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Show TRUE FACTS STATED. Bishop Granjohn of Tucson, Ariz., on . .. Trouble in Morenci. So mrfny exaggerated-'ancl misleading statements have' been published in regard re-gard to the recent trouble and annoyance annoy-ance suffert-d by the New York Sifters i of Charity in attempting to place a number of the children from their fcundling asylnm in hoir.ea in Morenoi, Ariz., that Bishop Granjohn of Tucson has issued an authoritative letter correcting cor-recting some of the more flagrant misstatements. mis-statements. This letter' appears in the Bisbee, Ariz., Review, and is asi follows; fol-lows; Bishop's Residence, Tucsjn, Ariz., Oct. S, 1904. I have read the paragraph in the Bisbee Daily Review of Oct. 6, about the orphans at Clifton-Morenci. As the facts appear to me upon authoritative au-thoritative statement explaining them, and giving the true version of the incident, in-cident, I am compelled to affirm that the particulars as printed in the Review Re-view are either misrepresented or exaggerated, ex-aggerated, or both. There was no such thing as any of the forty children not sixty dying on the road. Not a cent of money was received re-ceived by the sisters or priests outside of a collection amounting to about ?30, intended to defray the transportation of the party of children to Morenci. On this score the father was out $10 personally. The story cf the children having been given to Indians en route, is a whole-cloth invention, and so forth. I In order to justly locate the responsibilities, respon-sibilities, it should be borne in mind; First That Father Mandin took pains to notify his congregation, both in Spanish and English, of the circular from New York about the orphans. Second That, upon finding that only one American family had made application appli-cation for adopting an orphan, as against about sixty .applications from Mexican families '(twenty-seven of which were rejected), the reverend gentleman gen-tleman took care to advise Mr. Swayne, the agent of the fcundling asylum in New York, of the unadvisableness of granting then? American children to Mexican families. Third That Mr. Swayne answered that he could decide for himself, being himself an American and. of much experience ex-perience in sueh matters. Fourth That when the forty children chil-dren arrived, duly accompanied by a party of sisters and nurses, they naturally natu-rally were entrusted, at least temporarily, tempo-rarily, to the families who,, having applied ap-plied for them, had made preparations', in most cases expensive ones, rc receive them properly. Fifth That .even his distribution, was only temporary and conditional, as the sisters were to stay in. Clifton several weeks to observe the .conditions and j make' the necessary changes.- i Sixth That the American families who wished, to adopt a child should have made application or. time, as duly notified and requested, and only one American family having responded. I I Seventh That the circular confined the selection to Catholic families which, of course, was an unquestionable light of the foundling asylum. Eighth That finally, should there have been any cause for dissatisfaction in any quarter, notification of it shoull have been made, and action taken in a sober, rational and gentlemanly manner, man-ner, instead of which great roughness was indulged in and much incivility; indeed, as I understand, t-vcu personal violence. It ifi to be regretted, from every point of. view, that with a view to adjusting the matter rudeness and lack of measure meas-ure should have been resorted to in preference to dispassionate-arguments and self-control. The regular course was an appeal to the diocesan authority. author-ity. At any rate, I cannot pos-iibly-ad-mit for a moment that orders to "leave his parish should have come to the Rev. Mandin from any other source than the bishop's command. In my judgment, judg-ment, it was the priest's duty to remain at his pOBt until he received orders from me .10 the contrary and that, in spite of rough handling, threats" and other forms of unnecessary, uncalled-foe an! ungenerous maltreatment.'' Father Mandin is a zealous, kind, well-meaning priest. I do not know of any one, inespective cf race or religion, having called him for a service and not having: been cordially welcome to it. The offensive and humiliating abuse to which he was unnecessarily subjected subject-ed is a poor reward for ministerial labors la-bors faithfully discharged. Any man may have, and has. his limitations. But where an action is well meant, though possibly mistaken, the unintentional fault of the doer should be met with generosity. Rev. Mandin honestly acknowledged ac-knowledged the imprudence of his cooperation co-operation in that unfortunate affair. But there Is due to him, in my mind, an apology for the injudicious, inconsiderate incon-siderate and excessive severity with which he was met in a community Avhere he lived for the sole purpose of doing good as he saw it, and in the spirit of a kind, well-meent, serviceable friend, devoted servant and faithful and virtuous prient. Yours sincerely, (Signed) HENRY GRANJON. Bishop of Tucson. |
