven supporting Miss Murphy
and 181 deciding that no Catholic
teacher be allowed in the public
school"
Such "citizens!"
Now these "citizens" prided them.
selves of two things, their American
birthright and their advocacy of free
speech. When a Catholic arose to
protest against the action of the town
he was hooted and compelled to sit
down without having had his say.
This was the free speech they advo-
Gated. When it came to upholding
the constitution which declares that
no religious test shall ever be quail
tication for holding public office. they
sold their American birthright and
disgraced their citizenship by denying
a Catholic the privilege Of teaching
in a public school.
Bishop curIey Speaks Out.
Bishop Curley of st. Augustine. re-
viewing the situation, commented:
"The action of the trustees ap-
proved by the votes of 1S1 haters of
the Catholic religion is un-American,
UNI Christian, unprincipled, unpatriotic
and flagrantly unjust. Its viciousness
is intensified by its bare-faced public
ity which deepens its color as a crime
against the most fundamental prin-
ciple of our American constitution.
Lauderdale intolerance glories in its
shame.
Is the Public School Protestant?
81 want it to be distinctly under
stood that Miss Murphy sought no ia.
vors at the hands of the Lauderdale
trustees; she asked for no special
privilege; she had a right to her pc.
sition and that right was violated
when she was told that she had no
place as teacher in the public school
because she processes the Catholic re-
ligion. 1t was proclaimed during the
meeting in Lauderdale that the pub
lie school is q Protestant institution
and therefore no Catholic teacher
may cross its threshold. This will be
news, indeed, to the citizens Of Flor
ida. 1t will be strange information for
Americans in general The conclusions
from the Lauderdale proclamation
concerning the Protestant status of
our state schools are far-reaching, in
deed. II the public school Is a Pro-
testant institution why, ask, has it
to be supported by the taxes of Cath
olics, Jews and millions who are
neither Protestant, Catholic nor Jew.
The public school, however, the Lau-
derdale trustees and patriots to the
contrary notwithstanding, is not a
Protestant institution, neither is it a
Catholic institution. 1t Is a public in
stitution Of learning supported by all
the people of a state regardless of the
religion or lack of religion. in which
the children of the state should stand
on an equal footing without fear of
having their religious feelings ever
wounded. In 1t no religion is taught
and for admission to it's class rooms,
or for a position on its PROFESSIONAL
staff, no religious test may be estab.
lished, no discrimination on account
of religion shown. This Is my idea of
the American public school and II I
am wrong am willing to be set right.
But this is not the idea of the bigots
of Lauderdale. They have begun by
Catholic teachers and we
may soon expect to find them closing
the doors of the public school on Cath
Ollie children, because you must re-
dear readers, that according
to Fort Lauderdale intolerance the
public school is not public school. 1t
ID Z Protestant school, the atmosphere
Of which must not be contaminated
by the presence of q Catholic teacher
State Of Minnesota, County Of Henne-
pin. District Court Fourth Judi.