The Donaldsonville chief., 1921-09-03
rrDERAL EDUCATIONAL BILL.
sA.-bbishop Shaw Warns Catholics
Not to Sign Petition Urging
Its Adoption.

In strong letter which was pub.
lished in the New Orleans newspa-
ners a few days ago, Archbishop
fehn w. Shaw warns Catholics
ssainst signing the petitions which
~ being circulated throughout the
state. asking the Louisiana senators
and congressmen to vote for the
cterlinp-Towner educational bill
,yhich is pending before congress:
THE letter is az follows:
ssMy reason for presuming to
+respass upon your valuable space is
n animadvert briefly upon a GER
tain petition, which is being indus
tyiously circulated in our city in be-
half Of the Sterling-T -Townef bill, the
lafest attempt of some of our ma
t;anal solons to resurrect in a slight
II emasculated form the now hap
n;lv defunct Smith-Towner bill. My
eritique of the petition and it's pro-
tere will be merely an impartial
statement of the Catholic position
I II reference to this latest embryo of
federal paternalism.
saThe Catholics of this community
cannot help being suspicious Of the
netition, so far as Catholic interests
~ in question, in view of the fact
4 that the apparently official spon-
sors and promoters of this latest
rnronaganda are known to be intense
Il hostile to the Catholic cause, their
vehement protests to the contrary
notwithstanding. Inspired according
Il - their viewpoint of the unadulter-
ated blessings of secular education,
With the noble motive to remove the
strain of illiteracy from the escut-
cheon Of the country; ambitious be-
yot,d conception to Americanize
Y heir fellowmen, whether native or
fcreign; and strong in the convic-
ton that exclusive control of educa-
lion will be the panacea Of all the
evils of our social life, our Jealous
nropapandists are naturally most
anxious to send an imposing list of
names to our senator's and fepresen-
tatiyes in the hope that such pro-
nounced expression of the wishes Of
their constituents may spur them on
ID work with might and main for
tie passage Of the bill.
As eur enthusiasts are out most
Ii for names they realized regard
LAS Of their suspicious and misgiv-
4 irgs. that they could not without
crave encouragement ignore our
large Catholic population. We have
been reliably informed that our peo-
Die, our young people especially,
have been approached suavely and
have been assured in the most con-
yincing tones that as there was abb
solutely nothing in their petition
I that could wound or compromise the
most delicate religious susceptible
sies, they, as true loyal Americans,
shonld sign the same, Unfortunate
regret 10 sa some of
pIas whose knowledge ana Judgment
os human nature are not sufficient
Y NJ matured to take the elementary
pfecaution of always reading doc
ument before affixing ones sigma
ture, acquiesced, only to be mortI-
fled later on when they realized
their egregious mistake. Many
others, we are happy to say, more
circumspect respectfully declined the
preferred honor, and would not be
coerced and dragoned into follow
iIig the crowd. We have also been
told that refusal to sign has cost a
young stenographer her position
with certain firm. To make the
conscientious refusal to sign an un-
official or officious petition, an acid
test Of true Americanism and pat
riotism, must be stigmatiZed by all
fair-minded men and women as an
exhibition of unparalleled arrogance.
As Americans whose loyalty has
never been found wanting IN the
crucible of patriotism, we object to
the enactment of the federal educa-
ti0nal bill as an unwarrantabie ana
indefensible surrender of certain
i states rights which the national con-
stitution guarantees to the sovereign
commonwealth of the Union. To sane
4 ton such a transfer of autonomy
would be subversive of true democra-
cy and humiliating admission that
the various state legislatures have
become imbecile and unable to regu-
late and provide for matters of pure
" local concern. The present fed
eral prohibition amendment is a
striking and ignominous illustration
Of the folly of the surrender OF
state autonomy. It's dismal failure,
4 as anticipated to legislate temper
ance morals Of the nation has MADE
America the laughing stock OF the
world, engendered growing dlsres-
nect for law and order, aggravated
The evil which it was heralded to pc
al infallible cure, and has raised
Y up q brood Of sanctimonious hypo-
critics who are nauseating to the
nostrils of all true Americans. In
defense of the Catholic church we
wish to say officially that she has
always condemned in unmeasufeo
terms the abuse of the liquor trafiic,
eas always reprobated the saloon as
lne curse of the country, and has
strongly urged her people to earn
laelr livelihood by other more honor
a6le occupations. All right think.
ng men and women have realized
" the light of experience that 1T Is
practically impossible to eradicate
all Of the evils of liquor, and that II
YES therefore the duty of legislatures
e e avoid other and worse demons
finally, il this tendency of leglsia-
safes, under the heel Of fanatics to
sarrender fundamental and inallen'
aole rights, be not checked, the
various commonwealths will eventu,
WY become the wards of the fedora!
government and the helpless victims
u y ar intolerable bureaucracy ane
soyietism.
Again as Americans we protest