The Palatka news and advertiser., 1915-09-03
Because of Her Religion.


lie school because in religion she was
a Catholic. Miss Murphy had been
by the county superintend-
ent after passing the required exami-
nation. When it was learned that she
was Catholic in religion, the coun-
ty school board passed a resolution
her. The mass meeting,
by a vote of 181 to 7, approved the
action Of the board. The only voice
of protest raised at the mass meeting
came from one of the ministers of the
protestant faith.
When the matter became public
Bishop Curley of the diocese of ST.
wrote the following letter
to the Miami Herald:
Episcopal Residence,
st. Augustine, Fla, Aug. 2S, 1915.
Editor Miami Herald:
| have before me a copy of your
valuable journal of August 25th in
which | find an account of meeting
i'll Fort Lauderdale in connection with
the expulsion of Miss Murphy from
her position as teacher in the public
school of that city. The lady in ques-
ton had been appointed by the county
superintendent to a school which by
state law is non-sectarian, which is
supported by the taxpayers, Jew, Cen
tile, of the county. She had passed
her examination, had received her GER
titicate, was given position to which
she was entitled and then was rejected
not because she was not qualified to
teach, but simply and solely on ac-
count of her religion. The action Of
the school trustees is supported by
1S1 out of 1873 votes at public meet
ing called in Fort Lauderdale, and all
this happened because the qualified
teacher Miss Murphy is adjudged
guilty of the crime of being a Catho-
lie. This is her only crime. Had she
been a Baptist, Methodist, Jewess,
Presbyterian, Holy Roller, Mormon,
Shaker or Quaker, had she been an
adherent of the principles of free love
or even rampant atheist, she would
today be holding a position in Fort
Lauderdale school, and no cat-calling
kissing mob would be shouting for
her blood, or depriving her of a
means of making an honest living.
The action of the trustees approved
by the votes of 131 haters of the
Catholic religion is un-American, un-
Christian, unprincipled, unpatriotic
and flagrantly unjust. Its viciousness
is intensified by its barefaced publici-
ty which deepens it's color as a crime
against the most fundamental princi-
pie of our American constitution. Lau-
derdale intolerance glories in its
shame.
| want it to be distinctly understood
that Miss Murphy sought no favors
at the hands of the Lauderdale trus-
tees; she asked for no special privi-
lege; she had right to her position
and that right was violated when she
was told that she had no place as a
teacher in the public school because
she processes the Catholic religion
1t was proclaimed during the meeting
in Lauderdale that the public school
is a protestant institution and there.
fore no Catholic teacher may cross
its threshold. This will be news in.
deed to the citizens of Florida. Il
will be strange information for Am,
orleans in general. The conclusion!
from the Lauderdale proclamation
concerning the protestant status Of
our state schools are far reaching in
deed If the public school is a protes
tant institution why, ask, has it tt
be supported by the taxes of Catho
lies, Jews and millions who are nei
ther Protestant, Catholic nor Jew. Tn,
public school however, the Lauderdalt
trustees and patriots" to contrar.
Notwithstanding, is not protestan
institution, neither is it Catholi
institution. 1t is a public institution
of learning supported by all the peo
pie of a state regardless of the reli
gion or lack of religion, in which tn
children of the state should stand ol
an equal footing without fear or hav
ing their religious feelings eve
wounded. In it no religion is taugh
and for admission to its class rooms
or for a position on its professoria
staff, no religious test may be estab
lished, no discrimination on accoun
of religion shown. This is my ide
of the American public school an
if l am wrong | am willing to be Sc
right. But this is not the idea of tn
bigots of Lauderdale. They have be
gun by expelling Catholic teachers an
: we may soon expect to find ther
!, closing the doors of the public schoc
on Catholic children, because yo
: must remember, dear readers, tina
Fort Lauderdale intolerance the pull
lie school is not a public school, it
a protestant school, the atmospher
of which must not be contaminate
by the presence of a Catholic teache
whose religion, we are given to under
stand renders her unfit to teach gran
5 mar or geography or spelling.
The mob gathered in Lauderdal
5 were as devoid of logic as they wei
d of justice, and the 1S1 voters WI
e hissed Miss Murphy out of her pos
j ton because she is a Catholic, gay
d proof positive that they are false
o the fundamental principle of true An
: ericanism. They are guardians I
It liberty, not to uphold liberty but
S suppress it. They are advocates
e free speech when they clamor fl
= freedom of speech to infict wrong {
e others, but when freedom is exerci
IS ed in the defence of rights it mu
: be drowned in cat-calls and hisse
y They are pleaders for justice and fai
n ness only to deprive, if they could, OF
e fifth of Americas population of the
e God-given rights. In the name