The Writings of Carl Schurz/To M. W. Dillon, October 30th, 1901

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Speeches, correspondence and political papers of Carl Schurz
Carl Schurz and others, edited by Frederic Bancroft

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New York City: G. P. Putnam's Sons, pages 276–277

3584320Speeches, correspondence and political papers of Carl Schurz — To M. W. Dillon, October 30thCarl Schurz and others

TO M. W. DILLON

New York, Oct. 30, 1901.

The slip from the Daily News which you have shown me, contains a gross and wicked misrepresentation of what I said in my recent speech delivered in Cooper Union. I am quoted as saying:

“The bands of brigands in the mountains of Italy, offering prayers of thanksgiving to the Virgin Mary after a successful loot, are as much a part of the Catholic Church as Tammany Hall is a part of the Democratic party.”

I was arguing that Tammany Hall could NOT rightfully be called a part of the Democratic party. I illustrated this by adding: “The brigands of the Abbraggi, offering thanksgiving to the Virgin Mary after a successful loot, are just AS LITTLE a part of the Catholic Church as Tammany Hall is a part of the Democratic party.” This was the very point of the argument. What I said was therefore not only not a slur upon the Catholic Church, which I would not think of being guilty of; but on the contrary, it was a compliment to the Catholic Church, for I distinctly scouted and repudiated the idea that the brigands of the Abbraggi could be considered a part of the Church. No candid person will read that part of my speech without seeing this at once.